Here you'll find information about me, my classes (including useful links!) and my interests. Right now, one of the best ways to keep up with is to check out my blog at http://gandalf.lrc.edu:16080/bloghome/ratked/. Have fun!

I was born and raised in Edmonton, Canada. I received a Bachelor of Arts (History) with Distinction in 1985 from the University of Alberta. Following my undergraduate studies I did a number of different things, among them I was a volunteer missionary in northern Ontario. After that experience I went to Berkeley, CA where I earned an M.A. in Theology from the Graduate Theological Union in 1992 and an M.Div. (Honors) from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in 1993. In 1998 I earned a doctorate in theology from Regensburg University in Germany.

I am an ordained pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and have served parishes in Alaska and North Dakota. 

Courses Taught

• The Christian Faith (REL 100) This is one of two courses required of all students at LRC. Most students take it in their freshman year. It is an introduction to the Bible and to the basic doctrines of the Christian faith (God, creation, humanity, Christ).

• The Christian Faith (HONRL 100) This is a "communication enhanced" version of the above course. The main difference between this course and the above is that this course requires more writing and has at least two oral presentations. 

• The Christian Perspective (REL 400) This is the second course required of all LRC students. It focuses on how the Christian faith informs and shapes the way we live our lives. My goal is to help students see the different ways theology is informs culture.  

• Medieval Christian Thought  (REL 320). This course is part of the religion major. It is open to anybody who is interested however. It is largely a reading course that introduces the student to some of the main movements in medieval theology, spirituality and church life. Some of the people whose writings we read include: Bernard of Clairvaux (a monk who was important for theology and church life), Thomas Aquinas (the greatest theologian of the Medieval period and who most influenced the theology of the Roman Catholic Church), Anselm of Canterbury (father of scholasticism and determined the church's thinking on the doctrine of atonement to this day), Mechthild of Magdeburg (an important figure in the lay spiritual movement), and Julian of Norwich (another important lay woman)

• The European Reformations: Movements & Ideas (REL 330). This course is also part of the religion major. Here we focus on the great theologians and movements of the sixteenth century. We spend a lot of time on the writings of Martin Luther, however we also explore the writings and theology of John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, the Anabaptists, and the Council of Trent (the Roman Catholic response to the Protestant Reformation).

• The Theology and History of Lutheranism (REL 450). This course is an introduction to the history and theology of Lutheranism. We cover the theology of Lutheranism as outlined in the Book of Concord as well as the history of Lutheranism emphasizing the Reformation period, Bach, Lutheran Orthodoxy and Pietism and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. 

Contact
David C. Ratke
Lenoir-Rhyne University
Box 7210
Hickory, N.C. 28603

Email: ratked@lrc.edu
tel. 828-328-7183
fax. 828-328-7372