Theologian and religious historian Martin E. Marty (1928–2025) shaped public understanding of religion and its role in contemporary culture. He began his career as a Lutheran pastor in the suburbs of Chicago before joining the faculty of the University of Chicago’s Divinity School in 1963. There, he co-founded the Institute for the Advanced Study of Religion, which was later renamed the Martin Marty Center in his honor. From 1988 to 1994, Marty co-directed the groundbreaking Fundamentalism Project with R. Scott Appleby, which examined the role of conservative religious movements around the world and yielded a five-volume series of case studies and comparative analyses.
Marty’s interpretations of religion in American public life were influential far beyond the academic world; he served on two presidential commissions, marched for civil rights, and advocated for fair housing initiatives. He was also a longtime editor and columnist at The Christian Century magazine and founding president of the Park Ridge Center for the Study of Health, Faith, and Ethics.
Professional positions
- 1963–1998: Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professor, University of Chicago Divinity School
Notable publications
- Marty, Martin E. 2004. The Protestant Voice in American Pluralism. University of Georgia Press.
- Marty, Martin E., and R. Scott Appleby, eds. 1991–1995. The Fundamentalism Project. 5 volumes. University of Chicago Press.
- Marty, Martin E. 1986–1996. Modern American Religion. 3 volumes. University of Chicago Press.
- Marty, Martin E. 1970. Righteous Empire: The Protestant Experience in America. Dial Press.
- Marty, Martin E. 1958. The New Shape of American Religion. Harper & Row.
Degrees
- PhD, University of Chicago
- MTh, Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary
- BDiv, Concordia Seminary
