ABOUT THIS EPISODE
The most important WELS history resource might not sit on a shelf — it’s already in your browser.
In this episode (TLHP 75), we sit down with Professor Nathan Ericson, Library Director at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and Editor of the Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly, to explore the quiet engine behind much of modern WELS scholarship: Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Digital Library. We discuss how thousands of digitized papers—from convention essays to rare historical documents—form an indispensable record of the synod’s past and a living resource for pastors, teachers, researchers, and congregational historians today. Ericson unpacks how these materials are curated, what hidden gems lie inside, and how a new generation can use them to build a clearer, richer understanding of our church’s story. This is the episode for anyone who loves archives, theology, or the thrill of finding the perfect source—right when you need it most.
Podcast Meet and Greet October 8
- Confessional Languages Scholarship
- The Wauwatosa Diary (book)
- YouTube
- Website
- email: thelutheranhistorypodcast@gmail.com
About the Host:
Benjamin Phelps is a 2014 graduate from Martin Luther College (BA with a German emphasis) and a graduate from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 2018. Ben has been a regular writer and presenter on various Lutheran history topics. His 2018 thesis on Wyneken won the John Harrison Ness award and the Abdel Ross Wentz prize. He is also the recipient of several awards and recognitions from the Concordia Historical Institute. He serves on the board of the Lutheran Historical Conference. Ben is currently a doctoral candidate in historical theology through CSL.
