Paul Koptak joined the Seminary faculty in 1993. He completed his bachelor of arts at Rutgers University in 1977 and served as an InterVarsity staff member from 1977 to 1982. He received his master of divinity from North Park in 1986 and his Ph.D. from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary/Northwestern University in 1990. In his doctoral program, Koptak specialized in Old Testament and Communication Studies with emphasis on rhetorical criticism. His dissertation was titled, "Judah in the Biblical Story of Joseph: Rhetoric and Biography in the Light of Kenneth Burke's Theory of Identification." He is author of The NIV Application Commentary: Proverbs. Among his articles and reviews are "Rhetorical Identification in Paul's Autobiographical Narrative: Galatians 1:13-2:14," Journal for the Study of the New Testament, "Rhetorical Identification in Preaching," in Preaching, and "Reading Scripture with Kenneth Burke: Genesis 38," in To Hear and Obey: Essays in Honor of Fredrick Carlson Holmgren (Covenant Publications, 1997), a volume Koptak co-edited. Koptak is ordained by the Evangelical Covenant Church and serves as editor of The Covenant Quarterly and parish advisor for the Chicago doctor of ministry in preaching program. He plays guitar and dobro and, when he was a member of The Half Day Bluegrass Band, recorded a CD, Molly Bean.

pkoptak@northpark.edu

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