Dr. Adam Hensley, a respected scholar with expertise in the Book of Psalms and the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, has accepted a call to serve at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis as an associate professor of Exegetical Theology (Old Testament) beginning this fall.

Hensley taught in the area of Old Testament studies at Australian Lutheran College (ALC) in North Adelaide, South Australia, a college of the University of Divinity (2017-22), where he also served as dean of chapel. 

“Dr. Hensley will be a blessing to our students and our church. In his own seminary studies in Australia under John Kleinig and others, he was shaped with a deep love for the Scriptures, the church, the care of souls and the church’s mission,” said Dr. Thomas J. Egger, president of Concordia Seminary. “He brings scholarly excellence, with noted expertise in the psalms and the Pentateuch. And Adam has a self-effacing and respectful demeanor that I hope our graduates will emulate as they go out to serve Christ’s people.”

Before joining the faculty at ALC, Hensley was assistant professor of Old Testament at Concordia University, Irvine, Calif. (2012-16), where he taught classes on the Old Testament and biblical Hebrew. 

After returning to Australia, he spent six months as parish pastor at Pilgrim Lutheran Church Magill, South Australia. He was associate pastor of Hamilton Lutheran Parish in Hamilton, Victoria, Australia, where he also served as Good Shepherd College Secondary Campus Chaplain (2001-05) and aged care chaplain to Eventide Lutheran Homes in Hamilton (2006).

Hensley earned a Graduate Certificate in theological education from ALC (2018) and a Ph.D. in biblical studies from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (2015). His dissertation was titled, “Covenant Relationships and the Editing of the Hebrew Psalter: An Investigation of the Relationship between the Davidic Covenant and the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants as reflected in the Editing of the Psalter.”

He holds both a Graduate Diploma in ministry (2000) and a Bachelor of Theology (1998) from Luther Seminary (now ALC) in North Adelaide.

Hensley is known internationally for his work on covenant theology in the Psalms and is currently working on a commentary on Psalms 101-150.

He is the author of Covenant Relationships and the Editing of the Hebrew Psalter, from The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies series (London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark). Hensley also has contributed articles for scholarly journals including LOGIA, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, The Lutheran, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament (JSOT) and Lutheran Theological Journal. 

“Dr. Adam Hensley is a hard-working and accomplished scholar who knows God’s Word well. Students will appreciate his expertise in the Old Testament and his ability to teach in an engaging and effective manner,” said Provost Dr. Ronald Mudge. “He cares about others and works for their holistic well-being. He will be a wonderful addition to the Concordia Seminary community.”

Hensley and his family are moving to St. Louis, and he will begin service at Concordia Seminary mid-2023. He will be formally installed Aug. 25 during the Opening Service of the 2023-24 academic year.

About Concordia Seminary

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis provides Gospel-centered graduate-level theological education for pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and other leaders in the name of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). To learn more, visit csl.edu.