Top 5 List - Scholars / Professors of Influence

If it wasn't for Nick Norelli, I don't think I'd know what to write about some days. : ) He went with a 10 person list. Well, I'm going to go with a 5 person list.

• Mark Schuler - Professor of Religion & Theology at Concordia University - Dr. Schuler introduced me to the wonderful world of New Testament Greek. He was my adviser at CSP. I've always considered him an important figure in my early theological studies.
  
• Thomas Trapp - Professor of Religion & Theology at Concordia University - I had the pleasure of taking Dr. Trapp's 7 AM Hebrew I class twice. One of the things I remember about Dr. Trapp is that he had wooden shoes. He would wear them to class most every day. You could hear him walking to class from a long ways away.
• Greg Boyd - Senior Pastor of Woodland Hills Church (MN) - Dr. Boyd was my adviser while I attended Bethel university. I didn't always agree with all of his ideas, but I truly appreciated the way he challenged all of us in class and encouraged us to think critically about our beliefs.
• Daniel Block - Gunther H. Knoedler Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College - Dr. Block taught my Old Testament class while I was attending graduate school at Wheaton College. He's a very kind and gentle man. I really loved the way he taught. His lectures had a very "pastoral" and caring / nurturing quality to them. He's an asset to Wheaton's faculty.
• Paul L. Maier - Russel H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University - Although I've never studied under Dr. Maier, I've read pretty much every book he has ever written. Also, I had the pleasure of meeting him when he lectured at a local church in MN back in 2004. I want to be like Dr. Maier when I grow up. : )