Kaiser was born in 1933 in Folcroft, Pennsylvania of German Baptist parents, Walter Christian Kaiser Sr. and Estelle Jaworsky Kaiser. He earned his
A.B. from
Wheaton College, his
B.D. from Wheaton Graduate School, and both his
M.A. and
Ph.D. in Mediterranean studies from
Brandeis University. Until 2006, he served as president of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (GCTS). Previous to his appointment at GCTS he was academic dean and Professor of Old Testament at
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, where he taught for more than twenty years. In 1977 he served as president of the
Evangelical Theological Society. A recipient of the Danforth Teacher Study Grant, Kaiser is a member of the Wheaton College Scholastic Honor Society. Prior to coming to Gordon-Conwell, Kaiser taught Bible and archeology at Wheaton College and taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in several capacities. In addition to teaching in the Old Testament department, he was senior vice president of education, academic dean, and senior vice president of distance learning and ministries. Kaiser currently serves on the boards of several Christian organizations. Kaiser has contributed to such publications as
Journal for the Study of the Old Testament,
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society,
Christianity Today,
Westminster Theological Journal, and
Evangelical Quarterly. He has also written numerous books. He is a critic of, and rejects the
Documentary Hypothesis. ==Works==