Born 1958 in Herford (Westphalia), studied Protestant theology in Münster and Basel (Switzerland), since 1987 pastoral ministry in East Westphalia, most recently (1999-2006) in the Evangelical Lutheran parish of Hausberge, Porta Westfalica. In 1990 he was awarded a doctorate in theology by the Faculty of Protestant Theology at the Westphalian Wilhelms University in Münster, where he also completed his habilitation in 1997 with the venia legendi for church history. From 2002 to 2006 he was director of the Institute for Westphalian Church History at the Faculty of Protestant Theology. Since 1.4.2006 holder of the Chair of Church Order and Modern Church History, 2013-2016 at the same time Dean of the Faculty of Protestant Theology at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, since 2016 representative of the faculty in the Württemberg Evangelical State Synod, since 2022 Early Preacher at the Collegiate Church of St. Georg Tübingen.

Themen der deutschen Territorial­kirchengeschichte des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts und der Kirchlichen Zeitgeschichte, Fragen der äußeren und inneren kirchlichen Ordnung