Michael Lodahl joined the Point Loma Nazarene University faculty in 1999 as a professor of theology and world religions. Pulled from his alma mater, Northwest Nazarene University, in Idaho, Lodahl said he was drawn to PLNU by its unmatched views and faculty in the theology department.
Since being in San Diego, Lodahl has authored nearly a dozen books and published well over two dozen articles on topics ranging from Methodism, divine holiness and dreams and visions. He was also given numerous grants, notably one from the PLNU Wesley Center for 21st century studies for his manuscript, “God of Nature and of Grace: Reading the World in a Wesleyan Way,” which was published in 2004.
The Point conducted an email interview with Lodahl to reflect on his time at PLNU as he prepares to retire following the 2026 spring semester.
The Point: Do you have a favorite memory or most impactful moment from your time on the faculty?
Michael Lodahl: Wow. This is so difficult! I’m going to go back to my very first academic year here, in the Spring 2000 semester, when I was privileged to introduce John B. Cobb, Jr., one of the most important theologians of the 20th century, for his first of four Wiley Lecture Series presentations. I had been a great admirer of his thinking and writing since 1977, when I first read his book “God and the World,” and this was truly a significant moment. What a way to end my first year here! So many wonderful memories of conversations and laughs with hosts and hosts of students over these decades.
TP: What legacy do you hope to leave behind at PLNU?
ML: I suppose I hope my legacy is that I tried to make room for students’ own questions, struggles, and musings that are so deeply implicated in the theological journey we share. And that I could write a mean limerick!
TP: What will you miss the most about being a professor?
ML: Caf Lane conversations and laughs, definitely! And a close second would be a hand going up in a classroom, except when followed by “Is this going to be on the test?”
TP: If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
ML: “You don’t know everything, and you don’t have to know everything.” But I doubt if my younger self would listen, so my old self’s wisdom would probably go unheeded.
TP: What are you most looking forward to in retirement?
ML: Number 1, not grading any more papers. Number 2, reading whatever I want. Number 3, more beach walks with Janice [his spouse]. Number 4, more doggy park and hiking trails with Cocoa [his dog].
Carson Dillon 
Ava Bailey-Klugh