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Ronald H. Miller
religious studies scholar
- April 17, 1938 · St. Louis
- May 4, 2011
- 73 years
About Ronald H. Miller
Ronald H. Miller, 73, American professor of religion.
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60 Seconds Life Story
Ronald H.
Ronald H. Miller
1938 – 2011
60 Seconds: Ronald H. Miller's Life Story
A look at the life and academic contributions of religious studies scholar Ronald H. Miller.
Transcript
Ronald H. Miller was a dedicated American scholar whose life work centered on bridging the divide between different faiths. Born in St. Louis in 1938, he pursued academic excellence, earning his degrees at St. Louis University and Northwestern University. He eventually became a professor in the Religion Department at Lake Forest College in Illinois. In 1975, he co-founded Common Ground, an organization committed to fostering adult education and interfaith dialogue. Beyond the classroom, Miller served as a board member for Hands-of-Peace, facilitating programs for American, Palestinian, and Israeli teenagers. He traveled across the country lecturing at diverse places of worship while writing accessible books on spirituality. When he passed away in 2011 at the age of 73, Miller left behind a profound legacy of academic curiosity and interreligious peace.
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Full Biography
|Ronald H. Miller (April 17, 1938 – May 4, 2011) was professor of the Religion Department at Lake Forest College in Illinois. Miller earned a Ph.D. in Comparative Religions from Northwestern University, and a B.S and M.A from St. Louis University. He was a co-founder and co-director of Common Ground, an active adult education group for interfaith study and dialogue founded in 1975. Miller was vice-president of the Interreligious Engagement Project 21 and board member at Hands-of-Peace, an organization that brings American, and Palestinian and Israeli teenagers from the Middle East together for a two-week program in the United States. Miller lectured at countless churches, temples, mosques and centers across the country and wrote books aimed at a popular audience that convey contemporary issues in New Testament studies as well as in spirituality and philosophy.
The Hidden Gospel of Matthew
In 2004, Miller retranslated and wrote an extensive commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, entitled The Hidden Gospel of Matthew: Annotated and Explained. Miller found Matthew to be written about 60 years after the death of Jesus (or Jeshu, as he translates it). By noting the differences between Jeshu's sayings as they are recorded in the Gospel of Mark and in Matthew, Miller attempted to decode the author's agenda and to recover the original meaning of Jeshu's sayings. Miller found the cherished Christian stories of the virgin birth, the Last Supper, and the resurrection to be largely "Christian Midrash" — sermons preaching Matthew's theological agenda to particular Christian groups in the first century. Miller suggested that Matthew's agenda is to disseminate the idea that the Jews are responsible for rejecting Jeshu. Miller saw Jeshu as a mystic whose nondual consciousness has been spiritually transformed and whose teachings can lead to the transformation of our consciousness and lead us to live non-violently.[citation needed]
The Gospel of Thomas
In his more personal book The Gospel of Thomas: A Guidebook for Spiritual Practice, Miller comments on many of the sayings of Jesus from the Gospel of Thomas. In interpreting these often gnomic sayings, he finds that a consistent – if post-rational – spiritual message is contained in them. Miller distinguishes sharply between traditional dogmatic Christians and the followers of the Jesus of the Gospel of Thomas. He calls followers of the spirituality that he envisions Thomas Christians Miller believes that the gospel was written by a member of the followers of Thomas in the early Jesus Movement. This, he believes, occurred even before the Jesus Movement had been separated from Judaism.
Death
Miller was traveling and had just given a talk at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. He had not been feeling well and after his talk, went to his hotel to get some rest before his flight the next morning. Just a few hours before his scheduled departure, Miller was found in his hotel room and pronounced dead at the scene. The autopsy revealed that he died of a heart arrhythmia. His final talk was recorded and can be viewed on his website here: Paul’s Letters and Jewish-Christian Dialogue
Miller had two memorial services: one on May 11 in Deerfield, IL and another on May 22 in Vernon Hills, IL. The event on May 22 had been planned as a fundraiser and celebration of his life while he was still alive. The Gala's invitations, sent out in March, were titled "Join Us in a RONderful Celebration." Those close to Miller decided to keep this Gala event on the calendar to honor him as planned. Miller's body was cremated and his ashes spread by a particular tree near his former office at Lake Forest College, as per his wishes. A memorial "meditation space" was built near this tree at Lake Forest College and was completed in the spring of 2012. A plaque marking this space reads:
- The Ron Miller Meditation Space -- Pause, listen, become a more spiritual adult.
- Unsere Liebe zu dir ist unsterblich, Ron's Family & Friends 2011
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_H._Miller
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 29, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Ronald H. Miller's archived record and the sources above.
1.Which university did Ronald H. Miller attend to earn his Ph.D. in Comparative Religions?
- A.Northwestern Universitycorrect
- B.Lake Forest College
- C.Union Theological Seminary
- D.St. Louis University
Ronald H. Miller earned a Ph.D. in Comparative Religions from Northwestern University.
Source: introductory paragraph
2.What was the name of the adult education group for interfaith study co-founded by Ronald H. Miller in 1975?
- A.Jesus Movement
- B.Hands-of-Peace
- C.Interreligious Engagement Project 21
- D.Common Groundcorrect
Ronald H. Miller was a co-founder and co-director of Common Ground, an active adult education group for interfaith study and dialogue founded in 1975.
Source: introductory paragraph
3.In what city was Ronald H. Miller when he passed away?
- A.Vernon Hills, Illinois
- B.Lake Forest, Illinois
- C.New York City, New Yorkcorrect
- D.Deerfield, Illinois
Ronald H. Miller passed away after giving a talk at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York.
Source: Death section
4.What was the specific cause of death of Ronald H. Miller revealed by his autopsy?
- A.Stroke
- B.Heart arrhythmiacorrect
- C.Natural causes
- D.Respiratory failure
The autopsy performed after Ronald H. Miller's death revealed that he died of a heart arrhythmia.
Source: Death section
5.Which award did Ronald H. Miller receive from Lake Forest College in 1986?
- A.Bird Award
- B.Charlotte Simmons Prize
- C.Great Teacher Awardcorrect
- D.William R. Bross Professorial Chair
Ronald H. Miller was the recipient of the Great Teacher Award at Lake Forest College in 1986.
Source: Awards and honors section
6.How did Ronald H. Miller interpret the Christian stories of the virgin birth and the resurrection in his 2004 book on Matthew?
- A.As myths from other traditions
- B.As historical facts
- C.As direct quotes from Jeshu
- D.As Christian Midrashcorrect
Ronald H. Miller found the Christian stories of the virgin birth, the Last Supper, and the resurrection to be largely 'Christian Midrash'.
Source: The Hidden Gospel of Matthew section
7.What is the name of the organization where Ronald H. Miller served as a board member that helps Middle Eastern teenagers?
- A.Common Ground
- B.Interreligious Engagement Project 21
- C.The Jesus Movement
- D.Hands-of-Peacecorrect
Ronald H. Miller was a board member at Hands-of-Peace, which brings teenagers from the Middle East together for a two-week program.
Source: introductory paragraph
8.What was the title of the gala event held on May 22, 2011, to celebrate the life of Ronald H. Miller?
- A.Legacy of a Teacher
- B.A Tribute to Ron Miller
- C.The Ron Miller Memorial Gala
- D.Join Us in a RONderful Celebrationcorrect
The invitations for the May 22 event, planned while Ronald H. Miller was still alive, were titled 'Join Us in a RONderful Celebration.'
Source: Death section
9.What publication did Ronald H. Miller co-author with Laura Bernstein in 2005?
- A.The Gospel of Thomas: A Guidebook for Spiritual Practice
- B.Healing the Jewish-Christian Rift: Growing Beyond Our Wounded Historycorrect
- C.Dialogue and Disagreement
- D.The Wisdom of the Carpenter
Ronald H. Miller co-authored 'Healing the Jewish-Christian Rift: Growing Beyond Our Wounded History' with Laura Bernstein in 2005.
Source: Bibliography section
10.What was the name of the professorial chair held by Ronald H. Miller at Lake Forest College?
- A.William R. Bross Professorial Chaircorrect
- B.Clement Stone Professorial Chair
- C.Lake Forest Religious Studies Chair
- D.Charlotte Simmons Professorial Chair
Ronald H. Miller held the William R. Bross Professorial Chair in the Religion Department at Lake Forest College from 1995 to 2011.
Source: Awards and honors section
11.Approximately how long after the death of Jeshu did Ronald H. Miller believe the Gospel of Matthew was written?
- A.60 yearscorrect
- B.40 years
- C.80 years
- D.20 years
Ronald H. Miller found that the Gospel of Matthew was written about 60 years after the death of Jeshu.
Source: The Hidden Gospel of Matthew section
12.Where are the ashes of Ronald H. Miller located?
- A.Buried in a cemetery in Deerfield, IL
- B.Placed in a church garden in Vernon Hills, IL
- C.Spread by a tree near his office at Lake Forest Collegecorrect
- D.Scattered at Union Theological Seminary
Ronald H. Miller's ashes were spread by a tree near his former office at Lake Forest College, as per his wishes.
Source: Death section
13.In what year did Ronald H. Miller receive the Clement Stone Scholarship for study in Israel?
- A.1975
- B.1972correct
- C.1986
- D.1969
Ronald H. Miller received the Clement Stone Scholarship for study in Israel during the summer of 1972.
Source: Awards and honors section
14.What term does Ronald H. Miller use for the followers of the spirituality he envisions in the Gospel of Thomas?
- A.Matthew Christians
- B.Jeshu Mystics
- C.New Testament Believers
- D.Thomas Christianscorrect
Ronald H. Miller refers to the followers of the spirituality he envisions in the Gospel of Thomas as 'Thomas Christians'.
Source: The Gospel of Thomas section
15.What is the final phrase inscribed on the plaque of the meditation space dedicated to Ronald H. Miller?
- A.In memory of a great teacher
- B.Unsere Liebe zu dir ist unsterblichcorrect
- C.A legacy of peace
- D.Gone but not forgotten
The plaque at the meditation space reads, 'Unsere Liebe zu dir ist unsterblich, Ron's Family & Friends 2011'.
Source: Death section
16.What was the date of birth of Ronald H. Miller?
- A.May 4, 1938
- B.April 17, 1948
- C.May 4, 1948
- D.April 17, 1938correct
Ronald H. Miller was born on April 17, 1938, as stated in the introductory paragraph of the biography.
Source: introductory paragraph
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