By By Claire Taylor, Staff Writer
On the morning of Dec. 23, 2025, as most students and faculty prepared for Christmas festivities, President Philip Ryken announced in an email that Wheaton professor of theology Daniel Treier, 53, died the night before after a brief battle with metastatic lung cancer.
Treier is survived by his wife, Amy Black, a Wheaton professor of political science; his daughter, Anna; his parents, Dean and Rebecca; and his brother, David Treier.
“During Christmas break, I was grading papers in my office, and I would just go by Dan’s office and look in, thinking, ‘This isn’t happening. He has to be there,’” said M. Daniel Carroll, professor of biblical studies and pedagogy. “It was the suddenness. If it had been a long battle, you’re almost prepared for it.”
On Dec. 11, the last update Treier posted from the hospital bed was a request for prayer based on Philippians 4:13:
“Would you include in your prayers that Christ would strengthen my pursuit of genuine, grateful, realistic contentment?” Treier explained that he was struggling to sleep and missed his home. Rather than complaining, he sought support in the Lord and in the prayers of his friends and fellow Christians as his hospital stay continued.
“I am struggling to learn that contentment,” he wrote, “but God was graciously present in my mid-of-night crankiness.”
Treier was born Sept. 29, 1972, in Findlay, Ohio. He received his bachelor’s degree from Cedarville University in 1993 in computer information systems, then earned two master’s degrees from Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary in 1996 and 1998. He began teaching at Wheaton in 2001 and finished his Ph.D. in systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 2002.
The celebration of Treier’s life was held on Jan. 17, with his family, friends and hundreds of Wheaton faculty and students. Treier began planning the memorial service while in the hospital.
George Garrison, Treier’s pastor at Immanuel Presbyterian Church, opened the service by remembering Treier’s humility — a theme echoed throughout the morning.
When Black’s cousin spoke later on her behalf, she remembered this part of Treier’s character. “Even though he was often the smartest person in the room, he did not advertise that and really did not even believe it,” she said.
The service included statements from Treier’s wife, his former students and his colleagues, as well as congregational singing of his favorite hymns, including “He Will Hold Me Fast” and “Be Thou My Vision.” Treier’s first Ph.D. student, Uche Anizor, shared about the hundreds of emails he exchanged with Treier, including one where he invited Anizor’s family to his home for Christmas.
Several speakers touched on Treier’s devoted commitment to praying for his colleagues and students. He kept a detailed prayer list, praying for different people each day.
“He encouraged people to share their concerns so that he could intercede for them,” Black’s cousin read.
Similarly, systematic theology Ph.D. student Paul Frederick, who was in attendance, remembered how Treier loved to pray specifics for his individual students “in the context of our professional work, but also personally.”
Ryken concluded the service, asking the audience two questions: “What are you living for?” and “How well are you prepared to die?”
He referred to Treier as a “hope-filled curmudgeon” and remarked that Treier would have wanted that phrase in his memorial service, as Treier would often refer to himself as an “Eeyore.” Despite Treier’s realist attitude, he found comfort in his faith, believing everything would work out in the end.
Andrew Abernethy, Old Testament professor, added to the list of Treier’s titles in an interview a few days after the service, referring to him as an “institutional servant” who wholeheartedly gave himself to the leadership and administrative work, “which is really a servant’s task” for a gifted professor.
“He didn’t just do theology,” Abernethy said. “He lived it, believed it, and it formed every part of who he is.”
Although Wheaton classrooms were full again after the winter break, the campus still carried the weight of Treier’s absence.
“He’ll be remembered for his incredible wisdom,” said Abernethy. “Colleague after colleague, student after student, would flood into his office just to get his perspective on things.”
One of Treier’s colleagues, New Testament professor Esau McCaulley, remembered frequently turning to Treier for advice when he was pondering whether to comment on a current world event or problem.
“He was a dear friend and support to me from my first moments at Wheaton College and even more so when times were hard in the quasi-public life I lead,” McCaulley wrote in an Instagram post.
Treier’s wisdom, as this final prayer request update demonstrates, was informed by his dedication to memorizing large portions of the Bible. “His advice was saturated by scripture,” said David Shin, assistant professor of biblical and theological studies.
Carroll, Treier’s close friend and colleague, had asked Treier to speak at his retirement party in May. He referred to the beloved professor as “an exemplar of Christian faith,” shown through his humility despite his intellect.
Although Treier, the author of several books, would have loved to write more, Carroll emphasized that Treier’s legacy is his students, not his work.
Showing grace and compassion to everyone, Treier could also be a demanding and critical academic, shepherding his students forward with both firmness and love. His investment in Wheaton’s past and current Ph.D. Bible students cannot be overstated.
“Students would describe Dr. Treier as incredibly demanding,” said Abernethy. “Yet, his self-deprecating humor and love for them made them tolerate the really high standards he had for his students.”
Third-year New Testament Ph.D. student Anna Gissing went to church with Treier and remembers the way “he had a consistency in life.” She shared how he showed the same care to both his church members and his students.
“He valued investment in the next generation of scholars,” she said.
Treier’s theological intelligence and exegetical skills surpassed those of many theologians, according to Old Testament professor Richard Schultz. He had a gift for making complex topics understandable.
Even if a student had a 300-page dissertation, Carroll remembers Treier editing for details at the sentence level, underscoring both his unique ability to communicate logically and his fervent humility.
“He was the smartest person you’ll ever meet, but he never made anyone feel dumb,” said systematic theology Ph.D. student Josh McQuaid.
Treier wrote seven books, including a commentary on the biblical books Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. While Treier was in the hospital, he communicated via email with Schultz and shared that the book of Ecclesiastes was preparing him for death.
“Even as his bodily health failed, Dan continued to flourish in fellowship with his family, his friends and his God,” Kevin J. Vanhoozer wrote in his memorial for Treier in The Gospel Coalition.
“You could tell that he trusted God’s goodness and providence,” Shin said.
Grief continues to linger, both on campus and on the fifth floor of Billy Graham Hall. “There is a dark cloud hanging over this floor, and there will be for a while,” Schultz said.
Ty Kieser, one of Treier’s former students, wrote about Treier’s dedication in The Center of Baptist Renewal.
“Whether it was Wheaton College, his daughter’s classical school, his church or the book series that he guided for publishing companies, he poured his heart and soul into these communities.”
