Noted theologian and author Robert E. Webber died April 27 in his home in Sawyer, Mich., after an eight-month struggle with pancreatic cancer, according to Baker Publishing Group. Webber, who was professor of ministry and director of Master of Arts in worship and spirituality at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lombard, Ill., was 73.

Webber was known for his numerous writings and workshops on worship and worship renewal. His books included titles such as Ancient-Future Faith: Rethinking Evangelicalism for a Postmodern World (Baker Academic), Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality Through the Christian Year (Baker Books), Evangelicals on the Canterbury Trail: Why Evangelicals Are Attracted to the Liturgical Church(Morehouse Publishing) and Worship Is a Verb: Eight Principles for Transforming Worship (Hendrickson Publishers).

He served as editor of the seven-volume The Complete Library of Christian Worship, which Hendrickson published. Webber was a regular columnist for Worship Leader Magazine.

Shortly before his death, Webber turned in the manuscript for the book Ancient-Future Worship, which will be published by Baker Books in April 2008, company officials said.

“Our loss at Baker is magnified many times over in realizing the many lives that were influenced by his writing and teaching on the ancient-future church and worship themes that became his legacy,” said Robert Hosack, senior acquisitions editor at Baker Books and Baker Academic.

Webber is survived by his wife, Joanne, four children and seven grandchildren. Memorial services will be held May 16 at Christ Church of Oak Brook, Ill., and on June 15 at Grace Episcopal Church in Orange Park, Fla., during the June session of the Institute for Worship Studies, which Webber founded in 1995.

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