John D. Turner ’60

John D. Turner ’60 of Lincoln, Nebraska, died from cancer on October 26, 2019, at home with his wife, Elizabeth, and daughter, Angie, at his side. John was the son of Warren and Dorothy Turner. He followed his father to Dartmouth and majored in philosophy and mathematics. He was a member of Phi Tau and the swim team, where he earned NCAA medals. Graduating in 1960, he was activated into the Army at the rank of second lieutenant and was honorably discharged in 1968. He attended Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, where he earned a master of divinity degree in 1966. He enrolled in Duke Graduate School, where he researched ancient gnostic documents that had been found in a cave in Nag Hammadi, Egypt. He wrote his dissertation on the Book of Thomas the Contender and earned his Ph.D. in religion in 1970. Soon after he was invited to join the faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as the first professor of religious studies. He established the university’s first school of religion. His published seven texts from the Nag Hammadi document in English and French were continually sought after by other scholars around the world. While in Lincoln, his lifelong avocation, his love of music, grew into full bloom. He soloed and sang in choirs in churches and chorales. John and Elizabeth met and were married in 1992. He is survived by Elizabeth, Angie, stepdaughter Sarah, and brother Warren.


Portfolio

Book cover Original Sin with photo of hands over face
Alumni Books
New titles from Dartmouth writers (July/August 2025)
Woman posing with art sculpture
Inspiration in the Adirondacks
Artist Catherine Ross Haskins ’94 transforms an old grain mill into a vibrant arts hub.
Comeback Story

Alumni first returned to campus for official reunions in 1855.

Illustration of woman in movie theater eating popcorn
Katie Silberman ’09
A screenwriter on storytelling in Hollywood

Recent Issues

July-August 2025

July-August 2025

May-June 2025

May-June 2025

March-April 2025

March-April 2025

January-February 2025

January-February 2025

November-December 2024

November-December 2024

September-October 2024

September-October 2024