He attended preparatory school in Milwaukee and seminary in St. Louis, MO. While still a student he traveled extensively in Middle and Far Eastern countries studying cultures and religions. After graduation, the author served as Lutheran Campus Pastor at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, and at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He earned a Th.D. from the University of Toronto and taught in the Religious Studies Program at SUNY-Buffalo and at Arizona State University - West in Phoenix. After retiring as Administrator of the Arizona Ecumenical Council, he continued to write, authoring two books on the Gospel of Matthew, contributing several collections of original poetry, and producing numerous educational videos. Throughout, Dr. Baillie's A Diary of Private Prayer has occupied a major place in Dr. Nau's own devotional life.