He was educated at Saint John"s Abbey (1945-1947), the University of Minnesota (Bachelor, 1949), Princeton University (Master of Arts, 1952), and Harvard University (Doctor of Philosophy, 1954). He was elected to the Society of Fellows at Harvard University in 1952.
He edited Anthology of Islamic Literature, a collection of Islamic writings from the Qur"an up until the 18th century. Ironically a sceptic of translation, Kritzeck strove to include only the finest and most accurate interpretations of poetry and prose. A special collection in his honor has been established at the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library at Saint John"s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. by Philip Khuri Hitti and James Kritzeck and R.
Kritzeck has been Professor of Oriental Studies at Princeton, and a member of the Center of Theological Inquiry at Princeton Theological Seminary.
