Kirsi Stjerna

Kirsi Stjerna serves as the First Lutheran, Los Angeles/Southwest California Synod Professor of Lutheran History and Theology at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) in Berkeley, a position she has held since 2015. She also holds multiple significant appointments at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU), including Core Doctoral Faculty in both the Theology and Ethics department and Historical and Cultural Studies of Religion department (serving as Chair from 2022-2024), and as Faculty Chair for Women Studies in Religion starting in Fall 2024. Additionally, she maintains her docentship at the University of Helsinki's Theological Faculty since 2014.

Stjerna's educational background includes studies at Helsinki University with Dr. Tuomo Mannermaa and at Boston University with Dr. Carter Lindberg. Her research focuses on critical examination of Martin Luther's freedom theology for contemporary relevance, with special attention to feminist hermeneutics and women's voices in Christian theology. She has made significant contributions to understanding Luther's relationship with Jewish people and has worked extensively to uproot antisemitism in Christian theological language.

Her scholarly work demonstrates a consistent trajectory toward making Reformation theology accessible and relevant to modern contexts while critically engaging with problematic historical elements. Stjerna's publications reveal increasing attention to intersectional approaches, particularly examining how gender, freedom, and theological interpretation intersect in both historical and contemporary settings. Her work shows a movement from foundational theological texts toward more specialized examinations of marginalized voices within Reformation history.

• The Provost Distinguished Scholar, 2024, California Lutheran University

Stjerna has been deeply involved in mentoring through major collaborative projects like The Annotated Luther series, where she served as co-general editor. Her leadership extends to international scholarly organizations including the Lutheran World Federation taskforce on 'Lutheran Theologies of the Cross for the 21st Century' (2025-) and the Scientific Committee of The Fondazione per le scienze religiose in Bologna, Italy (2015-ongoing). She chaired the 14th International Congress for Luther Research in 2022 and is scheduled as a keynote speaker for the 2026 Congress in Aarhus, Denmark.

Stjerna co-leads international research teams focused on Reformation scholarship, particularly through her work with the Lutheran World Federation and FSCIRE. She has cultivated collaborative networks that bridge academic theology with practical church concerns, notably through her partnership with Rev. Dr. Brooks Schramm on projects addressing Luther's relationship with Jewish people.