Author: Kirsi Stjerna

Kirsi Stjerna is Associate Professor of Reformation Church History and Director for Institute of Luther Studies at Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Women and Theological Writing During the Reformation

In the past few decades, many more texts about women in the Reformation have been unearthed, giving us a much fuller view of who these women were and how they impacted the Lutheran movement. Stjerna commends social historians and translators for working with these texts and urges theologians to explore these texts as well. She then explores how women’s public roles were inscribed into the household as convents ceased being an option for women. Finally, Stjerna examines the primary examples of women who did write their theology during this time, particularly in letters. ​

Demons of Violence: Searching for Theological Responses with Luther

Kirsi Stjerna uses Luther’s words to call Lutherans to respond to violence: “Of most importance is that we not stay silent but speak to matters of violence, to war and the other endless forms of violence.”

Women and Theological Writing During the Reformation

From Study of Lives to Study of Theologies [1] In comparison to the volumes of religious writing by medieval (often visionary) women and the booming scholarly work around them in the last three or so decades, the sixteenth century Protestant women have generated significantly less interest. There are reasons for that: First of all, so […]