Teaching J-Term: How the Theology of James Cone Helps Students Embrace Justice By Marvin Wickware At LSTC, we invite students to embrace their calls—to pastoral ministry, chaplaincy, organizing, teaching, and beyond—as calls to public church leadership. Through our public church curriculum, we strive to help our students develop as leaders who not only proclaim the […]
Alumni Spotlight on Luanne Cantrell MDiv ‘11: Answering the Call Beyond the Pulpit Since earning her Master of Divinity in 2011, Luanne Cantrell has forged a ministry path that exemplifies flexibility and faithfulness to God’s call. As the Community Support Services Coordinator for the Channahon Fire Protection District in Illinois, Cantrell finds herself ministering not […]
Building Bridges: Lessons from the Indonesian Delegation’s Visit to LSTC In the fall of 2024, the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago hosted a delegation of 20 educators, scholars, and leaders from Indonesia as part of a certificate program on “Religion, Peace, and Encounter.” The two-month, interfaith program, an initiative of the American Islamic College’s […]
Bearing Witness: Dr. Linda Thomas Reflects on a Pilgrimage to Palestine and Israel When Dr. Linda E. Thomas, Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs; Bernard Fischer, Westberg Distinguished Ministry Professor of Theology and Anthropology; and Director of the Reverend Dr. Albert “Pete” Pero, Jr. and the Reverend Dr. Cheryl Stewart Pero Center for Intersectionality […]
A Unifying Force: The Transformative Role of Music at LSTC By Sarah Brooks Students at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago come from more than 60 countries, bringing diverse backgrounds, identities, and perspectives to their work in ministry. For many students who hail from disparate environments and contexts, music serves as a bridge, connecting […]
In the Fullness of Light: How LSTC’s Queer Symposium and Homecoming Offer a Sacred Space for our Community What if joy itself is an act of defiance? What if the simple act of gathering—of speaking, learning, and celebrating—becomes a radical assertion of dignity? These are the questions that animate the 2025 Queer Intersectionality and the […]
Creating New Pathways for Innovation in Theological Education By Alisha Green Over the last three decades, Rev. Dr. Christian Scharen has seen a precipitous decline in the church and theological education. Younger people in particular have shown increasingly high rates of disaffiliation. These discouraging trends sparked Scharen’s ongoing research journey to seek new approaches and […]
Advancing the campaign to reimagine, reinvent, reaffirm, and renew LSTC By Alisha Green When Sandra Nelson started her role as Vice President for Advancement at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in 2020, it was a time of immense change. She was the first person hired at LSTC during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the […]
Rev. Dr. Brooke Petersen Heals Religious Trauma Through Ministry By Adolfo Luna Rev. Dr. Brooke Petersen understands the profound mental health needs of today’s communities. Petersen, John H. Tietjen Chair of Pastoral Ministry, also believes that addressing mental health and trauma are part and parcel of the healing pastoral caregivers can offer. Through her dual […]
Faith in Action: How Our Theological Principles Drive Social Justice At LSTC, our adherence to key theological principles forms the foundation of both academic and communal life, with social justice at the heart of our mission. We spoke to faculty members across disciplines to better understand how the seminary’s commitment to justice, inclusivity, and community […]
