Kit Kleinhans

Kit Kleinhans

Dean of Trinity Lutheran Seminary At Capital University

Department

  • Trinity Lutheran Seminary

Contact Information

Biography

The Rev. Dr. Kathryn A. Kleinhans became Dean of Trinity Lutheran Seminary at Capital University, Columbus, Ohio, on January 1, 2018. Prior to her call to Trinity, she served for 24½ years on the religion faculty of Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, where she held the Mike and Marge McCoy Family Distinguished Chair in Lutheran Heritage and Mission.

Kleinhans is a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Ordained in the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (one of the predecessor bodies of the ELCA) in 1985, her first call was to the Lutheran Church of the Atonement in Atlanta, Georgia. She has served the ELCA at the national level in various capacities: as a member of the Program Committee of the ELCA’s Vocation and Education unit, as chair of the Addressing Social Concerns Review Task Force, as a member of the Stewards of Abundance project focused on reducing seminary student indebtedness, as a member of the Women and Justice Social Statement Task Force, as a member of the Entrance Rite Discernment Group for the ELCA’s Word and Service roster, and as a member of the Theological Education Advisory Committee (TEAC). Kleinhans has also led a series of international seminars on the Reformation and the empowerment of women for ELCA Global Mission.

Both in her academic work and in her church work. she is committed to communicating the relevance and liveliness of the Lutheran theological tradition for today.

Degrees Earned
Ph.D.in Theological Studies, Emory University
M.Div. Christ Seminary - Seminex and Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
B.A. in Theology, magna cum laude, Christ College Scholar, Valparaiso University
Publications
Books:
  • Together by Grace: Introducing the Lutherans. Editor and contributing author. Augsburg Fortress, 2016.
  • Book of Faith Lenten Journey: Seven Wonders of the Word. Augsburg Fortress, 2010.
Book chapters:
  • “Called Forward: Educating for Vocation in the Twenty-first Century.” In The Vocation of Lutheran Higher Education, ed. Jason Mahn, 201-212. Lutheran University Press, 2016.
  • “Sin.” In Gift and Promise: The Augsburg Confession and the Heart of Christian Theology, ed. Ronald Neustadt, 71-83. Augsburg Fortress, 2016.
  • “Places of Responsibility: Educating for Multiple Callings in Multiple Communities.” In At This Time and In This Place: Vocation and Higher Education, ed. David S. Cunningham, 99-121. Oxford University Press, 2015.
  • “Sources of Authority in the Lutheran Tradition: Back to the Future.” In Sources of Authority in the Church: Lutheran Traditions in North American Contexts, ed. David Brondos, 89-101. Lutheran University Press, 2012.
  • “Christ as Bride/Groom: A Lutheran Feminist Relational Christology.” In Transformative Lutheran Theologies: Feminist, Womanist, and Mujerista Perspectives, ed. Mary J. Streufert, 123-134. Fortress Press, 2010.

Journal articles:
  • "Good Government and the Vocation of Citizenship: A Lutheran Perspective." In dialog, 57:2 (Summer 2018), 120-125.
  • “Distinctive Lutheran Contributions to the Conversation about Vocation,” Intersections, 43 (Spring 2016), 24-28.
  • “Living into Reformation: 2017 and Beyond,” Word & World, 36:2 (Spring 2016), 109-118.
  • “Coming of Age as (a) Lutheran.” Currents in Theology and Mission, 41:5 (October 2014), 309-318.
  • “Keep the Faith, for Christ’s Sake!” dialog, 52:3 (September 2013), 182-188.
  • “Law and Gospel in Context.” Lutheran Theological Journal [Australia], 46:1 (May 2012), 73-81.
  • “The Word Made Words: A Lutheran Perspective on the Authority and Use of the Scriptures.” Word & World 26:4 (Fall 2006), 402-411.
  • “The Work of a Christian: Vocation in Lutheran Perspective.” Word & World 25:4 (Fall 2005), 394-402.
  • “The Bondage of the Will as Good News for Postmodern Selves.” dialog 39:2 (Summer 2000), 93-98.
  • “Why Now? The Relevance of Luther in a Postmodern Age.” Currents in Theology and Mission, December 1997, 488-495

Curricular Materials:
  • “Galatians: Christian Faith and Christian Freedom.” A four-part Bible study for Gather, the magazine of the Women of the ELCA. Jan-Feb 2017, March 2017, April 2017.
  • “Martin Luther, the Catechism, and Music.” In Reformation 500 Sourcebook: Anniversary Resources for Congregations, edited by Robert Farlee, 113-120. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2016.
  • “‘We Must Plant the Church’: The Story of Lutherans in America.” With Mark Granquist, Maria Erling, Richard Stewart, Mark Hanson, Martin Marty, Gordon Straw, DeAne Lagerquest, David Preus, and Vivian Jenkins Nelson. 2 DVDs. South St. Paul, Minnesota: Select Learning, 2015.
  • “Luther’s Legacy for Laity.” With David J. Lose, Timothy J. Wengert, and Darrell Jodock. 4 DVDs. Columbus, Ohio: Select Multimedia Resources, 2007.
  • Wordy Texts: How Lutherans Read the Bible. With Walter and Ramona Bouzard. Ignite! Bible study series. Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 2003.
  • Sizzling Texts: Biblical Texts on Sex. With Ramona Bouzard. Ignite! Bible study series. Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 2003.
Numerous articles including six cover stories for Living Lutheran (formerly The Lutheran); Gather; and Christ in Our Home.