NEW FACULTY

Last academic year, the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago community celebrated the retirements of two faculty members. This academic year, the community celebrates the beginning of the full-time ministry of Antje Jackelen and Esther Menn.

Antje Jackelen

Assistant Professor of Sytematic Theology

Succeeding Philip Hefner, professor emeritus of systematic theology, Antje Jackeen received both the doctor's degree in theology and diploma in academic teaching skills from Lund University, Stockholm, Sweden, in 1999. Ordained by the Church of Sweden in 1980, she received diplomas in leadership for women and church leadership from the Church of Sweden in 1990 and 1993, respectively. The master's degree in theology was bestowed by Uppsala University, Sweden, in 1979.

Following her ordination, Jackelen was a parish pastor for the diocese of Stockholm for eight years. In 1988, she became pastor of Gardstanga (vicar) and Lund Cathedral, a position she held until 1999.

Fluent in German, Swedish, English and French, Jackelen has been a member of the European Society for the Study of Science and Theology (ESSSAT) since it began in 1989 and served as its general secretary from 1994-2000. For the past two years, she was editor of ESSSAT-News, and European regional director of the science and religion course program for the Center for Theology and Natural Sciences.

A frequent lecturer, Jackelen has made presentations at the University of Pisa, Italy; Oxford University, England; Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia; the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Science held in Moscow; as well as at Lund University.

Her book "Tidsinställningar" was published in 2000 and she has written many articles on eschatological theories in theology and science, time and eternity in church hymns and the challenge of postmodernity to religion and society. She co-authored "Ljus av ljus: Läsning av en kristen bekännelse: ("Light of Light: Reading a Christian Creed," 1998) and "Perspektiv pa prästfort-bildningen" ("Perspectives on Continued Pastoral Education," 1996).

Jackelen, her husband, Heinz Jackelen, a pastor, and their daughter, Andrea, moved from Sweden to Chicago this summer. Their elder daughter, Joanna, remained in Sweden.

Esther Menn

Associate Professor of Old Testament

A Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago alumna, Esther Menn (M.A., 1985) joined the faculty from the University of Virginia where she had been assistant professor in the department of religious studies since 1995. While at the University of Virginia, she was a visiting scholar at Hebrew University of Jerusalem for one year. Previously, she was an adjunct faculty member at McCormick Theology Seminary (1995), a lecturer at the University of Chicago Divinity School (1994-95), and an instructor at California Lutheran University, Department of Religion (1988-90).

A prolific writer, her book "Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38) in Ancient Jewish Exegesis: Studies in Literary Form and Hermeneutics" was published in 1997. She has contributed numerous articles to edited collections and magazines such as Harvard Theological Review, Journal of Jewish Studies, Journal of Religion and Lutheran Quarterly Review. Currently, she is working on a book on the Psalms and the figure of King David in early Christian and Jewish history.

Menn holds membership in and has delivered papers at the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) conferences, the Southeastern Commission for the Study of Religion (SECSOR) meetings, and for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America panel on Lutheran-Jewish relations. In 2001, she was a delegate to the Lutheran World Federation’s international consultation on anti-semitism and anti-Judaism that was held in Budapest, Hungary.

Concurrent with her graduate work at LSTC, Menn received the master of arts degree in the history of religions from the University of Chicago Divinity School. The doctor of philosophy degree was also bestowed by the University of Chicago where she received the Susan Colver Rosenberger Prize for constructive and original dissertation research. Additional studies were taken at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Kibbut Revivim, Israel, and Duke University. Menn, her husband, Bruce Tammen, a free-lance musician in the Chicago area, and daughter, Kaia, live in Hyde Park.