Braatz Faculty Chair in Worship -- Open Rank, Tenure-Eligible

Description:

The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) welcomes applications and nominations to fill the Gordon Braatz Chair in Worship. The ideal candidate will have primary competency in Worship. Secondary competencies could include cultural studies in religion, disability theology, or religion and ecology. We strongly value interdisciplinary approaches, especially those that explore the intersections of worship, music and the arts, and diverse cultural contexts, including but not limited to issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and disability in Worship and preaching. This position is full-time, tenure-eligible, with Open Rank.

We seek a practitioner-scholar with a record of inspiring teaching who can (1) prepare master’s students for ministry and other vocations by developing skills in Worship leadership, preaching, and other areas of practical theology with particular awareness of the diverse contexts where our students will serve, (2) contribute in constructive ways to a healthy faculty collegium and the intellectual life of the school, and (3) advance our commitments to a more public church.

Responsibilities of the Braatz Chair in Worship include:

• Teaching introductory and advanced courses in Worship at the masters (MDiv, MA, MAM) and doctoral (DMin) level
• Creating ongoing professional development and lay education materials/courses for asynchronous learning and continuing education
• Integrating a theological understanding of worship and preaching into both curricular and co-curricular programs, supporting both classroom teaching and community worship practices.
• Mentoring students, including those preparing for initial ordained and lay ministry as well as advanced (DMin) and continuing education students
• Overseeing LSTC's worship life as Director of Worship, ensuring the integration of inclusive and diverse worship planning in coursework and teaching, while supervising the Cantor and student chapel staff
• Contributing to the life of a publicly engaged community of learning as it helps to shape the future of Lutheran theological education in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and throughout the world

Requirements:

Candidates should hold an academic doctorate or comparable terminal degree and demonstrate capacity for research, publication, and teaching. Strong preference will be given to candidates who are ordained pastors or deacons in the ELCA or full communion partners. Candidates should demonstrate an explicit commitment to antiracism and openness to prioritize training in antiracism.

LSTC is committed to producing culturally competent ministerial leaders for the public church. Active involvement in the church, including the worship life of the seminary, is an essential criterion. We affirm that diversity is necessary in all components of the school, including its theological curriculum and faculty. LSTC seeks to foster gender, racial-ethnic, and international diversity within its faculty. We welcome candidates fluent in languages other than English such as Spanish that may enrich our mission in the highly diverse Chicago metropolitan area.

Please submit a letter of application, CV, names and contact information for three references, and a statement of up to 1,000 words describing:

1. Your approach to the teaching of worship, including interdisciplinary examples, especially at the intersections of worship, the arts, and diverse cultural contexts.
2. How your commitment to antiracism and equity, including but not limited to ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and disability, influences your teaching of worship. All materials should be submitted via the application portal.

Questions may be addressed to Dr. Brooke Petersen and Rev. Erik Christensen, Co-Chairs of the Search Committee at BraatzChair@lstc.edu. Please submit applications by January 31, 2024.