James Wetzstein
Primary Area: Liturgical Studies
Biography
Rev. James Wetzstein has served on the pastoral staff at Valparaiso University, since 2003. In addition, he serves as the Executive Director of the Institute of Liturgical Studies there. His dissertation is on the 20th-century American Lutheran liturgical sculptor, Ernst Schwidder, and Schwidder's theories of communication and his work's reception. His published work has focused on the artist's vocation to create places of beauty in support of Christian formation. On the lighter side, Jim is the author of the long-running lectionary comic strip, Agnus Day, published at www.agnusday.org.
Research Interests
Visual art in the liturgical context, visual art & meaning making in spiritual formation, the role of the built enviroment on liturgical formation, 20th century Lutheran liturgical artists
Representative Publications
"Beauty as a Service to the Neighbor." Concordia Journal, Summer 2022. https://issuu.com/concordiasem/docs/cjsummer2022
Dissertation
"Testing the Theory of Ambiguity: the work of liturgical artist Ernst Schwidder – its reception and legacy"
Director: Robin Jensen
Education
- M.Div. - Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO
- B.A. - Concordia College, Ann Arbor, MI