Rev. Dr. Stephen Pietsch

Dr. Stephen Pietsch is associate professor of Practical Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He joined the faculty in 2023.

He previously served at Australian Lutheran College (ALC) in North Adelaide, South Australia (SA), teaching undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students in the areas of pastoral care and counseling, homiletics, Lutheran Confessions, liturgics, the pastoral theology of Martin Luther and others. He also served as the ALC’s director of pastoral formation (2018-22), dean of chapel (2016-19) and field education coordinator for the School of Pastoral Theology (2009-19).

After receiving a Bachelor of Theology from Luther Seminary (now ALC) in 1988, Pietsch was ordained in the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA). He served for 19 years in parish ministry, gaining extensive pastoral care experience in congregational, school and chaplaincy settings.

In 2011, Pietsch completed a Master of Ministry at Adelaide College of Divinity, SA, concentrating on interdisciplinary research into Luther’s care for people with depression. He earned a Ph.D. at Flinders University in 2014. His doctoral thesis research brought together Luther’s perspectives on pastoral theology and practice, theology and psychology, which later became the basis for his book, Of Good Comfort: Martin Luther’s Letters to the Depressed and their Significance for Pastoral Care Today (ATF Press, 2016). In 2015, he was awarded the Flinders University “Vice Chancellor Prize for Doctoral Thesis Excellence.” This published research is used for pastoral training at both seminaries of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), including Concordia Seminary.

Pietsch has contributed to numerous publications including Logia, Concordia Pulpit Resources, Lutheran Forum, Lutheran Theological Journal and many others. He is working on a second monograph with Concordia Publishing House that will focus on Luther’s general approach to pastoral care for those experiencing distress or suffering.

Also notable among Pietsch’s service is his extensive work on the LCA’s Commission for Theology and Inter-Church Relations (CTICR) since 2016. He has been the chairman of CTICR since 2019.

Interests:

Pastoral Care and Counseling
Pastoral Theology of Martin Luther
Liturgics
Lutheran Confessions