On February 26, 2023 in Gothenburg, Sweden, during the 4th annual commencement, the thesis committee of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN, and the Lutheran School of Theology, Gothenburg, awarded the Degree of Master of Sacred Theology to ELCIR pastor Rev. Konstantin Subbotin, rector of the ELCIR Theological Institute and senior pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in St. Petersburg (Jaani kirik). Rev. Subbotin attended the commencement online by sending a video. The STM degree was also awarded to pastors from Finland and Norway/Iceland.The topic of Pastor Subbotin’s thesis was “A Lutheran Analysis of Sergius Stragorodsky’s Understanding of the Doctrine of Justification in His Master of Theology Thesis, ‘Orthodox Teaching of Salvation.’” Advisor: Rev. Prof. Naomichi Masaki, Professor of Systematic Theology, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Last year, Rev. Subbotin published an article in English on a similar subject in the almanac of the ELCIR Theological Institute.
Bishop Sergius Stragorodsky was the de facto head of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1925-1943. Patriarch in 1943-44. His master’s thesis is still one of the most influential Eastern Orthodox works on soteriology.
Cordial congratulations to Pastor Konstantin! We pray his education will serve the glory of God and the spread of the Gospel!
