Heidi Kristiina Zitting

Heidi Zitting is a Finnish doctoral student in Ecumenics, a class teacher and a Lutheran pastor. Her research focuses on the Lutheran understanding of episcopacy, especially in the Lutheran World Federation and in the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church after World War II. The supervisors of her dissertation are Professor Risto Saarinen, docent Jyri Komulainen and postdoctoral researcher Elina Hellqvist. Besides researching and teaching at the University of Helsinki she is a member of Finnish Lutheran–Pentecostal dialogue and HYMY board. Her main theological interests are the episcopal ministry, the ordained ministry, diaconate, priesthood, bishops, successio apostolica, ecumenical dialogues and the concepts of ordo and priestly hierarchies. Her master's thesis focused on the Understanding of Ministry in LWF statements 1983–2007. However in her dissertation the focus is shifted from all ministries to the important question of Lutheran episcopal ministry.