Kristen Deede Johnson

Kristen Deede Johnson provides wisdom and leadership to the academic affairs of the seminary and represents Western in significant and impactful ways through her writing and speaking.

Dr. Johnson’s teaching and scholarship engage areas of theology, discipleship and formation, justice, culture, and political theory. In partnership with International Justice Mission, she and co-author Bethany Hanke Hoang recently wrote the award-winning The Justice Calling: Where Passion Meets Perseverance (Brazos Press, 2016). Other publications include Theology, Political Theory, and Pluralism: Beyond Tolerance and Difference (Cambridge University Press, 2007) and an array of book chapters, articles, and book reviews. In 2018, Kristen was named as one of “10 New or Lesser-Known Female Theologians Worth Knowing” by Christianity Today.

Before joining the faculty of Western Theological Seminary, Kristen was the founding director of the Studies in Ministry Minor and the Center for Ministry Studies at Hope College, programs dedicated to upholding the significance of theological formation, spiritual growth, cultural engagement, and vocational discernment.

Kristen grew up outside of Washington, DC, with a few of her growing up years spent in Germany and England. She met her husband, Tryg, at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland while in graduate school. Together they have two children, Trygve and Ella, and a dog named Ebey. They are grateful to be able to serve God through their different callings at home, work, and in the community and to worship God through Christ and the Spirit at Pillar Church in downtown Holland.