Anthony Bateza specializes in Martin Luther, moral theology, and Christian ethics. Luther’s political theology is his primary area of research, focusing on the reformer's understanding of human agency and his relationship with the virtue tradition and Augustinian thought. He is also personally and professionally invested in race, identity, and social justice questions. He has written on Black liberation theology and connections between Lutheran teaching and confronting racism in the United States.
Dr. Bateza teaches various courses in the religion department that connect theological and historical questions with contemporary challenges. He has taught in the Enduring Conversations program and serves as the program director of the Race and Ethnic Studies program (RACE) and chair of the Race, Ethnic, Gender, and Sexuality Studies department (REGSS).
Dr. Bateza has earned degrees from Iowa State University (B.S, 2002), the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (M.Div., 2006), and Princeton Theological Seminary (Ph.D., 2017). He is an ordained pastor in the Lutheran Church (ELCA) and frequently speaks in congregational settings and at church events.
Dr. Bateza lives in Northfield with his wife, Cynthia, their two children, Austen and Magdalene, and their loveable dog Charlie. He enjoys cycling, board games, comic books, and cooking in his free time.
