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Rev. Ausra, himself, is a member of many Lithuanian organizations – vice-president of Lithuanian Foundation, board member of Society of Lithuania Minor Lithuanians in Chicago, vice-president of Lithuanian Human Services USA, founder and president of the Lithuanian Association for Psychological and Spiritual Support, president of Lithuanian Lutheran Student Fund, and a leader of a few other organizations. Even as he is extremely involved in many Lithuanian organizations, he never declines to help a person in need. Therefore, today is the perfect opportunity to speak with this well-known minister, who on May 16th received his Ph.D. from The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
Never Intended to be a Minister

Let’s talk to Valdas about his road to religion and his education.

Valdas Ausra received his first degree in Biology from Vilnius Pedagogical University. He worked and studied at the Institute of Ecology in Vilnius, Lithuania. Once Lithuanian independence was re-established, churches all over Lithuania began to rebuild. Valdas was one of the first, who began to get involved in the reestablishing of Lutheran churches. Although he never considered being a spiritual leader, theology, philosophy and spirituality had always interested and intrigued him. He had been raised in a family that had many ties to the Lutheran church. He began getting more and more involved with the church and further exploring theology, the possibility of becoming a minister became clearer. Shortly after, having received a scholarship from Lutheran World Federation, he moved to Chicago to study at The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, where he received a Master of Divinity degree. In the Summer of 1994, having come back to Lithuania, Valdas was ordained as a Lutheran pastor at the Silute Evangelical Lutheran Church. He continued his studies in Chicago and received a Master of Theology degree in 1996. Valdas then returned to Lithuania and began working as a second pastor of the Vilnius Evangelical Lutheran Church, as well as teaching theology at Klaipeda University. Three years later, Valdas and his whole family, returned to Chicago and The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago so he could continue his theological studies. This is when he was offered a position at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oak Lawn. Valdas accepted and it’s been almost ten years that he has been working there.

Ph.D. Dissertation about two Russian Orthodox theologians

After long and intensive studies, Valdas received his Ph.D. from The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
Rev. Ausra’s dissertation, entitled “’Even So, Come, Lord Jesus!’: The Promise of Eastern Orthodox Anthropological Christology for the Contemporary Theology” spans over 250 pages. In his piece, he analyzes the theology and the books of two Russian Orthodox theologians – Sergei Bulgakov and Vladimir Loski. The two theologians had very different philosophies in mind, however, their fate was very similar – both emigrated to Europe after the Russian Revolution. Rev. Ausra says that he was attracted to the two theologians because of the originality of their thoughts, as well as the similarities and differences that they possessed to Martin Luther, who lived in the 16th century.
Valdas started studying the works of Dr. Martin Luther as soon as he arrived in Chicago. Martin Luther began the protestant Reformation and founded the, so-called, theology of the cross, which in short might be summarized as a view where a person makes grievous mistake if he/she thinks he/she is able completely understand and explain God. On the contrary, it is God who reveals Himself when He wishes. He reveals Himself in the Crucifixion and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Only a believer can recognize God in the suffering and the death of the cross. For a Christian, this is the strength and wisdom of God.

God leads and man answers

The Russian Orthodox are exceptional in that they, as Martin Luther, understand that in the relationship between God and man, God is the one that leads and human being is the one that follows. Even in early Christian theology, it is understood that God became man, so that Man could become god. Valdas’ dissertation expands on the understanding of who is Jesus Christ, and how does that reflect on who is a human; what opportunities does God provide human being when He creates Christ and sends Him to save humankind. The Russian theologians understand Christ not only as the Son of God, the one who came down to us to save us and pay for our sins, but also as the one who unites divine and human natures, breaking down all boundaries which separated God from human being.

Dalia Kavaliauskienė

„Amerikos lietuvis“