Church history is the study of humanity and human experience.
“To understand the present, one must understand history. It is one of the very first things we discuss with students taking the introductory course in church history,” says Professor of Church History Sini Mikkola .
Although the title of her professorship includes the word “church history”, Mikkola sees the scope of her field more broadly as the history of Christianity.
“Of course, we examine institutions and structures, but people and groups of people are always central – not only ’great men of history’, but also ordinary people, the mainstream, the margins and the mundane aspects of everyday life.”
According to Mikkola, the history of ideologies, doctrines and theologies is also human history, as all these are shaped by human life, human experiences and human relationships.
Christianity plays a significant role in global politics
Understanding Christian history has become increasingly important in today’s world.
“Christianity is intertwined with global politics in many ways, and it is also used as a political instrument. This is, as we know, nothing new under the sun. Historical understanding of Christianity and of the significance of religion more generally helps, for example, in assessing how sustainably or justifiably religion is used in contemporary policy-making."
In the Finnish context, knowledge of the Lutheran Church’s societal position, which is historically strong, helps us understand not only our own history but contemporary Finnish society more broadly.
“Although the relationship between the Lutheran Church and the state has in many respects been dismantled, it is still culturally visible in many ways today. Without an understanding of history, we would be quite rootless.”
Studying the past requires critical reflection
A core competency of any historian is the critical reflection of one’s own assumptions and methodological choices. Studying the past always involves choices and the use of power, and these must be ethically justified. This is also essential for the respectful treatment of past generations.
Recently, Mikkola has increasingly directed her research towards methodological and theoretical questions.
"In church history research, methods have not traditionally been discussed very extensively, nor have theoretical frameworks from other disciplines been widely used. This, however, is changing, and younger generations of church historians are naturally engaging in methodological and theoretical discussions and in developing these approaches."
According to Mikkola, being open to different theoretical frameworks and being willing to experiment with them can open new perspectives on the analysis of historical sources. The applicability of different theories must nevertheless be evaluated critically to avoid, for instance, their anachronistic use.
"Theories should not be understood as predictive or explanatory models in historical research but rather as interpretive frameworks that generate new questions."
Masculinity, family life and emotional expression
In 2024, the Finnish Cultural Foundation awarded one of its largest grants to a research project led by Sini Mikkola, which examines Lutheran manhood and masculinities from the 16th to the 20th century. The project investigates what kinds of expectations, ideals and norms were set for manhood and masculinity in different historical contexts and across different historical sources. Christianity and especially Lutheranism lie at the heart of these questions as a factor that intersects with gender.
At present, Mikkola studies how clergymen in the Diocese of Turku sought to educate the population into proper Christians in the 16th and 17th centuries. The examination of family life and emotions remains an ongoing part of her research.
“In fact, addressing men’s emotions was not explicitly included in my original research proposal, but as the project progressed, the theme kept emerging. Emotional expression is an essential part of describing Christian virtues and, for example, conduct befitting one’s place in the social hierarchy.”
Exercise is the best form of recovery
Mikkola admits that her days sometimes run long, but she strives to maintain reasonable working hours.
“At the School of Theology, we quite regularly discuss setting boundaries for work and working time. For younger researchers still learning to work within academia, open discussion about work culture is important and collegial reflection is invaluable. Academic work is often a vocation, and when one feels strong passion and enthusiasm for what one does, it can be difficult to set limits.”
Mikkola unwinds primarily through exercise.
“For me, exercise is the best form of recovery, and I’ve been a familiar face at various gyms and workout classes over the years.
A few years ago, Mikkola also discovered cross‑country skiing, which she now talks about with enthusiasm.
“I have not been on skis since my school days – that’s more than 25 years ago – but now I have rediscovered the joy of skiing.”
SINI MIKKOLA
Key roles and achievements