With a lifelong passion for theological inquiry and historical scholarship, Elsie Anne Tshimunyi McKee, PhD, has built an influential academic career rooted in reformation studies and the history of Christian worship. Her long association with Princeton Theological Seminary includes service as the Archibald Alexander Professor of Reformation Studies and History of Worship. Before that, she was the Archibald Alexander Associate Professor. She began her teaching career at Andover Newton Theological School in Massachusetts, where she advanced from assistant professor to associate professor of church history. Earlier, she tutored undergraduate students in New Testament Greek at Hendrix College, reflecting her early dedication to biblical languages and theological education.
Dr. McKee’s academic preparation laid the foundation for her work as a scholar and educator. Growing up bilingual in Africa, she later studied in Europe and North America. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy summa cum laude from Princeton Theological Seminary following theological studies at Cambridge University in England, where she completed a Diploma in Theology. She graduated with high honors and a Bachelor of Arts from Hendrix College and completed additional coursework at Columbia University. This strong academic training has enabled her to research, teach, and publish broadly in church history and women’s ministries.
Dr. McKee’s contributions extend well beyond the United States. She was a visiting lecturer at the Waldensian Seminary in Rome and a guest professor at the Theological Faculty of the University of Göttingen. She also taught at the Faculté de Théologie Réformée au Kasai in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, fostering global academic exchange. Her participation on the governor board at the H. Henry Meeter Center at Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary reflects her commitment to collaboration and institutional leadership. Her academic accomplishments have earned significant recognition, ranging from a two-year Fulbright Award from 1979 to 1981 for study in Geneva, Switzerland, early in her career to awards honoring her lifelong academic accomplishments, such as the Bodo Nishan Award from the Sixteenth Century Studies Conference and the Odyssey Medal from Hendrix College.
In the scholarly community, Dr. McKee has held leadership positions in professional organizations. She served as president and vice president of the Calvin Studies Society and as a member of the Praesidium (directors) of the International Congress for Calvin Research. She has also been a member of the American Society of Church History, North American Academy of Liturgy, Scholars of Early Modern Europe, and Society for Reformation Research.
Dr. McKee’s scholarly contributions are extensive. Her primary publications have focused on two figures: John Calvin (1509-1564) and Katherina Schütz Zell (1498-1562). She is best known for her trilogy on Calvin’s teaching on ministry and worship, “John Calvin on the Diaconate and Liturgical Almsgiving,” (1984); “Elders and the Plural Ministry,” (1988); “Pastoral Ministry and Worship in Calvin’s Geneva,” (2016). She is also widely known for her two volumes on Katherina Schütz Zell: “The Life and Thought of a Sixteenth Century Reformer,” and “The Writings. A Critical Edition” (Both in 1999). Dr. McKee has also produced volumes of translations, many articles, and other texts. Her writings have appeared in French, German, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese.
Outside the classroom, Dr. McKee is a mentor to international students and leads Woman Cradle of Abundance, a nonprofit organization she founded to address gender violence and poverty in Africa. Her latest book is the autobiography of Madame Monique Misenga Mukuna, the leader of a partner nonprofit in the Congo capital city of Kinshasa. Dr. McKee translated and edited “Cradling Abundance: One African Christian’s Story of Empowering Women and Fighting Systemic Poverty” (2021). She is completing an edition of a 16th-century manuscript of John Calvin’s sermons while preparing for the long-term sustainability of her nonprofit.
Dr. McKee credits her success to her dedication to learning and sharing her knowledge with others. She carries a profound awareness of the privileges she enjoys, recognizing that, by global standards, she is incredibly blessed due to her access to education, clothing, shelter, and medical care—luxuries that many take for granted. While she understands that she cannot change the inherent inequalities in the world, she believes in being the best steward of her resources—time, energy, attention, and compassion—to support those who have less. Her life and work reflect a deep commitment to education, theological insight, and global service. Through scholarship, teaching, and advocacy, Dr. McKee continues to build a legacy of compassion, leadership, and learning.