Martti Muukkonen

Short Biography

Martti Muukkonen is a Finnish theologian, sociologist, and pastor of the Finnish Evangelica-Lutheran church. His studies focus on sociology of religion and anthropology of religion. His dissertation Ecumenism of the Laity (Muukkonen 2002) focused on the change and continuity of the mission view of the World's Alliance of YMCAs, 1855–1955. Studying an international religious youth movement has led him in non-profit and social movement studies as well as in youth research. Currently, he is studying the religious roots of different western welfare models as well as ancient welfare solutions. He graduated as a MTh in 1981 from Helsinki University and was ordained the same year. After 15-year service in the church and in the YMCA, he returned to academic world. He got a MSS in sociology in 1999, LTh in sociology of religion in 2000, and ThD in sociology of religion in 2002 – all from the University of Joensuu in eastern Finland. Recently, he has been supervising students in the master program of leisure and recreation.