Former dean of Harvard Divinity

Krister Stendahl, 86, a Swedish Lutheran bishop and theologian who served as dean of the Harvard Divinity School from 1968 to ’79 and promoted interfaith relations throughout his career, died Tuesday, Harvard announced.

According to the Boston Globe, he died of renal failure at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Born April 21, 1921, in Stockholm, Stendahl earned his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees at Uppsala University in Sweden and was ordained in the Church of Sweden in 1944. Ten years later, he arrived at Harvard as a professor of New Testament studies. After becoming dean, he acted to diversify the school and support women in religious leadership roles.

His biblical scholarship often examined the relationships between Jews and early Christians and between men and women in the Scriptures. His books include “The School of St. Matthew” (1954), “The Bible and the Role of Women” (1966) and “Paul Among the Jews and Gentiles” (1976).

Stendahl left Harvard in 1984 and became bishop of Stockholm, serving until 1988 and supporting women’s ordination and gay and lesbian rights. He then returned to Harvard as chaplain of the Divinity School. From 1991 to 1993, he taught at Brandeis University.

As an ecumenical leader with the World Council of Churches starting in 1975 and with other organizations, Stendahl worked to improve Jewish-Christian dialogue.