A seminary or theological college is a specialized and often live-in higher education institution for the purpose of instructing students (seminarians) in philosophy, theology, spirituality and the religious life, usually in order to prepare them to become members of the clergy. Higher education is Education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, Community colleges Liberal arts colleges Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective Spirituality, in a narrow sense concerns itself with matters of the Spirit, a concept closely tied to religious belief and Faith, a transcendent reality Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion. The English word is taken from the Latin seminarium, translated as seed-bed. In the Occident, the term historically refers to Christian educational institutes for clergy (mostly Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox, as many Protestant denominations preferred another term for their theological colleges). The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Denominationalism|List of Christian denominations|Church (disambiguation A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name structure and doctrine within

History of Seminaries

The establishment of modern seminary institutions was a direct result of Roman Catholic reforms of the Counter-Reformation after the Council of Trent which insisted on the improvement of the education of clergy through the creation of seminaries as live-in institutions under the direct control of senior clergy (*source?). The Counter-Reformation (also Catholic Reformation denotes the period of Catholic revival from the pontificate of Pope Pius IV in 1560 to the close of the The Council of Trent was the 19th Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. This later led, when literacy was not universal, to the creation of minor seminaries to educate young boys for the priesthood(*source?). A minor seminary is a secondary Boarding school created for the specific purpose of enrolling teenage boys who have expressed interest in becoming Priests. The Tridentine model of seminary was one of a live in, almost monastic community where lifestyle and prayer habits were carefully monitored and corrected as a means to reforming pre-Reformation abuses among the clergy(*source?). The seminary institutions were in contrast to the freer intellectual atmosphere of the Universities(*source?). The tridentine seminaries placed great emphasis on personal discipline as well as the teaching of philosophy as a preparation for theology; an approach that was explicitly rejected by Protestant reformers such as John Calvin(*source?). John Calvin (or Jean Calvin) (10 July 1509 – 27 May 1564 was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and

The Tridentine model of seminary has since been adopted and adapted by other Christian denominations as well as by modern American Judaism, though now in a more open fashion than the Tridentine model, and often without the Catholic emphasis on the pre-requisite study of philosophy and the Catholic requirement to live on campus within the Christian community of the seminary.

Minor Seminaries

Main article: Minor seminary

In post-Reformation Europe, and in modern nations where literacy is not yet universal, Minor Seminaries often exist as Church-funded high schools to prepare younger boys for later entry into adult seminary education. A minor seminary is a secondary Boarding school created for the specific purpose of enrolling teenage boys who have expressed interest in becoming Priests. The stated purposes of minor seminaries include ensuring a high standard of literacy, numeracy and humanities in potential students for the priesthood as well as exemplary instruction and modelling in prayer, worship and ethical behaviour. Minor seminaries are also being re-established by Traditionalist Catholics who use the Tridentine rite in the modern United States. ^[1]

Formation and education

While the Tridentine seminary model was one of in-house "formation", modern seminary institutions now sometimes co-exist with theological colleges, such as in the United Kingdom, where they are the live-in college of another tertiary institution. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage third level and' post-secondary education', is the educational level following the completion of a school providing In this case the Academic Institutions are typically called a school of theology or divinity school. They usually offer undergraduate and graduate academic degrees (such as the Bachelor of Theology, Bachelor of Sacred Theology, M.Div., Th.M., D.Min., etc. The Bachelor of Theology (BTh ThB or BTheol is a three to five year Undergraduate degree in theological disciplines STB ( Sacrae Theologiae Baccalaureus) refers to the academic degree Bachelor of Sacred Theology. In Christian Theology, the Master of Divinity ( MDiv, Magister Divinitatis in Latin) is the first Professional degree A Master of Theology is an Academic degree offered by many Universities worldwide The Doctor of Ministry ( DMin) degree is according to The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS a doctoral level degree oriented ).

Bible colleges and Theological Seminaries provide a type of religious and/or academic education, including the study of religious history and theology and may also award AA, BA, MA, and Ph. A Bible college is an institution of Higher education that specializes in Biblical studies. D or Th. D degrees. These type of institutions can be evangelical, fundamentalist, Pentecostal, Reformed, LDS, Catholic, or multi-denominational in orientation. Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel Fundamentalist Christianity, also known as Christian Fundamentalism or Fundamentalist Evangelicalism, is a movement that arose mainly within British and Institutions such as Criswell College in Dallas, Wheaton College in Illinois or Tucson Theological Seminary[1]in Tucson, Arizona follow this model. Criswell College is a Christian college and divinity school in Dallas, Texas. Such institutions may also offer lay education. In religious organizations the laity comprises all persons who are not Clergy. Some accredited Roman Catholic seminaries have their degrees conferred by a Pontifical University and through the Vatican Congregation for Seminaries and Universities. A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of Higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing A pontifical university is a Roman Catholic University established by and directly under the authority of the Holy See.

Although the primary purpose of a seminary is to prepare and equip candidates for religious service in the church or synagogue— congregational leadership—many people not intending to become such leaders may study in seminaries. A synagogue (from Greek: grc συναγωγή transliterated synagogē, "assembly" he בית כנסת beit knesset, "house of Qualifications may be obtained majoring in chaplaincies, counseling, teaching and more academic disciplines. An academic discipline or field of study is a branch of Knowledge which is taught or Researched at the college or university level It is common for lay people to study in a seminary to enhance their spiritual life, to explore academic interests, or to prepare for non-ordained ministries (such as, choir directors or Sunday school teachers). In religious organizations the laity comprises all persons who are not Clergy. For the musical composition see Chorale. A choir, chorale, or chorus is a Musical ensemble of Singers " Sunday school " is the generic name for many different types of Religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations In Education, a teacher is one who helps Students or pupils often in a School, as well as in a Family, religious or

Monks, priests and nuns attend seminary to qualify for service and usually belong to a set denomination. MONK is a Monte Carlo software package for simulating nuclear processes particularly for the purpose of determining the neutron multiplication factor or k-effective A Nun is a Woman who has taken special vows committing her to a religious life Many Christian denominations cooperate in providing theological education for students preparing for ordination and a number of consortia or other cooperative arrangements have been established, for example in Australia there are the Melbourne and Adelaide Colleges of Divinity and the Australian College of Theology comprising a number of seminaries working together. List of Christian denominations (or Denominations self-identified as Christian) ordered by historical and doctrinal relationships Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective In a general sense the term Holy Orders refers to those in the Christian religion who have been ordained in Apostolic Succession. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Melbourne College of Divinity (MCD is a Theological college located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The Adelaide College of Divinity Inc (ACD started as an ecumenical consortium of the theological colleges of the Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic The Australian College of Theology, was established in 1891 by the then General Synod of the Church of England in Australia. In the United States, organizations such as American Evangelistic Association, established in 1954, ordains pastors through a seminary located in Tucson, Arizona called Tucson Theological Seminary

Accreditation and state laws

In the United States, accreditation is not required for seminaries to award religious AA, BA, MA, or Ph. D degrees. A religious degree (AA, BA, MA, or Ph. D) is valid in the United States. Institutions offering purely religious degrees are exempt from licensing requirements in many states, subject to specific rules in each state. ^[2]

An historic event for seminaries in the United States occurred on Sept. 2, 2007, when Tyndale Theological Seminary [2] won the constitutional right to practice as a seminary without state government interference. [3] Texas Supreme Court states, “The fact that subchapter G [the relevant part of the Education Code] burdens all private postsecondary institutions does not lessen its significant, peculiar impact on religious institutions offering religious courses of study,” the court ruled. “Subchapter G requires a clear, public, instantly identifiable differentiation between a religious education that meets the Coordinating Board’s standards and one that does not: only an institution that meets those standards may call itself a seminary and its graduates associates, bachelors, masters, doctors, and the like. But setting standards for a religious education is a religious exercise for which the state lacks not only authority but competence, and those deficits are not erased simply because the state concurrently undertakes to do what it is able to do — set standards for secular educational programs. The state cannot avoid the constitutional impediments to setting substantive standards for religious education by making the standards applicable to all educational institutions, secular and religious. ” The decision also cited several specific parts of the code that the court found to be unconstitutional attempts to tell a religious college how to operate. For example, the court said that the references to academic freedom were inappropriate because they were “inconsistent with a doctrinal statement like Tyndale’s that is at the core of its mission. ”

Some seminaries elect to acquire accreditation in order to be recognized to award academic degrees versus religious degrees. A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of Higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing There are several major accreditation agencies that specialize in traditional religious schools. These are the Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools, the Association for Biblical Higher Education, the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada, and the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, and the American Board of Theological Institutions (ABTI). The Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools (AARTS is a non-profit accreditation association for Rabbinical and Talmudic schools The Association for Biblical Higher Education or ABHE (formerly the The Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges or AABC) is a nationally recognized The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS is an organization of seminaries and other Graduate schools of Theology. The Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS is a U These five groups are recognized as accrediting agencies by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The United States Department of Education (also referred to as ED, for Education Department is a Cabinet -level department of the United States Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA is a United States organization of degree -granting colleges and universities Seminaries founded by emerging and alternative religions are almost never approved by these agencies however, because of their non-traditional theology or religious beliefs. Accreditation is thus virtually unobtainable for many new religious schools. Others such as many Bible colleges purposely choose not to submit to the accreditation process because they believe it constitutes state interference with religious freedoms.

In Australia there are over 20 approved teaching institutions, but only the Australian College of Theology is authorised by the Australian Government to grant degrees. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Australian College of Theology, was established in 1891 by the then General Synod of the Church of England in Australia. This article describes the federal government of Australia See Australian governments for other jurisdictions The advantage to the Approved Teaching Institutions is that they don't need to go through the red tape, administration that the Government legislation involves; the Australian College of Theology does this for them. "[4]

LDS Youth seminaries

See also: Church Educational System#Seminaries

The word seminary is also applied by members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to a school of religious education for youths ages 14-18 that accompanies normal secular education. The Church Educational System (CES of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known The seminary education system of the LDS Church provides extensive study of theology using as texts the "standard works" of the church (Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants) throughout the school week, in addition to normal Sunday classes. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. The Book of Mormon is a Sacred text of the churches in the Latter Day Saint movement. The Doctrine and Covenants (sometimes abbreviated and cited as D&C) is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the The 4 courses are taught, 1 per year, on a rotating basis (the 2007-2008 curriculum follows the Old Testament and the Pearl of Great Price). Seminary students are encouraged to study each scriptural text on their own time and to memorize a total of 100 scriptural passages or "scripture mastery" verses during their participation of the four-year program.

These types of seminaries schedule classes before or after regular school time, or negotiate agreed released time permits with the nearest public school districts to allow students to voluntarily leave school grounds for an allotted amount of time (usually one class period) to receive seminary education. Released Time is a concept used in the United States public school system wherein pupils enrolled in the public schools are permitted by law to receive religious instruction Public education is education mandated for or offered to the children of the general public by the Government, whether national regional or local provided by an institution In communities with significant LDS populations, seminary facilities are commonly built on Church-owned properties that immediately neighbor the grounds of state-owned public schools, allowing individual students to simply walk between school and seminary during their scheduled release time. These arrangements work to ease the integration of secular and religious study into a youth's school day without inappropriately (or illegally) violating the separation of church and state in secular society. Separation of church and state is a Political and Legal Doctrine that Government and religious institutions are to be kept separate In many cases, seminary is held before school. This traditionally has been referred to as "early morning seminary", but has recently been renamed "daily seminary". "Daily Seminary" is often held at a member's house or local church building. "Daily Seminary" is very common when there are not enough LDS members that attend the local school to justify building a seminary classroom. Seminary teachers for early morning seminary are called as volunteers and do not receive remuneration for their time. As of 2008, there are about 365,000 seminary students worldwide with nearly 40,000 seminary teachers. Seminary is part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Church Educational System. The Church Educational System (CES of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education Many seminary graduates go on to attend Institute classes (which could be described as Seminary for college-age adults) if they do not attend Church-sponsored Universities. Single adult is the term used in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to describe any unmarried person over the age of 30

Teaching seminaries

The curriculum of Jyväskylä Teacher seminary included gymnastics. The University of Jyväskylä (Jyväskylän yliopisto is a University in Jyväskylä, Finland. Seminarians of the Female section in gym suits with gymnastic staffs in 1897

In some countries, the term seminary is also used for secular, mostly state-owned schools that train teachers. Year 1897 ( MDCCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Secularity ( adjective form secular) is the state of being separate from Religion. While the function of the teaching seminaries and religious seminaries is different, the terminology has not changed (compare the use of "dean" in education and the use of the term "dean" in religion). In Academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit or over a specific area of concern or both A dean, in a church context is a Cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy Teacher seminaries of the 19th century also employed stringent discipline and required impeccable behavior. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar In Nordic countries with a Lutheran state religion, there was little ambiguity, as the training of Lutheran priests was the duty of theology departments of the state universities. The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects

When founded in the 19th century, teacher seminaries enrolled primary school graduates, but gradually the requirements were increased until, in the middle of the 20th century, the requirement was raised to high school diploma. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution A diploma (from Greek δίπλωµα diploma, meaning "folded paper" is a Certificate or Deed issued by an educational institution At the same time, most teacher seminaries in the Nordic countries were incorporated into universities as part of their education colleges. Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency Some–most notably the Seminary of Jyväskylä, Finland–formed the basis of entire universities. Jyväskylä (ˈjyvæsˌkylæ is a City and Municipality located in Central Finland, 147 km from Tampere and 270 km from Helsinki Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe.

Internationally noteworthy seminaries

Christian

See List of Roman Catholic Seminaries

• American Institute for Biblical Studies
• Andover Newton Theological School
• Asbury Theological Seminary
• Calvin Theological Seminary
• Biblical Theological Seminary
• Candler School of Theology
• Catholic University of Leuven
• Chicago Theological Seminary
• Claremont School of Theology
• Conception Seminary College
• Concordia Seminary-St. Louis
• Covenant Theological Seminary-Fort Wayne, IN
• Criswell College
• Dallas Theological Seminary
• Duke Divinity School
• Earlham School of Religion
• Erskine Theological Seminary
• Fuller Theological Seminary
• Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary
• George W. Truett Theological Seminary
• Grand Rapids Theological Seminary
• Graduate Theological Union
• Harding University Graduate School of Religion
• Hartford Seminary
• Harvard Divinity School
• Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology
• Interdenominational Theological Center
• Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
• Kenrick-Glennon Seminary
• Liberty Theological Seminary of Liberty University
• Luther Rice Seminary
• McCormick Theological Seminary
• Methodist Theological School in Ohio
• New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
• Notre Dame Seminary, New Orleans[5]
• Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
• Palmer Theological Seminary[6]
• Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
• Pontifical Gregorian University
• Pontifical North American College
• Princeton Theological Seminary
• Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary
• Regent University School of Divinity[7]
• Reformed Theological Seminary
• St. John's Seminary (Massachusetts)[8]
• St. Mary's Seminary and University First Catholic Seminary in America
• Saint Meinrad School of Theology
• St Patrick's College, Maynooth
• Saint-Sulpice Seminary (Montreal)
• Saint Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary
• Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary
• Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary
• The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
• Tabor College (also known as Tabor Seminary, and Tabor Theological Seminary)
• Talbot School of Theology
• Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
• Tucson Theological Seminary
• Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
• University of Chicago Divinity School
• Vanderbilt Divinity School
• Western Seminary
• The Western Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church in America
• Westminster Theological Seminary
• Yale Divinity School

Islamic

Main article: Madrasah

• Al-Azhar University
• Ben Youssef Medrassa
• Islamic University of Madinah
• Qom, the city with the world's largest concentration of seminaries for Shi'a Islam
• Darul Uloom Deoband, Uttar Pradesh , India
• Darul Uloom Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
• International Islamic University Islamabad , Pakistan
• University of Al Karaouine , Morroco

Jewish

Main article: Yeshiva

• Academy for Jewish Religion
• Hebrew Union College
• Jewish Theological Seminary of America
• Leo Baeck College
• Jews' College London

References

See also

• Yeshiva
• Madrasah

External links

• Pictures of Seminary in Namur (Belgium) - Features by Jean-Michel Clajot, Belgian photographer
• Inside St Josephs Seminary, Wigan
• [9] Allen Hall, The Seminary of the Diocese of Westminster, London
• Code of Canon Law (1983), IntraText edition with referenced concordance, hosted by the Vatican