Berkeley School of Theology: Difference between revisions

Berkeley School of Theology
Other name	Hobart Hall
Former names	Berkeley Baptist Divinity School (1912–1968),; American Baptist Seminary of the West (1968–2020)
Type	Graduate Theological Seminary
Established	1871
Religious affiliation	American Baptist Churches USA
Academic affiliations	Graduate Theological Union; American Baptist Churches USA
President	James Brenneman
Dean	LeAnn Snow Flesher
Academic staff	12
Students	120
Address	2606 Dwight Way, Berkeley, California, United States; 37°51′54″N 122°15′21″W / 37.86502°N 122.25575°W
Campus	Urban
Website	www.bst.edu

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The Berkeley School of Theology (BST) is a Baptist theological institute in Berkeley, California, U.S.. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. It is part of the Graduate Theological Union, a consortium of theological schools and centers in the Berkeley area.

History

The earliest roots of Berkeley School of Theology lie in the chartering of California College, Vacaville, in 1871. In 1887,^[1] the college moved to Oakland, and in 1912 to Berkeley, at which time it changed its name to Berkeley Baptist Divinity School (BBDS), keeping this name until 1968. In 1915, BBDS merged with the Pacific Coast Baptist Theological Seminary, which had begun in Oakland in 1890 and had moved to Berkeley in 1904.

In 1919, the school building Hobart Hall at 2606 Dwight Way, Berkeley was designed by architect Julia Morgan.^[2] Hobart Hall is a Berkeley Landmark since September 8, 1998, and has a historical plaque.^[2]^[3]

In 1968, BBDS merged with California Baptist Theological Seminary (founded in 1944 in Los Angeles, and located in Covina since 1951). To reflect the fact that the school was no longer wholly in Berkeley, it was renamed the American Baptist Seminary of the West, but six years later the Covina faculty moved to the Berkeley campus, effecting considerable cost savings and at the same time availing themselves of the resources of the Graduate Theological Union. In July 2020, ABSW changed its name again to Berkeley School of Theology. ^[4]

Academics

BST offers a wide range of programs from specialized certificates, accredited Master of Divinity (M.Div.), Master of Community Leadership (MCL), a fully-online Master of Theological Studies (MTS) and Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degrees. Jointly with the Graduate Theological Union, BST offers an accredited Master of Arts (MA). BST also participates with the Graduate Theological Union in offering the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree.

References

^ Thomas, Grace Powers (1898). Where to educate, 1898-1899. A guide to the best private schools, higher institutions of learning, etc., in the United States. Boston: Brown and Company. p. 12. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
^ ^a ^b "American Baptist Seminary of the West Hobart Hall Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database (HMDB). Retrieved 2023-12-17.
^ "List of Designated City Landmarks, Structures of Merit & Historic Districts" (PDF). City of Berkeley. January 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 30, 2023.
^ emorrow (2020-07-24). "American Baptist Seminary of the West Changes Name to Berkeley School of Theology". Graduate Theological Union. Retrieved 2020-08-17.

External links

Official website Archived 2019-03-28 at the Wayback Machine

[1] Thomas, Grace Powers (1898). Where to educate, 1898-1899. A guide to the best private schools, higher institutions of learning, etc., in the United States. Boston: Brown and Company. p. 12. Retrieved August 17, 2012.

[:0-2] "American Baptist Seminary of the West Hobart Hall Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database (HMDB). Retrieved 2023-12-17.

[:1-3] "List of Designated City Landmarks, Structures of Merit & Historic Districts" (PDF). City of Berkeley. January 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 30, 2023.

[4] rrow (2020-07-24). "American Baptist Seminary of the West Changes Name to Berkeley School of Theology". Graduate Theological Union. Retrieved 2020-08-17.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{short description|Theological school in California, US}}
 {{Infobox university
-| name                  = Berkeley School of Theology
+ | name                   = Berkeley School of Theology
-| image                 = BBDS-pordo-1.jpg
+ | image                  = BBDS-pordo-1.jpg
-| established           = 1871
+ | established            = {{Start date|1871}}
-| type                  = [[Graduate School|Graduate]] [[Theological]] [[Seminary]]
+ | type                   = [[Graduate School|Graduate]] [[Theological]] [[Seminary]]
-| religious_affiliation = [[American Baptist Churches USA]]
+ | religious_affiliation  = [[American Baptist Churches USA]]
-| president             = James Brenneman
+ | president              = James Brenneman
-| dean                  = LeAnn Snow Flesher
+ | dean                   = LeAnn Snow Flesher
-| academic_staff        = 12
+ | academic_staff         = 12
-| administrative_staff  =
+ | administrative_staff   =
-| students              = 74
+ | students               = 120
-| city                  = [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]]
+ | address                = 2606 Dwight Way
-| state                 = [[California]]
+ | city                   = [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]]
-| country               = United States
+ | state                  = [[California]]
-| campus                = Urban
+ | country                = United States
+ | campus                 = Urban
-| former_names          = California College, Berkeley Baptist Divinity School, American Baptist Seminary of the West
-| website               = {{URL|https://www.bst.edu/}}
+ | other_name             = Hobart Hall
+ | former_names           = Berkeley Baptist Divinity School (1912–1968),<br/> American Baptist Seminary of the West (1968–2020)
-| coordinates           = {{Coord|37.86502|-122.25575|region:US-CA_type:edu|display=inline,title}}
+ | website                = {{URL|https://www.bst.edu/}}
-| academic_affiliations = [[Graduate Theological Union]]<br />[[American Baptist Churches USA]]
+ | coordinates            = {{Coord|37.86502|-122.25575|region:US-CA_type:edu|display=inline,title}}
+ | academic_affiliations  = [[Graduate Theological Union]]<br />[[American Baptist Churches USA]]
 }}
-The '''Berkeley School of Theology''' ('''BST''') is a [[Baptist]] [[theological institute]] in [[Berkeley, California]]. It is affiliated with the [[American Baptist Churches USA]]. It is part of the [[Graduate Theological Union]], a consortium of theological schools and centers in the Berkeley area. BST changed its name from the American Baptist Seminary of the West in July 2020. Prior to that it was called Berkeley Baptist Divinity School.
+The '''Berkeley School of Theology''' ('''BST''') is a [[Baptist]] [[theological institute]] in [[Berkeley, California]], U.S.. It is affiliated with the [[American Baptist Churches USA]]. It is part of the [[Graduate Theological Union]], a consortium of theological schools and centers in the Berkeley area.
 == History ==
+The earliest roots of Berkeley School of Theology lie in the chartering of California College, [[Vacaville, California|Vacaville]], in 1871. In 1887,<ref>{{cite book |title=Where to educate, 1898-1899. A guide to the best private schools, higher institutions of learning, etc., in the United States |last=Thomas |first=Grace Powers |year=1898 |publisher=Brown and Company |location=Boston |page=12 |accessdate=August 17, 2012 |url=https://archive.org/stream/wheretoeducate1800thomrich#page/12/mode/1up}}</ref> the college moved to [[Oakland, California|Oakland]], and in 1912 to Berkeley, at which time it changed its name to Berkeley Baptist Divinity School (BBDS), keeping this name until 1968. In 1915, BBDS merged with the Pacific Coast Baptist Theological Seminary, which had begun in Oakland in 1890 and had moved to Berkeley in 1904.
-'''Berkeley School of Theology (BST)''' has served at the center of Baptist and ecumenical theological education in the far west of the United States since its founding in 1871, chartered, first, as California College, in Vacaville, CA.  BST is historically affiliated with the American Baptist Churches in the United States (ABCUSA) and is a founding school of the Graduate Theological Union (1962). Prominent American Baptist leaders in America include the founding father of Rhode Island, Roger Williams; businessman, John D. Rockefeller and educator, Laura Spelman Rockefeller; social gospel theologian, Walter Rauschenbusch; U.S. Presidents Warren Harding and Harry Truman; Civil Rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr.; U.S. Senator, Rev. Rafael Warnock; and U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, a member of the BST Board of Trustees. Though steeped in the historic “free church” heritage, BST board, faculty and students hail from a variety of denominational and religious traditions in the U.S. and around the world.
+In 1919, the school building Hobart Hall at 2606 Dwight Way, Berkeley was designed by architect [[Julia Morgan]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=American Baptist Seminary of the West Hobart Hall Historical Marker |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=50801 |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=Historical Marker Database (HMDB) |language=en}}</ref> Hobart Hall is a [[Berkeley Landmark]] since September 8, 1998, and has a historical plaque.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=January 2023 |title=List of Designated City Landmarks, Structures of Merit & Historic Districts |url=https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/COB%20Landmarks%20Updated%20Jan%202023_0.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630044415/https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/COB%20Landmarks%20Updated%20Jan%202023_0.pdf |archive-date=June 30, 2023 |website=City of Berkeley}}</ref>
-In the early 1840’s, while California was still a part of Mexico, the Baptist Home Missions Society (BHMS) sent its first mission-workers to the Bay Area with the specific mandate to inaugurate educational institutions and plant new churches. Those early dreams were waylaid until 1863 when the first educational convention of the new Baptist association was held in San Francisco. Berkeley School of Theology traces its lineage to this visionary spirit of BHMS that was also establishing baptist educational institutions during the Reconstruction period in American history, especially for men and women freed from slavery and Native Americans seeking education. Colleges like Morehouse, Spelman, Ottawa, and Bacone College, along with Berkeley School of Theology, were all established by BHMS in the spirit of liberty for all and to advance the "four fragile freedoms" of the historic baptist faith: soul freedom, Bible freedom, church freedom, and religious freedom. The new vision and excitement of this post-civil-war period was embodied in one of BST's early presidents, Dr. Edgar Harkness Gray, who was one of four ministers to officiate in President Abraham Lincoln’s memorial services. Later, another prominent baptist educator, Dr. Benjamin Ide Wheeler, would become the eighth president of UC Berkeley just down the road. The Sather Gates and land-mark Campanile (bell-tower) at the heart of the UC Berkeley campus speak to Baptist philanthropy, leadership and commitment to higher education in Northern California and at Berkeley School of Theology.
+In 1968, BBDS merged with California Baptist Theological Seminary (founded in 1944 in [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], and located in [[Covina, California|Covina]] since 1951). To reflect the fact that the school was no longer wholly in Berkeley, it was renamed the American Baptist Seminary of the West, but six years later the Covina faculty moved to the Berkeley campus, effecting considerable cost savings and at the same time availing themselves of the resources of the Graduate Theological Union. In July 2020, ABSW changed its name again to Berkeley School of Theology. <ref>{{Cite web|last=emorrow|date=2020-07-24|title=American Baptist Seminary of the West Changes Name to Berkeley School of Theology|url=https://www.gtu.edu/news/american-baptist-seminary-west-changes-name-berkeley-school-theology|access-date=2020-08-17|website=Graduate Theological Union|language=en}}</ref>
-The pioneering and innovative spirit of BST's founders has guided it through a series of mergers and transformations under seven different names throughout its 150-year history. Seventeen years after BST was officially chartered as California College, [[Vacaville, California|Vacaville]], in 1871, the college moved in 1887<ref>{{cite book |last=Thomas |first=Grace Powers |url=https://archive.org/stream/wheretoeducate1800thomrich#page/12/mode/1up |title=Where to educate, 1898-1899. A guide to the best private schools, higher institutions of learning, etc., in the United States |publisher=Brown and Company |year=1898 |location=Boston |page=12 |accessdate=August 17, 2012}}</ref> to [[Oakland, California|Oakland]], and in 1912 to Berkeley, at which time it changed its name to Berkeley Baptist Divinity School (BBDS), keeping this name until 1968. Soon after its move to Berkeley, the school's landmark architecture of its main campus was designed by the famed Berkeley architect, Julia Morgan, who designed many famous buildings in California, including Hearst Castle. In 1915, BBDS merged with the Pacific Coast Baptist Theological Seminary, which had begun in Oakland in 1890 and later moved to Berkeley in 1904.  In 1968, BBDS merged with California Baptist Theological Seminary (founded in 1944 in [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], and located in [[Covina, California|Covina]] since 1951). To reflect the fact that the school was no longer wholly in Berkeley, it was renamed the American Baptist Seminary of the West. Ironically, six years later the Covina faculty moved to the Berkeley campus, effecting considerable cost savings and at the same time availing themselves of the shared faculty and resources, including the magnificent consolidated and common theological library of the founding schools of the Graduate Theological Union. In July 2020, ABSW changed its name again to Berkeley School of Theology to "[encourage] expanding [its] reach to a broader, more inclusive audience."<ref>{{Cite web |last=emorrow |date=2020-07-24 |title=American Baptist Seminary of the West Changes Name to Berkeley School of Theology |url=https://www.gtu.edu/news/american-baptist-seminary-west-changes-name-berkeley-school-theology |access-date=2020-08-17 |website=Graduate Theological Union |language=en}}</ref>
 ==Academics==
 BST offers a wide range of programs from specialized certificates, accredited Master of Divinity (M.Div.), Master of Community Leadership (MCL), a fully-online Master of Theological Studies (MTS) and Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degrees. Jointly with the Graduate Theological Union, BST offers an accredited Master of Arts (MA). BST also participates with the Graduate Theological Union in offering the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree.
-Students studying at BST have access to a myriad of theological and interreligious resources and classes through cross-registration in the largest partnership of seminaries, centers and graduate schools of theology and religion in the United States. In addition, BST students have access to one of the finest theological libraries in the world, and an uncommonly large shared-faculty of distinguished scholars, along with the resources and classes available through the University of California, Berkeley.  Studying at Berkeley School of Theology offers one of the greatest spiritual adventures of a lifetime, preparing our graduates to serve God, churches, and the whole world in a host of different ministry settings.
 ==References==
@@ Line 41: / Line 42: @@
 {{Graduate Theological Union}}
 {{authority control}}
 [[Category:Seminaries and theological colleges in California]]
 [[Category:Educational institutions established in 1968]]
-[[Category:Universities and colleges affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA]]
 [[Category:Baptist Christianity in California]]
 [[Category:Graduate Theological Union]]
 [[Category:Seminaries and theological colleges affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA]]
+[[Category:Berkeley landmarks in Berkeley, California]]