Claremont School of Theology facts for kids
Seal
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Former name
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Maclay School of Theology |
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| Type | Private graduate school |
| Established | 1956 |
| Accreditation | WSCUC, ATS |
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Religious affiliation
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United Methodist Church |
| Endowment | $10.1 million (2019) |
| President | Grant J. Hagiya |
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Academic staff
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23 |
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Administrative staff
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22 |
| Students | 250 |
| Location |
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34°03′55″N 118°25′56″W / 34.06518428428643°N 118.43225225683219°W |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Colors | Red and White |
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Claremont School of Theology (CST) is a private graduate school focused on religion and theology and located in Los Angeles, California. It is one of the thirteen official theological schools of the United Methodist Church, though more than forty different denominations are typically represented in the student body in any given school term.
History
Founded as the Maclay School of Theology in San Fernando, California, in 1885, the Methodist seminary was founded by Charles Maclay, founder of the town of San Fernando, former Methodist minister and state senator. The school was affiliated with the University of Southern California (USC) from 1900 to 1957, staying on the USC campus until it moved to Claremont. The master plan for the Claremont campus was designed by Edward Durell Stone, who also designed the school's Kresge Chapel, listed as an historic building by the LA Conservancy.
In 2008, the CST board of trustees set in motion the Claremont University Project, eventually named Claremont Lincoln University (CLU). In doing so, CST became a founding member of a new multireligious consortium - the original intent for Claremont Lincoln University. On April 21, 2014, CST's board of trustees announced an official end to the relationship with Claremont Lincoln University. The mutual split resulted from an acknowledgement that both institutions' "fundamental philosophies have diverged" when "Claremont Lincoln decided to move away from its interreligious roots and become a secular-focused university" after CLU announced "a decision to discontinue several of its programs". In the same announcement, CST's board of trustees affirmed a commitment to maintaining relationships with its partner schools (the Academy for Jewish Religion (California) and Bayan Claremont).
CST disputed a 1957 agreement with the Claremont Colleges (The Claremont Colleges, Inc. (TCC)) that stated that if CST ever sold its Claremont campus, The Claremont Colleges (TCC) would have the opportunity to purchase the property for pennies on the dollar. Based on an early 1980's California law, CST believed this 1957 restriction is no longer applicable while TCC insisted that it remains valid. Both parties entered litigation. In December 2023, CST and TCC completed arbitration.
In 2017, before arbitration was completed, and after failing to reach agreement with The Claremont Colleges (The Claremont Colleges, Inc. (TCC)), CST began negotiations to merge with Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. After the signing of a memorandum of understanding in May 2019, in July 2020, the school began the 2-3 year process of moving to and embedding with Willamette. In 2021, following years of legal battles between the Claremont Consortium, the Claremont School of Theology decided to "maintain its presence in Southern California with its main campus located in Claremont, while also retaining a partnership in Salem with Willamette".
CST is home to the Ancient Biblical Manuscript Center (ABMC), a research center devoted to the documentary history of Judaism and Christianity. CST was the original home for the Center for Process Studies (CPS). On May 15, 2023 the CST Board of Trustees approved a proposal that enabled CPS to establish itself as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, with joint faculty with CST. The CPS promotes a "relational approach" found in process thought, specifically process theology. CST also has a strong representation of students and faculty from all along the Pacific Rim. It houses the Center for Pacific and Asian-American Ministries (CPAAM), which provides ministerial education and other services to enhance ministry to Pacific and Asian American constituencies of all denominations.
Among the non-Methodist institutions sharing the CST campus are the Episcopal Theological School at Claremont and the Disciples Seminary Foundation.
Due to changes in graduate theological education and ongoing financial difficulties, in 2023 school administrators announced that the school would move from its Claremont location to Los Angeles. The school is now in Los Angeles on the campus of the Westwood United Methodist Church.
Academics
Degrees
- Master of Divinity (M.Div.)
- Master of Arts (MA)
- Master of Theological Studies (MTS)
- Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Practical Theology
- Doctor of Philosophy in Religion
- Doctor of Professional Counseling
Accreditation
The school is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission. As of 2023[update], the commission had the Claremont School of Theology listed as "Accredited with Notice of Concern" related to a commission action from February 2020. The school is also accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS).
Notable faculty
- Jon Berquist
- Philip Clayton
- John B. Cobb (emeritus)
- Monica Coleman (emerita)
- Jane Dempsey Douglass
- Roland Faber
- David Ray Griffin (emeritus)
- Rolf Knierim (emeritus)
- Burton L. Mack (emeritus)
- Dennis R. MacDonald
- James M. Robinson (emeritus)
- Rosemary Radford Ruether
- James A. Sanders (emeritus)
- Deepak Shimkhada (adjunct)
- Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki (emerita)
- Marvin A. Sweeney
Notable alumni
- David Augsburger
- Michel Weber
- Thomas Jay Oord
- Robert B. "Bobs" Watson
- Rosemary Radford Ruether
- Mary Elizabeth Moore
- Tripp Fuller
