Luther Seminary
Encyclopedia
Luther Seminary is the largest seminary
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA). Located in the Saint Anthony Park
neighborhood of St. Paul
, Minnesota
, its mission is to prepare students for service in rostered ministry and leadership positions within the ELCA and its ecumenical partners.
As of the 2010-2011 academic year, Luther serves 796 total students (54% male, 46% female), employing 45 full-time faculty along with 20 adjunct faculty. Luther Seminary offers a Master of Divinity
degree (M.Div.), for students seeking ordination, as well as Master of Arts
, Doctor of Ministry
(D.Min.) and Doctor of Philosophy
degrees for other students.
As in most seminaries, M.Div. students complete three years of theological education, divided into a junior year (first), middler year (second) and senior year (final). A full year of internship, usually in a parish, is an integral part of pastoral training, and a degree requirement for ELCA M.Div. students. While individual situations may vary, internship typically begins after two-thirds of coursework has been completed. Thus, most students complete internship between their middler and senior year. The internship requirement is unique to the ELCA among the other Mainline denominations in the U.S.
. The ELC became part of the ALC in 1960.
Each of the three churches operated a seminary: the Norwegian Synod operated Luther Seminary, in Saint Paul, Minnesota
, the Hauge Synod
operated the Red Wing Seminary
in Red Wing, Minnesota
; and the United Norwegian Lutheran Church operated the United Church Seminary in Saint Paul. The merged seminaries occupied the site of the United Church Seminary, and retained the name of the oldest of the three schools, namely, Luther Theological Seminary, which had been founded in 1876.
Augsburg Theological Seminary
, founded in 1869 at Marshall, Wisconsin
, later moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota
, and ultimately the seminary of the Lutheran Free Church
. It remained a separate seminary until 1963 when the Lutheran Free Church merged with the American Lutheran Church
and Augsburg Seminary was united with Luther Seminary in Saint Paul. When Luther Theological Seminary was united with Augsburg Seminary in 1963, Luther, through the process of merger, assumed the earlier founding date of 1869.
. In 1921, the seminary was moved to Fargo, North Dakota
, and the following year to Minneapolis. From 1921 to 1982, its name was Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary. Located in north Minneapolis from 1922 to 1940 and in south Minneapolis from 1940 to 1967, it moved near the campus of Luther Theological Seminary in Saint Paul in 1967. At the time of the formation of the Lutheran Church in America
in 1962, Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary was placed under the jurisdiction of two supporting synods: the Minnesota Synod and the Red River Valley Synod.
As of January 1, 1988, Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary became affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) formed by a merger of three national bodies, The American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, and the Lutheran Church in America. The name Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary was changed to Luther Seminary on July 1, 1994.
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
(ELCA). Located in the Saint Anthony Park
Saint Anthony Park (Saint Paul)
Saint Anthony Park is a neighborhood in northwest Saint Paul, Minnesota. This neighborhood is adjacent to the University of Minnesota's St. Paul Campus , bordering Southeast Minneapolis on the west, the Minnesota State Fairgrounds on the east , and the suburbs of Falcon Heights and Lauderdale to...
neighborhood of St. Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, its mission is to prepare students for service in rostered ministry and leadership positions within the ELCA and its ecumenical partners.
As of the 2010-2011 academic year, Luther serves 796 total students (54% male, 46% female), employing 45 full-time faculty along with 20 adjunct faculty. Luther Seminary offers a Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
degree (M.Div.), for students seeking ordination, as well as Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
, Doctor of Ministry
Doctor of Ministry
The Doctor of Ministry degree is, according to The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada , a doctoral level degree oriented toward ministerial leadership often in an area of applied theology, such as missions, evangelism, church leadership, pastoral psychology or the...
(D.Min.) and Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degrees for other students.
As in most seminaries, M.Div. students complete three years of theological education, divided into a junior year (first), middler year (second) and senior year (final). A full year of internship, usually in a parish, is an integral part of pastoral training, and a degree requirement for ELCA M.Div. students. While individual situations may vary, internship typically begins after two-thirds of coursework has been completed. Thus, most students complete internship between their middler and senior year. The internship requirement is unique to the ELCA among the other Mainline denominations in the U.S.
Luther Seminary history
Luther Seminary, through a series of mergers the consolidation into one seminary of what at one time were six separate institutions.Luther Theological Seminary
Luther Theological Seminary (ALC) was initially formed through the merger of three institutions in 1917 in conjunction with the merger of three Norwegian Lutheran Churches to create what was later named the Evangelical Lutheran ChurchEvangelical Lutheran Church (United States)
The Evangelical Lutheran Church or ELC was formed in 1917 as the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America .-Background:The Norwegian Lutheran Church of America was formed by merger of the Hauge Synod , the Norwegian Synod , and the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America...
. The ELC became part of the ALC in 1960.
Each of the three churches operated a seminary: the Norwegian Synod operated Luther Seminary, in Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, the Hauge Synod
Hauge Synod
The Hauge Synod, was the name of a Norwegian Lutheran church body in the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century.-Background:...
operated the Red Wing Seminary
Red Wing Seminary
Red Wing Seminary was a Lutheran Church seminary located in Red Wing, Minnesota.-History:Red Wing Seminary was the educational center for the Hauge's Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod in America, commonly known as the Hauge Synod. The synod de-emphasizing formal worship and stressing personal...
in Red Wing, Minnesota
Red Wing, Minnesota
Red Wing is a city in Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States, on the Mississippi River. The population was 16,459 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Goodhue County....
; and the United Norwegian Lutheran Church operated the United Church Seminary in Saint Paul. The merged seminaries occupied the site of the United Church Seminary, and retained the name of the oldest of the three schools, namely, Luther Theological Seminary, which had been founded in 1876.
Presidents of LTS
- Marcus Olaus BøckmannMarcus Olaus BøckmannMarcus Olaus Bøckmann , also recorded as Marcus O. Bockman, was a Norwegian-American Lutheran theologian.-Background:...
1892–1917 (United Church) - Marcus Olaus Bøckmann 1917–1930
- T. F. Gullixson 1930–1954
- Alvin Rogness 1954–1974
- Lloyd Svendsbye 1974–1982
Augsburg Theological Seminary
Augsburg College
Augsburg College is a selective liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Augsburg was named for the Augsburg Confession, the document of Lutheran belief. The school was founded in 1869 in Marshall, Wisconsin as Augsburg Seminary and moved...
, founded in 1869 at Marshall, Wisconsin
Marshall, Dane County, Wisconsin
Marshall is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Maunesha River. The population was 3,432 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, later moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, and ultimately the seminary of the Lutheran Free Church
Lutheran Free Church
The Lutheran Free Church was a Lutheran denomination that existed in the United States from 1897 to 1963 mainly in Minnesota and North Dakota...
. It remained a separate seminary until 1963 when the Lutheran Free Church merged with the American Lutheran Church
American Lutheran Church
The American Lutheran Church was a Christian Protestant denomination in the United States that existed from 1960 to 1987. Its headquarters was in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Upon its formation in 1960, the ALC designated Augsburg Publishing House , also located in Minneapolis, as the church publisher...
and Augsburg Seminary was united with Luther Seminary in Saint Paul. When Luther Theological Seminary was united with Augsburg Seminary in 1963, Luther, through the process of merger, assumed the earlier founding date of 1869.
Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary
Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary (LCA) traces its origin to the Chicago Lutheran Divinity School, begun in Chicago, Illinois in 1920 following action taken by the English Evangelical Lutheran Synod of the Northwest, a synod of the United Lutheran Church in AmericaUnited Lutheran Church in America
The United Lutheran Church in America was established in 1918 with the merger of three independent German-language synods: the General Synod , the General Council and the United Synod of the South . The Slovak Zion Synod joined the United Lutheran Church in America in 1920...
. In 1921, the seminary was moved to Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
, and the following year to Minneapolis. From 1921 to 1982, its name was Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary. Located in north Minneapolis from 1922 to 1940 and in south Minneapolis from 1940 to 1967, it moved near the campus of Luther Theological Seminary in Saint Paul in 1967. At the time of the formation of the Lutheran Church in America
Lutheran Church in America
The Lutheran Church in America was a U.S. and Canadian Lutheran church body that existed from 1962 to 1987. It was headquartered in New York City and its publishing house was Fortress Press....
in 1962, Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary was placed under the jurisdiction of two supporting synods: the Minnesota Synod and the Red River Valley Synod.
Presidents of NLTS
- Joseph Stump 1920–1935
- Paul Roth 1935–1950
- Jonas Dressler 1950–1957
- Clemens Zeidler 1957–1976
- Lloyd Svendsbye 1976–1982
Luther Theological Seminary and Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary
Desiring to make witness to a shared mission in theological education, Luther and Northwestern Seminaries functionally unified in 1976, beginning with a single administration. After a period of six years, the two seminaries established a single seminary on July 1, 1982, known as Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary.As of January 1, 1988, Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary became affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
(ELCA) formed by a merger of three national bodies, The American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, and the Lutheran Church in America. The name Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary was changed to Luther Seminary on July 1, 1994.
Notable faculty
- Marcus Olaus BøckmannMarcus Olaus BøckmannMarcus Olaus Bøckmann , also recorded as Marcus O. Bockman, was a Norwegian-American Lutheran theologian.-Background:...
- Carl BraatenCarl BraatenCarl E. Braaten is an American Lutheran theologian.-Biography:Carl Braaten has been one of the leading theologians and teachers in the Lutheran church for the past 50 years...
- Gerhard FordeGerhard FordeGerhard O. Forde was an American Lutheran theologian who wrote extensively on the Protestant Reformation and Lutheran Theology and tradition.-Background:...
- John N. KildahlJohn N. KildahlJohn Nathan Kildahl was an American Lutheran church minister, author and educator.-Background:Kildahl was born in Beitstaden parish , Nord-Trøndelag, Norway. Kildahl emigrated as a boy from Norway to rural Goodhue County, Minnesota. He was educated at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa...
- John O. EvjenJohn O. EvjenJohn Oluf Evjen was an American author, Lutheran church historian and professor of theology.-Biography:John Evjen was born in Ishpeming, Michigan. He was educated at Augsburg Seminary and the Theological Institute of Augsberg Seminary . He earned his doctorate in Germany at the University of...
- Hans Gerhard StubHans Gerhard StubHans Gerhard Stub was an American Lutheran theologian and church leader. He served as Bishop of the Norwegian Lutheran Church in America.-Background:...
- Jacob TannerJacob TannerJacob Tanner was a Norwegian American Lutheran minister, educator and religious author. He spent most of his life in the United States and became a naturalized citizen.-Biography:...
Notable alumni
- Johan Arnd AasgaardJohan Arnd AasgaardJohan Arnd Aasgaard was an American Lutheran church leader.-Biography:Johan Arnd Aasgaard was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota. He was educated at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota . He graduated from the United Church Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota...
- Lowell G. AlmenLowell G. AlmenLowell G. Almen served as the Secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America from 1988-2007. Elected to that position at the constituting convention of the ELCA in 1988 for a four-year term, Almen has been re-elected numerous times....
- Stuart E. BarstadStuart E. BarstadChaplain Stuart E. Barstad, USAF was an American Air Force officer who served as Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force from 1985 to 1988.-Biography:...
- Chad Wallace Brekke
- Paul EgertsonPaul EgertsonPaul Wennes Egertson was Bishop of the Southwest California Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America from 1995 to 2001 and served as a Senior Lecturer at the California Lutheran University.-Biography:...
- Mark HansonMark HansonMark S. Hanson is the third and current Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Before being elected presiding bishop, he served as bishop of the Saint Paul Area Synod...
- Robert JensonRobert JensonRobert W. Jenson is a leading American Lutheran and ecumenical theologian.-Student years:Jenson studied classics and philosophy at Luther College in the late 1940s, before beginning theological studies at Luther Seminary in 1951. Due to a car accident he missed most of his first-year seminary...
- John N. KildahlJohn N. KildahlJohn Nathan Kildahl was an American Lutheran church minister, author and educator.-Background:Kildahl was born in Beitstaden parish , Nord-Trøndelag, Norway. Kildahl emigrated as a boy from Norway to rural Goodhue County, Minnesota. He was educated at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa...
- M. Victor PaulM. Victor PaulM. Victor Paul is a biblical scholar who served as President of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church from 1993 to 1997.-Early years:...
- Fredrik A. SchiotzFredrik A. SchiotzRev. Dr. Fredrik Axel Schiotz was an American Lutheran Church leader, president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, President of the Lutheran World Federation and Presiding Bishop of The American Lutheran Church.-Biography:...
Presidents of Luther Seminary
- Lloyd Svendsbye 1982–1987
- Gib Fjellman (interim) 1987
- David L. Tiede 1987–2005
- Richard Bliese 2005–
External links
- Luther Seminary Web site
- Luther Seminary Library (2nd floor of Gullixson Hall)
- Luther Seminary's Continuing Education programs
- Luther Seminary's Stewardship resources
- Luther Seminary's God Pause daily devotions
- WorkingPreacher.org, a resource for pastors by Luther Seminary
- Enter the Bible, resources for Bible studies by Luther Seminary
- Center for Missional Leadership