Calvin Theological Seminary
Encyclopedia
Calvin Theological Seminary is a seminary
affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church in North America
, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan
, and closely tied to Calvin College
, though each institution has its own board. Rev. Julius Medenblik is currently president of the school.
degree, but also grants master's degree
s (M.A.
, M.T.S.) in other subjects including worship, education, missions, and theological studies.
The seminary also offers a Th.M. with concentrations in Old Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Literature, New
Historical Theology, Systematic Theology, Philosophical and Moral Theology, Pastoral Care, Church Polity and Administration, Preaching, Worship, Educational Ministry, and Missions as well as the Ph.D.
degree in historical, systematic, and philosophical theology, and in ethics.
In addition to formal degrees, the seminary offers continuing education
including courses that are open to visitors, lectures, book discussion groups, and conferences for clergy and those in the community.
. Originally it met on Spring Street in Grand Rapids, MI, but in 1892 it was moved to Madison Ave. and Franklin St. In 1917 it made the move to the Franklin St. location. Then it began holding classes on the Knollcrest Campus, its current location, in 1960.
In 1894 the Seminary began to offer 8 literary courses for the preparation for seminary studies then in 1900 these courses were expanded and made open to non-seminary students. By 1901 this led to the enrollment of the school's first 4 female students. In 1908 these were expanded to include full 4 years of high school education and two years of college, then in 1914 this was expanded to 3 years. In 1919 and 1920 respectively a college president and a fourth year of college education were added, which led to Calvin College
.
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...
affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church in North America
Christian Reformed Church in North America
The Christian Reformed Church in North America is a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. Having roots in the Dutch Reformed churches of the Netherlands, the Christian Reformed Church was founded by Gijsbert Haan and Dutch immigrants who left the Reformed Church in...
, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
, and closely tied to Calvin College
Calvin College
Calvin College is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1876, Calvin College is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reformed tradition of Protestantism...
, though each institution has its own board. Rev. Julius Medenblik is currently president of the school.
Education
The seminary primarily prepares students for ordained ministry within the denomination through the Master of DivinityMaster 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, but also grants master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
s (M.A.
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...
, M.T.S.) in other subjects including worship, education, missions, and theological studies.
The seminary also offers a Th.M. with concentrations in Old Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Literature, New
Historical Theology, Systematic Theology, Philosophical and Moral Theology, Pastoral Care, Church Polity and Administration, Preaching, Worship, Educational Ministry, and Missions as well as the Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
degree in historical, systematic, and philosophical theology, and in ethics.
In addition to formal degrees, the seminary offers continuing education
Continuing education
Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
including courses that are open to visitors, lectures, book discussion groups, and conferences for clergy and those in the community.
History
The seminary was founded in 1876 with the purpose of preparing ministers for the Christian Reformed ChurchChristian Reformed Church in North America
The Christian Reformed Church in North America is a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. Having roots in the Dutch Reformed churches of the Netherlands, the Christian Reformed Church was founded by Gijsbert Haan and Dutch immigrants who left the Reformed Church in...
. Originally it met on Spring Street in Grand Rapids, MI, but in 1892 it was moved to Madison Ave. and Franklin St. In 1917 it made the move to the Franklin St. location. Then it began holding classes on the Knollcrest Campus, its current location, in 1960.
In 1894 the Seminary began to offer 8 literary courses for the preparation for seminary studies then in 1900 these courses were expanded and made open to non-seminary students. By 1901 this led to the enrollment of the school's first 4 female students. In 1908 these were expanded to include full 4 years of high school education and two years of college, then in 1914 this was expanded to 3 years. In 1919 and 1920 respectively a college president and a fourth year of college education were added, which led to Calvin College
Calvin College
Calvin College is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1876, Calvin College is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reformed tradition of Protestantism...
.
Previous Presidents
- Geert Egberts BoerGeert Egberts BoerGeert Egberts Boer was the docent of what became Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, from 1876 to 1902.Boer was born in Roderwolde, in the Netherlands and graduated in 1864 from the theological school in Kampen. Afterwards he joined the ministry...
- Louis BerkhofLouis BerkhofLouis Berkhof was a Reformed systematic theologian whose written works have been influential in seminaries and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada and with individual Christians in general throughout the 20th century.-Personal life:...
- Samuel Volbeda
- Rienk B. Kuiper
- John H. Kromminga
- James A. De Jong
- Cornelius PlantingaCornelius PlantingaCornelius "Neal" Plantinga, Jr. was president of Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan from 2002 through 2011....
Notable Alumni and Faculty
- Louis BerkhofLouis BerkhofLouis Berkhof was a Reformed systematic theologian whose written works have been influential in seminaries and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada and with individual Christians in general throughout the 20th century.-Personal life:...
- Herman HoeksemaHerman HoeksemaHerman Hoeksema was a Dutch Reformed theologian.Hoeksema was born on 1886-03-12 at Hoogezand, in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands and immigrated to the USA in 1904...
- James KennedyJames Kennedy (historian)James Carleton Kennedy is an American historian. He is the son of E.W. and Nella Kennedy. The elder Dr. Kennedy was for years an eminent professor of religion at Northwestern College .- Biography :...
, professor of the history of the NetherlandsHistory of the NetherlandsThe history of the Netherlands is the history of a maritime people thriving on a watery lowland river delta at the edge of northwestern Europe. When the Romans and written history arrived in 57 BC, the country was sparsely populated by various tribal groups at the periphery of the empire...
at the University of Amsterdam - Rienk KuiperRienk KuiperRienk Bouke Kuiper was born in Garrelsweer, in the municipality of Loppersum, in the Netherlands. His family moved to Grand Haven, Michigan in 1891 when his father accepted a call to be minister of the Christian Reformed congregation there...
- Richard Muller
- James OlthuisJames OlthuisJames H. Olthuis is an inter-disciplinary scholar in ethics, hermeneutics, philosophical theology, as well as a theorist and practitioner of psychotherapy of a kind he calls "Relational psychotherapy."-Life:Olthuis studied under H...
- Cornelius PlantingaCornelius PlantingaCornelius "Neal" Plantinga, Jr. was president of Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan from 2002 through 2011....
- Lewis Smedes
- John Stek
- Cornelius Van TilCornelius Van TilCornelius Van Til , born in Grootegast, the Netherlands, was a Christian philosopher, Reformed theologian, and presuppositional apologist.-Biography:...
- Geerhardus VosGeerhardus VosGeerhardus Johannes Vos was an American Calvinist theologian and one of the most distinguished representatives of the Princeton Theology. He is sometimes called the father of Reformed Biblical Theology.-Biography:...