Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
Encyclopedia
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary is a seminary of The Episcopal Church
, located in Evanston, Illinois
. It was formed in 1933 by a merger of Western Theological Seminary of Evanston (founded in 1883 in Chicago
), and Seabury Divinity School of Faribault, Minnesota
(founded in 1858). The new seminary endeavored to hold in tension the "High Church
" and "Low Church
" identities of its predecessors. However, for most of its history, SWTS occupied a place within Anglican churchmanship akin to that of The General Theological Seminary
in New York
: a liturgical bent toward Anglo-Catholic practices and an acceptance of modern theology and social tolerance.
As of the fall of 2008 the seminary no longer matriculates students for the traditional Master of Divinity
degree. In 2009 Seabury's property was acquired by Northwestern University
and the various rooms are now used by the university.
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
, located in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
. It was formed in 1933 by a merger of Western Theological Seminary of Evanston (founded in 1883 in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
), and Seabury Divinity School of Faribault, Minnesota
Faribault, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,818 people, 7,472 households, and 4,946 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,644.8 people per square mile . There were 7,668 housing units at an average density of 605.8 per square mile...
(founded in 1858). The new seminary endeavored to hold in tension the "High Church
High church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
" and "Low Church
Low church
Low church is a term of distinction in the Church of England or other Anglican churches initially designed to be pejorative. During the series of doctrinal and ecclesiastic challenges to the established church in the 16th and 17th centuries, commentators and others began to refer to those groups...
" identities of its predecessors. However, for most of its history, SWTS occupied a place within Anglican churchmanship akin to that of The General Theological Seminary
General Theological Seminary
The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church is a seminary of the Episcopal Church in the United States and is located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York....
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
: a liturgical bent toward Anglo-Catholic practices and an acceptance of modern theology and social tolerance.
As of the fall of 2008 the seminary no longer matriculates students for the traditional 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. In 2009 Seabury's property was acquired by Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
and the various rooms are now used by the university.