Academic and Student Resources

The School of Theology offers a wide variety of resource centers and programs for students to use.

Bookstores

School of Theology students are able to purchase their course textbooks from the Boston University–affliated Barnes & Noble in Kenmore Square.

Boston Theological Institute

The Boston University School of Theology is part of a nine-member seminary consortium in Greater Boston known as the Boston Theological Institute (BTI). The consortium represents Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox traditions and also includes Andover Newton Theological School, Boston College Department of Theology, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, Episcopal Divinity School, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Harvard Divinity School, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, and St. John’s Seminary.

The Boston Theological Institute brings together a rich combination of faculty, resources, and library facilities. School of Theology students are granted cross-registration and library privileges at each member school at the time of registration. Information on special lectures, ecumenical travel opportunities, and consortium-wide study and work groups is disseminated via a biweekly newsletter.

Students are reminded that each institution retains its identity, autonomy, and individual semester course schedule. Eligibility for cross-registration is determined by the host school’s academic calendar.

Visit the Boston Theological Institute website for more information.

Boston University Theological Students Association

Each year, students in the School of Theology form the Boston University Theological Students Association (BUTSA). The organization is recognized by the Boston University student government and is funded in part by the Community Service Fee. BUTSA organizes the student body in various ways, including the approval of a yearly program budget, offering advice to the Office of the Dean, and developing a series of academic and social events in the life of the School. Student groups formed under the umbrella of BUTSA include the Black Seminarian Association, the Korean Students’ Association, Sacred Worth, CAUSE, the Order of Saint Luke, and various other groups.

The Center for Practical Theology

Co-Directors: Dr. Courtney Goto, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Moore, Dr. Bryan Stone, and Dr. Claire Wolfteich

The Center for Practical Theology seeks to provide a bridge between the scholarly resources, questions, and insights of a university-based theological seminary and the wisdom, questions, and traditions of faith communities. In doing so, the Center provides an infrastructure for sustaining, deepening, and expanding important relationships and connections between Boston University School of Theology and local congregations, denominational offices, and religious centers with the intent that they may be more integrally incorporated into student learning and faculty teaching and research. The Center was created in January 2005 with generous funding from the Lilly Endowment, Inc.

Center for Practical Theology activities include:

• Conducting research in the areas of congregational development, spiritual practices and spiritual formation, pastoral excellence, religious education, homiletics, urban ministry, and practical theology.
• Providing support for a doctoral program in practical theology.
• Providing support for pastor/teachers and pastor/scholars at BU School of Theology.
• Providing funding for faculty research, curriculum enrichment, and library materials in practical theology.
• Creating opportunities for congregational and pastoral partners to network.
• Hosting practical theology forums and lectures.

Visit the Center for Practical Theology website for additional information, including information on activities and resources.

Clinical Pastoral Education

The School of Theology is a member of the Boston Cluster for Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). This and other Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) centers across the United States conduct 12-week intensive training sessions throughout the year. These may be taken by full-time students during the summer. CPE centers also offer extended units, which require a time commitment of two days per week for one academic year. CPE credits may transfer as free electives if they are from an ACPE-accredited institution. They may not fulfill field/contextual education requirements except in particular circumstances by petition to the associate dean and a co-director of contextual education. One unit of CPE transfers in as 8 credits of free elective credits. Students desiring to participate in CPE should apply during the preceding fall for a summer program and in spring for an extended program.

STH CT 800 – Field Practicum Policy

STH CT 800—This course encourages theology students to take advantage of opportunities for practical experience in area churches and/or other related organizations as an extension of their theological training in the School of Theology. A credit-bearing course, Field Practicum is established as an elective course that can be taken for 1–2 credits in any semester. Any student may enroll in CT 800 for a maximum of four semesters, or 2 total credits. A maximum of 2 credits can be applied to degree requirements for a master’s-level degree (MDiv, MTS, MSM) as free electives. These elective credits may not be substituted for major or minor coursework in a STM, DMin, ThD, or PhD program but can augment any of these post-master’s degrees.

STH CT 800 may not be taken in the first year of study, and registration for Field Practicum requires a minimum GPA of 3.0. All students enrolled in CT 800 will be graded pass/fail.  Students will be evaluated based on the following expectations:

• All CT 800 enrollees will meet as a group with a director of contextual education at the beginning and end of each semester for sessions modeled along the lines of ITP.
• At the beginning of each semester, students will record their goals and expectations for the course, especially making note of areas where they hope for/expect integration between academic learning and practical experience.
• Students will meet with their on-site supervisors monthly.
• At the end of each term, students will produce a reflection paper (5–7 pages, double spaced, 12 point font) that reviews their activities in relation to their learning goals and objectives.

International students in F-1 immigration status wishing to participate in field practicum will need to apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) employment authorization from the International Students & Scholars Office (ISSO). An application for CPT will include site information, including supervisor contact information. Compliance with Curricular Practical Training requires that the student must register for the course, be recommended by the School to the ISSO, and be approved by the ISSO for CPT prior to beginning the field practicum. International students in other immigration statuses should consult with the ISSO regarding eligibility to participate in the field practicum.

Distance Learning

Along with evolving technology, increasing numbers of colleges and universities have developed Distance Education online courses. The School of Theology does not currently accept distance learning credits for transfer in their academic programs. Several of the Boston Theological Institute (BTI) consortium schools do offer online courses. For this reason, the School will review master’s-level students’ requests, by petition, to take one of these courses during their academic program.

Community Life Office

The Community Life Office is a student-run program at the School of Theology, supported by the Student Affairs Office. The program coordinates student life through monthly community lunches, discussion groups, and related events. The director of the Community Life Office is available for individual consultations and meetings.

Albert & Jessie Danielsen Institute

185 Bay State Road
Boston, MA 02215
617-353-3047
danisnt@bu.edu

The Albert & Jessie Danielsen Institute at Boston University was established through a generous endowment by Albert V. and Jessie Boyd Danielsen to promote the benefits of a close collaboration between psychology and religion to alleviate human suffering and enhance human growth. To this end, the Danielsen Institute:

• operates the Danielsen Institute Clinic, a mental health clinic with special concerns for the religious dimensions of personality;
• conducts clinical training programs that emphasize the interface between psychotherapies and religion;
• supports doctoral and master’s programs in psychology and religion in the Boston University School of Theology and Division of Religious & Theological Studies; and
• sponsors research through the Center for the Study of Religion and Psychology at the Danielsen Institute.

Founded in 1952 as a pastoral counseling service in the School of Theology, the Albert & Jessie Danielsen Institute is a mental health center, fully licensed by the State of Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Danielsen Institute services are available to students, faculty, and staff of Boston University, as well as to the general public.

The Institute’s mission, as stated in the deed of the gift from the Danielsen family, is to alleviate human suffering and enhance human growth through service, training, and research. An accredited pastoral counseling center with staff specifically trained in this area, the Danielsen Institute has grown to include multidisciplinary staff from all mental health-related fields in the University. It provides psychotherapy to individuals, couples, partners, families, and special groups. Fees are often covered by health insurance plans, and self-pay fees may be negotiated on an adjusted fee scale.

The Danielsen Institute also provides psychological and aptitude testing for individuals, denominations, and other groups. All first-time matriculants in the Master of Divinity degree program at the School of Theology may participate in a selection of these tests as part of New Student Orientation.

The Denominational Liaison Program

Many different denominations send their students to the School of Theology for a theological education, and the School provides denominational counseling through the Liaison Program. Ordained School of Theology faculty and staff help students identify resources and courses in the greater Boston area that assist in formation for ministry. Contact the assistant dean for Student Affairs for more information.

Lowell Institute Lectures

The Lowell Institute, a famous part of Boston’s cultural life for many decades, placed a lecture under the auspices of the School of Theology in 1966. The purpose of the Lowell Institute Lecture is to promote the intellectual and religious life of the School, University, and community.

New Student Orientation

The Admissions Office, the University Registrar, the Student Affairs Office, the associate dean for academic affairs, and the assistant dean of students coordinate New Student Orientation before the beginning of each semester. The program includes an introduction to community life, faculty, and staff; a review of academic standards, rules, and regulations; and registration for new students. A Spiritual Life Retreat is also included in the orientation program.

New Student Orientation is required of all students entering the School of Theology.

Information Services & Technology

(IS&T Help Center, 533 Commonwealth Avenue or Mugar Library)

All Boston University students are entitled to a free email account with free access to the Internet. Information Services & Technology coordinates student academic computing services, and the School of Theology urges its students to take advantage of this technology.

The Anna Howard Shaw Center

The Anna Howard Shaw Center was established in 1978 as a place at Boston University School of Theology that promotes structures and practices that empower women and honor diversity. Ten years later, it was designated the women’s center for the Northeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church.

The Center’s primary goals are in the areas of research, education, support, and advocacy. Its activities and resources include a library, bibliographic materials, oral histories, special educational training and events, women’s heritage programs, and continuing education for women in ministry, both clergy and laity. The Center is named for The Reverend Dr. Shaw, a graduate of the Boston Theological School in 1878. Anna Howard Shaw was an ordained Methodist minister, a medical doctor, and president of the National American Woman’s Suffrage Association. You can contact the Shaw Center by telephone at 617-353-3075 or by email at shawctr@bu.edu.

School of Theology Library

The Library of the School of Theology is an independent unit serving as a cooperating part of the Boston University library system, to which all members of the University community have access. Collections include all aspects of Christianity and historic Judaism, with special emphasis on the Methodist heritage of the School, and support the curriculum and related interests of School of Theology students. These are complemented by collections in comparative religion, non-Christian religions, and the other academic disciplines that are located in the University library.

The library provides a number of electronic information-access tools. A first-rate automated catalog gives quick access to the holdings in the collection and provides a gateway to the automated catalogs of consortium libraries. The University’s open-access computing policy insures that these electronic services are accessible from any home computer with access to the Internet. In addition, electronic periodical indexes are available at two CD-ROM workstations. An additional workstation provides access to the Union List of Serials of the Boston Theological Institute.

The library contains 138,000 volumes and 625 periodical subscriptions as well as United Methodist curriculum materials. Special collections include general Methodist history and polity, the holdings of the New England United Methodist Historical Society, Bible texts and translations, hymnals, missiology, liturgy, and worship.

Students and faculty of the School of Theology have borrowing privileges at all libraries of member institutions of the Boston Theological Institute, a consortium of nine theological schools in the Boston area. Total collections of the BTI number more than 1.5 million volumes in theology and cognate disciplines. In addition, the facilities of the Boston Public Library and the Boston Library Consortium are available to School of Theology students and faculty.

The Mentor Program

The Mentor Program helps incoming students adjust to the rigors of seminary life by matching returning and incoming School of Theology students during the first six weeks of each academic semester. The mentors, volunteers who are identified during these six weeks with red buttons, provide support to incoming students by being available to answer questions or offer advice.

Contextual Education Office

• Contextual Education: The Contextual Education Office coordinates the placement of Master of Divinity students in church settings for the required field education component of the curriculum. First-year students are required to consult the co-directors during the Spring Semester to determine the best field education site. Usually, the contextual education placement is during the Fall and Spring Semesters of the second year in the Master of Divinity degree program. The Office also facilitates the placement of MTS degree candidates in contextual education programs that meet the requirement of their degree.
• Continuing Education: The School of Theology presents many continuing education opportunities through its different centers, lecture programs, and colloquies. It is also possible to take courses as a Special Student. Those interested in any of these programs or in arranging for a person from the School to do a lecture, workshop, or conference for their church, agency, or jurisdiction can contact the Contextual Education Office.

Institute for Philosophy & Religion

The Institute for Philosophy & Religion delivers a series of lectures by distinguished philosophers and theologians. The lectures are open to the public, and interested School of Theology students may register for a 4-credit Institute seminar each fall. The theme of lectures changes each academic year.

Student Affairs Office

The Student Affairs Office acts as a liaison between students, faculty, and administrators in review of student concerns. To achieve the School’s goal of a sound quality of life for all its students, student life policies address concerns such as sexual harassment and student responsibility. Along with other offices in the School, the Student Affairs Office coordinates orientation for new students at the beginning of each semester. The orientation schedule leads matriculating students through the registration processes and provides students with the opportunity to be oriented to the life of a university-based seminary. The Student Affairs Office also coordinates a spiritual formation retreat as part of student orientation to the seminary. Pastoral and spiritual formation groups meet weekly.

The seminary is central in the formation of religious professionals, as it presents opportunities for spiritual experience and theological reflection in a diverse community. Its task is to provide the foundation for ministry by facilitating the lifelong process of noticing, refining, and articulating spiritual experience. Seminary academic work is devotional practice. Therefore, spiritual formation in the seminary setting is the process of integrating the spiritual life with theoretical understanding of the practical applications of ministry.

In an effort to be responsibly engaged in the development of strategies for corrective action in response to discrimination, the Student Affairs Office developed the Dean’s Council Against Discrimination, which sponsors training events on issues of discrimination. The student-directed Council is under the supervision of the assistant dean for student affairs.

Other services offered by the Student Affairs Office include Denominational and Alumni Liaison programs that provide students with mentors. A Pastoral Educational Program series addresses important sociopolitical issues and their impact on the church. The Student Affairs Office also operates the Community Life Office, which offers student forums and seminary programs.

Women in the World

Each March, the Anna Howard Shaw Center of the School of Theology holds its Women in the World conference, which is centered on a theme concerning women’s contributions to preaching, theological inquiry, and church life. Sessions for the conference are scheduled for a two-day period, and students, pastors, laity, and interested guests are encouraged to participate in all programs. The Women in the World conference is highlighted by lectures and sermons by distinguished women preachers and professors.

Worship and Spiritual Life

The School of Theology enjoys two beautiful chapels as centers for worship and spiritual life. Marsh Chapel, a large neo-Gothic structure, is located in the center of the Charles River Campus, adjacent to the School of Theology building. Marsh Chapel organizes a diverse series of spiritual and religious life programs for the entire BU campus, highlighted by Sunday worship at 11 a.m. The School of Theology gathers for worship each Wednesday morning at Marsh Chapel and engages directly with many Marsh Chapel ministries throughout the year.

Muelder Chapel, a more intimate space, is located in the heart of the School of Theology, on the third floor. The chapel welcomes individuals who seek a quiet space for meditation and prayer. Several services and spiritual formation events also find their home in Muelder Chapel. Morning prayer is held Mondays through Thursdays in the chapel. “Sabbath Space,” an opportunity for creative arts and prayer, is offered on Tuesday afternoons. A service of word and sacrament is held on Thursdays at noon. Muelder Chapel is also the center for monthly Saturday Reading Retreats for the School of Theology community.

Spiritual growth is a strong component of the degree program at the School of Theology. Courses and programs are offered each year in spiritual direction, journal writing, mysticism, and prayer. Spiritual formation is integrated into the first-year course Practices of Faith, which is required of all Master of Divinity students.

The spiritual life cordinator is available to assist the community in strengthening existing and developing new spiritual life programs. The Spiritual Life Office provides students with retreat center information, funding for spiritual renewal retreats, and referral to spiritual directors. Overnight community retreats and shorter spiritual workshops on campus are also provided.

In addition to the Spiritual Life Office, students can petition the STH Student Association for funding for spiritual growth groups, and groups can meet in Marsh Chapel, Muelder Chapel, the Oxnam and Hartman Rooms, as well as at Nature’s Classroom at Sargent Center, an education and retreat facilityin Peterborough, New Hampshire. The Student Association sponsors a chapter of the Order of Saint Luke, which meets monthly for prayer, communion, and a light meal. Another Student Association supported group, the Wesleyan Students Association, sponsors Wesleyan Bands, spiritual accountability small groups.

Writing Works

Effective preaching and teaching requires mastery of the use of English in writing and speaking. The Writing Works Program at the School of Theology is available to students each year. Students may be referred to the Writing Works Center by a dean or faculty member. The Writing Works consultants give plenary sessions on standard forms of citation, journal writing, and the use of English for nonnative speakers. The consultants are also available for individual advising. For more information, contact the assistant dean and the Student Affairs Office.

Programs in Mission and Evangelism

Instruction in Christian world mission at the School of Theology began in 1869, making it the oldest continuous program in mission studies in an American university. The founding president of Boston University was a former missionary to Germany, and zeal for missions combined with intellectual rigor became a trademark of the Boston University School of Theology. Many outstanding twentieth-century missionaries and world church leaders attended the School of Theology, including Ralph Dodge, missionary bishop of the former Rhodesia; Helen Kim, president of Ewha Women’s University; Kim Yap Hao, president of the Christian Conference of Asia; Gerald Anderson, editor of the International Bulletin of Missionary Research; and Yusufi Turaki, president of the Evangelical Church of West Africa. Today STH offers one of the few university-based doctorates in missiology. A study done in 1983 found that Boston University had produced the largest number of doctoral dissertations in mission studies to date. Recent graduates of the doctoral program fill teaching posts in Brazil, Estonia, Korea, Taiwan, and the United States.

In addition to the School’s teaching program in mission theology and history, the theology library maintains an outstanding collection for mission research, including microform archival collections from Methodist, Presbyterian, Anglican, French Protestant, ecumenical, and other sources. The School of Theology also helps support an ongoing program in theological training for indigenous African churches in Zimbabwe, founded by Professor M. L. Daneel.

The E. Stanley Jones Program in Evangelism, funded through the Evangelism Foundation of the United Methodist Church, offers courses, lectures, workshops, and field experience in evangelism, congregational development, new church planting, and cross-cultural and urban ministry. In addition to regular curricular offerings, the program also supports a concentration in evangelism within the PhD in practical theology program, and it works closely with denominations and churches throughout New England in the birthing and renewal of congregations.

College of Fine Arts Electives

A wide variety of elective offerings are available through the College of Fine Arts. These include Acting for Nonmajors and Modern Drama in the School of Theatre Arts; Drawing, Painting, and Ceramics in the School of Visual Arts; and Music Theory, History and Literature, Class Instruments, and Musical Organizations in the School of Music. For a complete listing, consult the College of Fine Arts Bulletin for course listings for nonmajors. School of Theology tuition rates may not apply when taking courses in other Boston University Schools. It is also important to note that these courses do not count towards the School of Theology degree program unless they are preapproved in a cluster, or are approved by petition.

Development & Alumni Relations Office

745 Commonwealth Avenue, Suite 109
Director of Development, Ted Karpf, 617-353-2348, tkarpf@bu.edu
Senior Staff Coordinator, Jaclyn Jones, 617-353-2349, jkjones@bu.edu

The School of Theology has approximately 3,700 alumni, including graduates of all degree programs offered by the School of Theology, the Graduate School Division of Religious and Theological Studies, and the School of Religious Education and Social Services, which closed in 1942. These men and women represent a wide range of professions, including Christian ministry, nonprofit industry, and academia. Alumni live in the United States and in countries all over the world.

The Development & Alumni Relations Office coordinates a variety of programs and activities, including regional alumni groups, reunions, distinguished alumni awards, Focus magazine, the annual Lowell lecture, and special events.

The Development & Alumni Relations Office provides:

• Collaboration with graduating students to designate a specific class gift, establishing a legacy for each graduating class.
• Class picture for each graduating student.
• Networking opportunities for students and alumni.
• Access to the Alumni Card, which allows alumni to check out books from BU libraries, discounts at various stores, discounted parking on campus, and BU Career Services.
• An annual Development & Alumni Relations open house for current students and staff.
• Monthly tea with the dean for graduating students.
• Mentoring program with alumni and current students.
• The annual Lowell lecture, which addresses topics of concern and interest within the STH community. Examples of past lectures include panels of experts celebrating Earth Day and a lecture on world mission by Dr. Peter Phan.
• Annual Alumni Weekend events that celebrate STH alumni.
• Focus, an alumni research publication that highlights faculty and alumni in a magazine format.
• Connection with alumni through regional lunches throughout the United States. Recent lunches have included areas such as California; Florida; Oregon;  Washington, D.C.; Maine; New York; and Washington.
• A job resource center with a job book that holds national and local job opportunities. The Alumni tab on the STH website lists the job opportunities available.
• A Distinguished Alumni Awards celebration during matriculation at Marsh Chapel. This event includes a panel of all award winners and is open to the community.
• UMC Annual Conference and other denominational visits.