Yale Divinity School

Infobox_University
name = Yale Divinity School


established = 1822
free_label = Dean
free = Harold W. Attridge
type = Private
city = New Haven
state = Connecticut
country = U.S.
website = [http://www.yale.edu/divinity]

Yale Divinity School is a professional school at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. preparing students for ordained or lay ministry. The nonsectarian school's mission is “To foster the knowledge and love of God through critical engagement with the traditions of the Christian churches in the context of the contemporary world.” The school grants the Master of Divinity (M.DIV.), Master of Arts in Religion (M.A.R.), and Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) degrees. Both the M.Div. and the S.T.M. - being terminal degrees - earn the graduate the right to wear the Yale blue doctoral gown. [ [http://www.yale.edu/capandgown/ Student Financial and Administrative Services ] ]

The main mission of Yale College at its founding in 1701 was religious training, serving the Congregationalist churches of Connecticut. In its charter, it was designed as a school "wherein Youth may be instructed in the Arts & Sciences who through the blessing of Almighty God may be fitted for Publick employment both in Church & Civil State." A professorship of divinity was established in 1746 and in 1822, a separate department developed, later known as the Yale Divinity School.

The Georgian style campus, The Sterling Divinity Quadrangle, designed by Delano & Aldrich, was built in 1932, modeled, in part, on the University of Virginia. It was named after Yale Law alumnus and benefactor John William Sterling, name partner at the New York law firm Shearman & Sterling. The school formerly occupied East and West Divinity Hall (1870-1931) designed by Richard Morris Hunt. Since razed, this site is now occupied by Calhoun College. [ [http://www.yalealumnimagazine.com/issues/01_03/popup/landmarks/12.html Yale's Lost Landmarks: Divinity Hall, Yale Alumni Magazine] ]

The Berkeley Divinity School affiliated with Yale Divinity School in 1971. While Berkeley retains its Episcopal Church connection, its students are admitted by and fully enrolled as members of Yale Divinity School.

Recent years have seen the Divinity School develop a specialty in various aspects of narrative theology, or postliberalism. Many if not most leaders of this movement are YDS graduates.

References

Notable alumni/ae

* Diogenes Allen
* Lyman Beecher
* Gregory A. Boyd
* Frederick Buechner
* Will D. Campbell
* William Ragsdale Cannon (Bachelor of Divinity, 1940; Ph.D., 1942), Professor and Dean, Candler School of Theology, Emory University; Bishop of the United Methodist Church
* Roy Clyde Clark, a Bishop of the United Methodist Church
* William Sloane Coffin
* Joan Bates Forsberg
* John Danforth
* Hans Wilhelm Frei
* Paul Vernon Galloway, a Bishop of The Methodist Church
* Gary Hart
* Stanley Hauerwas
* Richard B. Hays
* Sen Katayama
* Helmut Richard Niebuhr
* Reinhold Niebuhr
* Clark V. Poling
* Adam Clayton Powell, Sr.
* George Rupp
* Ron Sider
* John Silber
* William Willimon
* Anne Stanback
* Parker T. Williamson
* Sharon Watkins

External links

* [http://www.yale.edu/divinity/ Yale Divinity School website]
* [http://research.yale.edu/berkeleydivinity/ Berkeley Divinity School at Yale]