Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

Infobox_University |name = Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago |
|established = September 4, 1962 |type = Seminary |president= Rev. Dr. James K. Echols |city = Chicago |state = Illinois |postgrad = 383 |faculty = 33 |affiliations= Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |website= http://www.lstc.edu/

The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) is a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Its degree programs include Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Philosophy. It offers concentrations in urban ministry, Bible, environment, and religion and science for M.Div. students. For PhD students concentrations are offered in religion and science, ethics and more.

LSTC is located near the University of Chicago in the Hyde Park neighborhood. LSTC is a member of the Association of Chicago Theological Schools, a consortium of 11 area seminaries and theological schools. It shares a library — the Jesuit-Krauss-McCormick library — as well as other facilities with McCormick Theological Seminary.

History

On September 4 1962 Augustana Theological Seminary, Grand View Seminary, Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary and Suomi Theological Seminary consolidated to form the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC). The context and impetus for that union was the merger that same year of the American Evangelical Lutheran Church, Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church, Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (Suomi Synod), and United Lutheran Church in America, that came together as the Lutheran Church in America (LCA).

For the next five years, the Lutheran School of Theology operated from two locations: the Augustana campus in Rock Island, Illinois and Chicago Lutheran campus in Maywood, Illinois, while an urban, university-related setting in the Chicago area was found. Three months before the seminary officially opened its doors adjacent to the University of Chicago campus, Central Lutheran Theological Seminary became the fifth LCA seminary to enter the merger. On October 22 1967, the campus in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood was dedicated.

In 1983, 10 members of the faculty of Christ Seminary-Seminex, St. Louis, Mo. (1974), relocated to LSTC. On December 31 1987 the two schools merged so they might enter as a unified body into the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) as it officially came into existence on January 1 1988.

Notable scholars have taught at the school including Robert Fischer, Arthur Voobus, William Danker, Fredrick Danker, Philip Hefner, Carl Braaten, Esther Menn, and Frank Senn. The school holds a strong tradition of academic excellence in the Lutheran community.

ee also

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External links

* [http://www.lstc.edu The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago]
* [http://www.northpark.edu/acts/ Association of Chicago Theological Schools]