Mars Hill Graduate School

Mars Hill Graduate School (MHGS) is a Christian graduate school offering masters degrees in Counseling Psychology, Divinity, and Christian Studies, located in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. MHGS first offered classes in 1997, as a branch campus of Western Seminary, a Conservative Baptist institution. In 2002, MHGS officially made the transition to being an independent institution. MHGS is not affiliated with a specific denomination, but draws from many branches of Christian tradition. The school has no affiliation to Mars Hill Church, a well known Seattle megachurch. MHGS has made special note of the intersection of Postmodernity with both theology and psychology. MHGS is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS). [http://www.mhgs.edu/common/faq.asp]

Theology

Influential to the school's theological roots have been theologian Stanley Grenz who taught at the school for several years, and popular author Brian McLaren, who has both taught and served on the board, as well as other thinkers associated with the Emerging church.

Psychology

Mars Hill Graduate School's Counseling Psychology curriculum draws largely from a psychodynamic modality that utilizes an existential approach along with attachment theory and object relations.

People

Notable Current Professors include Dan Allender, and notable Former Professors include Stanley Grenz.

Legal Issues

In 2008, the school settled a harassment and employment discrimination case filed by its first female faculty member for $300,000. Heather Parkinson-Webb sued the school after her contract was not renewed for the 2005-2006 school year. She claimed in the suit that the school retaliated against her after filing for divorce from her husband Kirk, who is also one of the school's founding faculty. The court also required the school to continue to provide diversity and anti-discrimination training for all its employees for at least three more years. [cite web |url= http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/347460_marshill16.html |title= Mars Hill Graduate School to pay $300,000 judgment |accessdate=2008-07-02]

ee also

*Postmodern Christianity
*Emerging Church

References

Links

* [http://www.mhgs.edu Mars Hill Graduate School]
* [http://www.belltownmessenger.com/062008/062008-044-feature.html Belltown Messenger]
* [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/365217_faith31.html Seattle Post]