| Luther Seminary | |
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| Established | 1869 |
| Type: | Seminary |
| President: | Rev. Dr. Richard H. Bliese |
| Faculty: | 66 |
| Postgraduates: | 836 |
| Location | St. Paul, Minnesota |
| Affiliations: | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |
| Website: | http://www.luthersem.edu/ |
Luther Seminary is the largest seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Located in the Saint Anthony Park neighborhood of St Paul, Minnesota, its mission is to prepare students for service in rostered ministry and leadership positions within the ELCA and its ecumenical partners. A small portion of the campus is also in Lauderdale, Minnesota. As of fall semester 2005, the seminary serves 819 total students (633 full-time and 186 part-time) and has a faculty of 42. Luther Seminary offers a Master of Divinity degree (MDiv), for students seeking ordination, as well as Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees for other students. As in most theological seminaries, MDiv students are divided into juniors (first year students), middlers (second year students) and seniors (fourth year students). Because of the ELCA requirement for an internship assignment during seminary training, most Luther Seminary students have a year as an intern away from the seminary before returning for their senior year, although some internships are served for two years after three years of on-campus study. The internship requirement is unique to the ELCA among the other Mainline denominations in the US.
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Luther Seminary history
Luther Seminary, through a series of mergers the consolidation into one seminary of what at one time were six separate institutions.
Luther Theological Seminary
Luther Theological Seminary (ALC) was initially formed through the merger of three institutions in 1917 in conjunction with the merger of three Norwegian Lutheran Churches to create what was later named the Evangelical Lutheran Church. The ELC became part of the ALC in 1960. Each of the three churches operated a seminary: the Norwegian Synod operated Luther Seminary, in St. Paul, Minnesota, the Hauge Synod operated the Red Wing Seminary in Red Wing, Minnesota.; and the United Norwegian Lutheran Church operated the United Church Seminary in St. Paul. The merged seminaries occupied the site of the United Church Seminary, and retained the name of the oldest of the three schools, namely, Luther Theological Seminary, which had been founded in 1876. Augsburg Theological Seminary, founded in 1869 at Marshall, Wisconsin, later moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and ultimately the seminary of the Lutheran Free Church. It remained a separate seminary until 1963 when the Lutheran Free Church merged with the American Lutheran Church and Augsburg Seminary was united with Luther Seminary in St. Paul. When Luther Theological Seminary was united with Augsburg Seminary in 1963, Luther, through the process of merger, assumed the earlier founding date of 1869.
Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary
Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary (LCA) traces its origin to the Chicago Lutheran Divinity School, begun in Chicago, Illinois in 1920 following action taken by the English Evangelical Lutheran Synod of the Northwest, a synod of the United Lutheran Church in America. In 1921, the seminary was moved to Fargo, North Dakota, and the following year to Minneapolis. From 1921 to 1982, its name was Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary. Located in north Minneapolis from 1922 to 1940 and in south Minneapolis from 1940 to 1967, it moved to the campus of Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul in 1967. At the time of the formation of the Lutheran Church in America in 1962, Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary was placed under the jurisdiction of two supporting synods: the Minnesota Synod and the Red River Valley Synod.
Luther Theological Seminary and Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary
Desiring to make a witness to their common faith, Luther and Northwestern Seminaries functionally unified in 1976, beginning with a single administration. After a period of six years, the two seminaries established a single seminary on July 1, 1982, known as Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary. As of Jan. 1, 1988, Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary became affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) formed by a merger of three national bodies, The American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, and the Lutheran Church in America. The name Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary was changed to Luther Seminary on July 1, 1994.
