Doug Oldenburg, Seventh President of Columbia Theological Seminary, Dies at 85
Doug Oldenburg, Seventh President of Columbia Theological Seminary, Dies at 85
President emeritus remembered fondly for his passion for theological education
July 23, 2020— In witness to the resurrection, Columbia Theological Seminary gives thanks for the life and ministry of president emeritus Douglas Oldenburg. He served as the seventh…
Historic Promotion of Dr. Ralph Basui Watkins to Full Professor
The First African American Male Full Professor and Endowed Chair in Columbia Theological Seminary’s Nearly 200-Year History
On June 15, 2020, the Columbia Seminary Board of Trustees unanimously approved the promotion of Dr. Ralph Basui Watkins, MFA, DMin, PhD to full professor. Previously, Dr. Watkins was the…
Columbia Theological Seminary Commits to Repair the Breach Caused by White Supremacy
Deepening Columbia’s Commitment to Black People and Their Flourishing
June 30, 2020 — Throughout the 2019 academic year, Columbia has wrestled with its history and participation in the enslavement and oppression of Black people. On Monday, June 15, 2020, the Board of…
The Growth of James McDowell Richards and Columbia
By Brian D. Hecker, Public Services Archivist
In the summer of 1932, James McDowell Richards (1902-1986), nearing the age of thirty, accepted an offer from the Board of Directors of Columbia Theological Seminary (CTS) to become its president, a position he initially did not anticipate keeping for more than 5 years.1 Richards graduated from CTS…
The Life-giving Emptiness of This Easter
This Easter will be different. With April 12 no longer designated politically as an “American Resurrection” from the novel coronavirus, hopes are dashed for packed churches and large sunrise services. There, of course, will be a few exceptions led by…
A Message from Prof. Harkins
Among my favorite passages from the Hebrew Bible is Joshua 3: 1-5. The NRSV version reads like this:
3 Early in the morning Joshua rose and set out from Shittim with all the Israelites, and they came to the Jordan….
New Stories, New Narratives: Columbia Seminary Begins Transformative Community Conferencing Process
Decatur, GA–At its fall 2019 meeting, the Board of Trustees issued a mandate to Columbia Theological Seminary to embark on a process of institutional reckoning. Upon the recommendation of Dr. Marcia Riggs, J. Erskine Love Professor of Christian Ethics, the…
February in Photos
Homecoming ’19
Food, fun, and fellowship! This year’s event took place February 4-6 and included worship, lectures and workshops by Columbia Theological Seminary faculty and alumni, and also – for the first time in many years – included the 2019…
Dr. Beth Johnson Retires
Congratulations to Dr. Beth Johnson, the J. Davison Philips Professor of New Testament, on her recent retirement from Columbia Theological Seminary!
For the past 20 years, Dr. Johnson has been a role model for women—as a colleague and a friend, and…
2018 Admissions Progress: By the Numbers… and Infographics
45 students made up the 2018 incoming fall class. Who are they?
They come from 13 different states, with 50% from Georgia. 66% percent are female and 34% male. Seven South Koreans, one student from India and one from Cuba…
Artists, Leading Theologians, Legal Scholars, and Community Leaders to Explore Migration and Border Crossings in Multidisciplinary Conference
Columbia Theological Seminary and Emory University’s Center for the Study of Law and Religion are excited to co-host a multidisciplinary conference on immigration—Migration and Border Crossings—February 7-9, 2019 at Columbia Seminary. [REGISTER HERE]
“This conference will bring together leading theologians, legal…
Saying Yes to “Prayer Without Ceasing”
In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Saint Paul throws down the spiritual gauntlet. He instructs his readers to “pray without ceasing.”
For almost two thousand years now, Christian saints, nuns, monks, and mystics have been trying to unpack that simple three-word verse…
The Promise After the Planting: Growing Faith on the Farm
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5)
He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed…
When Option A is not Available…
About fifteen years ago, the great jazz musician Wynton Marsalis performed a rendition of Victor Young’s ballad from the 1930s, “I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You.” Marsalis performed unaccompanied, and according to David Hadju in The…
Learning to Love the “Habit” of Prayer
May 31, 2018—We human beings are creatures of habit.
We brush our teeth in the same direction, we take the same route to work, we fold our clothes or make our beds in pretty much the same manner day after…
