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| Motto | ΠΑΣΑ Η ΒΟΥΛΗ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥPASA E BOULE TOU THEOU (Greek) |
|---|---|
Motto in English | The whole counsel of God[1] |
| Type | Privateseminary |
| Established | 1929; 97 years ago (1929) |
Religious affiliation | Reformed,Protestant |
| President | Peter Lillback |
| Students | 1,183 (2024)[2] |
| Location | ,, United States |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Website | www.wts.edu |
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Westminster Theological Seminary (WTS) is aProtestanttheologicalseminary in theReformed theological tradition inGlenside, Pennsylvania. It was founded by members of the faculty ofPrinceton Theological Seminary in 1929 after Princeton chose to take a liberal direction during theFundamentalist–Modernist controversy.
Westminster Theological Seminary was formed in 1929, largely under the leadership and funding ofJ. Gresham Machen.[3] Though independent, it has a close relationship with theOrthodox Presbyterian Church, which Machen helped found in 1936. The seminary was founded by members of the faculty ofPrinceton Theological Seminary, following a controversy over the liberal direction that Princeton was beginning to take.[4] Westminster Theological Seminary considers itself to be the faithful continuation of Princeton's historic theological tradition. Many of the founders of Westminster, including Machen,John Murray,Oswald Allis,Robert Dick Wilson, andCornelius Van Til, had been professors at Princeton prior to the controversy.[4] The first president of the seminary wasEdmund Clowney, who served from 1966 until 1984. He was followed byGeorge C. Fuller andSamuel T. Logan. The current president isPeter Lillback, who also serves as a professor of historical theology.[5]
In 1982, theCalifornia branch of Westminster became an independent institution, theWestminster Seminary California, and in 2009 theDallas branch was established as Redeemer Theological Seminary and since 2017 has beenReformed Theological Seminary's Dallas campus.
In 2011, Westminster signed aMemorandum of Understanding with International Reformed Evangelical Seminary inJakarta, Indonesia. The two schools have been publishing the journals: International Journal of Reformed Theology and Life and Unio Cum Christo.[6] Westminster also created anendowment for theStephen Tong Chair of Reformed Theology the same year.[7]
InPhiladelphia on September 25, 1929, J. Gresham Machen declared the following in his inaugural address:
"We believe, first, that the Christian religion, as set forth in the Confession of Faith of the Presbyterian Church, is true; we believe, second, that the Christian religion welcomes and is capable of scholarly defense; and we believe, third, that the Christian religion should be proclaimed without fear or favor, and in clear opposition to whatever opposes it, whether from within or without the church, as the only way of salvation for lost mankind. On that platform, brethren, we stand. Pray that we may be enabled by God’s grace to stand firm. Pray that the students who go forth from Westminster Theological Seminary may know Christ as their own Savior and may proclaim to others the gospel of his love."[8]
The current board and faculty continue to hold to this original vision. All trustees and faculty members are required to affirm their agreement with the theological perspective presented in theWestminster Confession of Faith and theLarger andShorter Catechisms, the core doctrinal statements of manyPresbyterian denominations.[9]
Westminster's strict adherence to theWestminster Standards and to Protestant theology in general has led to several dismissals of tenured faculty members since 1980. In 1981, theology professorNorman Shepherd was dismissed from Westminster due to his views onthe doctrine of justification by faith alone.[10] In 2008, Old Testament professorPeter Enns was dismissed from Westminster over controversial views expressed in his bookInspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament,[11][12] and in 2014 Old Testament professor Douglas Green was terminated from his position over his views on the relationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament.[13]
In the early 1990s,Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools threatened Westminster's accreditation because of the seminary's refusal to give women membership on its board of trustees.[14] The accrediting body backed down after theUnited States Department of Education took the seminary's side in the dispute.[15]
Westminster, under acharter from theCommonwealth of Pennsylvania granted in 1930 and as subsequently amended, has the power to grant the degrees of Master of Arts in Counseling, Master of Arts (Religion), Master of Divinity, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Philosophy.[16]
Since 1954, Westminster has beenaccredited by theMiddle States Commission on Higher Education or its predecessor.[17][18] It is also accredited by theAssociation of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada.[19]
The seminary currently offers the following degrees:[19][20]
Westminster publishes the semi-annualWestminster Theological Journal.[21][22]
According toRoger E. Olson, Westminster has had an influence onevangelicalism far beyond its size.[23] Beyond Westminster's impact in the theological realm, the pioneering work ofJ. Alan Groves and his students has produced the codification of theWestminster Leningrad Codex, which underlies all modernBible software.[24]
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40°05′56″N75°10′34″W / 40.099°N 75.176°W /40.099; -75.176
