View source for Luther Seminary

{{Short description|Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = Luther Seminary
 | image                  = The Institutional Seal of Luther Seminary (St. Paul, MN).png
 | image_size             = 150px
 | motto                  = Christus Lux Mundi
 | established            = {{start date and age|1869}}
 | mottoeng               = Christ is the Light of the World
 | type                   = [[Seminary]]
 | president              = Rev. Dr. Robin Steinke
 | city                   = [[St. Paul, MN|St. Paul]]
 | state                  = [[Minnesota]]
 | endowment              = $131.1 million (2021)<ref>As of June 30, 2021. {{cite report |url=https://www.nacubo.org/-/media/Nacubo/Documents/research/2021-NTSE-Public-Tables--Endowment-Market-Values--REVISED-February-18-2022.ashx |title=U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2021 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY20 to FY21 |publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers and [[TIAA]] |date=February 18, 2022 |access-date=March 19, 2022}}</ref>
 | students               = 371<ref name="ATS profile">{{cite web|url=https://www.luthersem.edu/about/quick-facts/|title=Quick Facts|publisher=Luther Seminary|access-date=11 January 2024}}</ref>
 | faculty                = 21<ref name="ATS profile" />
 | affiliation            = [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]]
 | logo                   = Logo_and_name_for_Luther_Theological_Seminary,_St._Paul,_MN.png
 | logo_size              = 250
 | website                = {{official URL}}
}}

'''Luther Seminary''' is a [[seminary]] of the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]] (ELCA) in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]]. It is the largest seminary of the ELCA. It also accepts and educates students of 41 other denominations and traditions.<ref name="FastFacts">{{cite web |title=Luther Seminary |date=11 June 2018 |url=https://elcaseminaries.org/luther-seminary/ |access-date=September 10, 2023}}</ref> It is accredited by the [[Higher Learning Commission]] and the [[Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada|Association of Theological Schools]]. It also has theological accreditation through the ELCA as well as the [[United Methodist Church]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Accreditation|url=http://www.luthersem.edu/about/accreditation.aspx?m=5967|website=Luther Theological Seminary website|publisher=Luther theological Seminary|access-date=February 21, 2016}}</ref>

{{Infobox NRHP
| name = United Church Seminary
| nrhp_type =
| image = Bockman Hall.jpg
| caption =
| location = 2481 Como Avenue<br />[[Saint Paul, Minnesota]]
| coordinates = {{coord|44|59|5|N|93|11|47|W|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin = Minnesota#USA
| area =
| built = 1900
| architect = [[Omeyer & Thori|Didrik A. Omeyer; Martin P. Thori]]
| architecture =
| added = October 31, 1985
| refnum=85003437<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
}}

==History==
Luther Seminary is the result of a series of mergers that consolidated what at one time were five separate institutions into one seminary.

===Luther Theological Seminary===
In 1917, three Norwegian-American Lutheran churches united to create the [[Norwegian Lutheran Church of America]] (NLCA). Each of the three church bodies had operated a seminary. The [[Synod of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America|Norwegian Synod]]'s Luther Seminary in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]], had been founded in 1876; the [[Hauge Synod]]'s [[Red Wing Seminary]] in [[Red Wing, Minnesota]], in 1879; and the [[United Norwegian Lutheran Church]]'s '''United Church Seminary''' in Saint Paul, in 1892. The merged seminaries occupied the site of the United Church Seminary because it was the most developed and elaborate, and retained the name of the oldest of the three schools, namely, Luther Theological Seminary.

The NLCA took the name Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1946 and, with other churches, formed the [[American Lutheran Church]] (ALC) in 1960.

The presidents of Luther Theological Seminary:
* [[Marcus Olaus Bockman]] (1892–1917) (United Church)
* Marcus Olaus Bockman (1917–1930)
* T. F. Gullixson (1930–1954)
* Alvin Rogness (1954–1974)
* Lloyd Svendsbye (1974–1982)

===Augsburg Theological Seminary===
[[Augsburg University|Augsburg Theological Seminary]], later renamed Augsburg University, was founded in 1869 at [[Marshall, Dane County, Wisconsin|Marshall, Wisconsin]], later moved to [[Minneapolis, Minnesota]], and in 1897 became the seminary of the [[Lutheran Free Church]]. It remained a separate seminary until 1963, at which time the Lutheran Free Church merged with the American Lutheran Church and Augsburg Seminary was merged with Luther Theological Seminary. The merged institution took the Luther Theological Seminary name and the 1869 founding date of Augsburg Seminary.

===Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary===
Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary 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 near the campus of Luther Theological Seminary in Saint Paul in 1967. At the time of the formation of the [[Lutheran Church in America]] (LCA) in 1962, Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary was placed under the jurisdiction of two supporting synods: the Minnesota Synod and the Red River Valley Synod.

The presidents of Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary:

* Joseph Stump (1920–1935)
* Paul Roth (1935–1950)
* Jonas Dressler (1950–1957)
* Clemens Zeidler (1957–1976)
* Lloyd Svendsbye (1976–1982)

===Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary===
Desiring to make witness to a shared mission in theological education, Luther and Northwestern seminaries were functionally unified in 1976, beginning with a single administration. After a period of six years, the two seminaries formally merged on July 1, 1982, as '''Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary'''.

On January 1, 1988, Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary became affiliated with the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]], which was formed by a merger of the LCA, the ALC, and the [[Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches]]. The seminary's name was simplified to '''Luther Seminary''' on July 1, 1994.

The presidents of Luther Seminary (1982–1994 as Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary):

* Lloyd Svendsbye (1982–1987)
* Gib Fjellman (1987) (interim)
* David L. Tiede (1988–2005) 
* Richard Bliese (2005–2012)
* Rick Foss (2012–2014) (interim)
* Robin Steinke (2014–present)

==Academics==
In the 2022–2023 academic year, Luther Seminary served 411 total students, employing 24 faculty.<ref name=FastFacts /> Luther offers a [[Master of Divinity]] degree (M.Div.) for students seeking ordination, as well as [[Master of Arts]], [[Master of Theology]], [[Doctor of Ministry]] (D.Min.), and [[Doctor of Philosophy]] (Ph.D.) degrees for other students. In the fall of 2013, Luther Seminary suspended new admissions to the Ph.D program for at least three years as part of budget cuts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/03/29/luther-seminary-makes-deep-cuts-faculty-and-staff-amid-tough-times-theological|title=Luther Seminary makes deep cuts to faculty and staff amid tough times for theological schools}}</ref> The seminary was planning to again offer the Ph.D. program, with classing beginning in the fall semester of 2018.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ph.D Program|url=https://www.luthersem.edu/gradstudies/phd/default.aspx?m=6430|website=Luther Theological Seminary|access-date=February 21, 2016}}</ref> The seminary has since returned to financial stability, reporting a budget surplus of $594,000 after fiscal year 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2022 annual report |url=https://www.luthersem.edu/story/2022/12/05/2022-annual-report/ |access-date=2023-09-12 |website=www.luthersem.edu |language=en-US}}</ref>

As in most seminaries, M.Div. students complete three years of theological education, divided into a ''junior year'' (first), ''middler year'' (second) and ''senior year'' (final). A full year of internship, usually in a parish, is an integral part of pastoral training, and a degree requirement for ELCA M.Div. students. While individual situations may vary, internship typically begins after two-thirds of coursework has been completed. Thus, most students complete internship between their middler and senior year. The internship requirement is unique to the ELCA among the other [[Mainline (Protestant)|mainline]] [[religious denominations|denominations]] in the U.S.

===Frederick Buechner===
Luther Seminary has affiliations with the acclaimed American theologian and author, [[Frederick Buechner]]. In addition to being a key part of the curriculum, the [[Frederick Buechner bibliography|works of Buechner]] have regularly been distributed by the seminary among its students. In 2014, Luther Seminary also instituted the Frederick Buechner Prize for Excellence in Preaching.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.luthersem.edu/academics/student-awards/|title=Student Awards: Luther Seminary|website=Luther Seminary}}</ref>

==Notable faculty==
{{Main category|Luther Seminary faculty}}
* [[Marcus Olaus Bøckmann]]
* [[Carl Braaten]]
* [[John O. Evjen]]
* [[Gerhard Forde]]
* [[Terence E. Fretheim]]
* [[Richard A. Jensen]]
* [[John N. Kildahl]]
* [[Hans Gerhard Stub]]
* [[Jacob Tanner]]

==Notable alumni==
{{Main category|Luther Seminary alumni}}
* [[Johan Arnd Aasgaard]]
* [[Lowell G. Almen]]
* [[Stuart E. Barstad]]
* [[Hilliard Dogbe]]
* [[Paul Egertson]]
* [[Mark Hanson]]
* [[Robert Jenson]]
* [[V. Trygve Jordahl]]
* [[John N. Kildahl]]
* [[Peter Muschinske]]
* [[M. Victor Paul]]
* [[J. A. O. Preus II]]
* [[Fredrik A. Schiotz]]

==See also==
* [[Norway Lutheran Church]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website}}

{{Colleges and universities in Minnesota}}
{{ELCA Seminaries}}
{{Portal bar|Christianity|United States|National Register of Historic Places}}

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[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1869]]
[[Category:Seminaries and theological colleges in Minnesota]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Saint Paul, Minnesota]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in Saint Paul, Minnesota]]
[[Category:Lutheran seminaries]]
[[Category:University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota]]
[[Category:1869 establishments in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Evangelical Lutheran Church in America schools]]