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{{Short description|Institution for educating students in theology}}
{{other uses}}
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{{Globalize|date=March 2023}}
[[File:2008-1226-Pasadena-005-FullerTS.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Fuller Theological Seminary]], in [[Pasadena, California]], [[United States of America|United States]]]]
[[File: IssySaintSulpice.jpg |thumb|right|250px|[[Saint-Sulpice Seminary (France)|Saint-Sulpice Seminary]], in [[Issy-les-Moulineaux]], [[France]]]]

A '''seminary''', '''school of theology''', '''theological college''', or '''divinity school''' is an [[educational institution]] for educating students (sometimes called '''seminarians''') in [[scripture]] and [[Christian theology|theology]], generally to prepare them for [[ordination]] to serve as [[clergy]], in academics, or mostly in [[Christian ministry]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopædia Britannica Concise|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/concise/seminary|chapter=Seminary|access-date=2014-12-01|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226235348/http://www.merriam-webster.com/concise/seminary|archive-date=2014-12-26}}</ref>

The English word is taken from {{Langx|la|seminarium}}, translated as 'seed-bed', an image taken from the [[Council of Trent]] document {{Langx|la|Cum adolescentium aetas|lit=Since the age of adolescence|label=none}} which called for the first modern seminaries.<ref>XXIII Session, [[Council of Trent]], ch. XVIII. Retrieved from {{cite book | url = http://history.hanover.edu/texts/trent/ct23.html | title = The Canons and Decrees of the Sacred and Oecumenical Council of Trent | editor = J. Waterworth | location = London | publisher = Dolman | year = 1848 | pages = 170–92 | access-date = June 16, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090610224316/http://history.hanover.edu/texts/trent/ct23.html | archive-date = June 10, 2009 | url-status = live }}</ref>

In the United States, the term is currently used for [[graduate-level]] theological institutions, but historically it was used for [[high schools]].

==History==
The establishment of seminaries in modern times resulted from Roman Catholic reforms of the [[Counter-Reformation]] after the [[Council of Trent]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia | editor-last = Glazier | editor-first = Michael | editor2-last = Hellwig | editor2-first = Monika | title = Ecumenical Councils to Trent | encyclopedia = The Modern Catholic Encyclopedia | location = Collegeville, Michigan | publisher = Liturgical Press | year = 2004 | page = 263 | isbn = 978-0-8146-5962-5}}</ref> These Tridentine seminaries placed great emphasis on spiritual formation and personal discipline as well as the study, first of philosophy as a base, and, then, as the final crown, theology.<ref>{{cite book | last = Rose | first = Michael S. | title = Goodbye, Good Men | publisher = Regnery Publishing | year = 2002 | pages = 217–25 | isbn = 0-89526-144-8}}</ref> The oldest Catholic seminary in the United States is [[St. Mary's Seminary and University]] in [[Baltimore]] founded in 1791.<ref>{{cite web |title=History and Mission: America's First Seminary |url=http://www.stmarys.edu/seminary/about-us/history-mission/ |website=St. Mary's Seminary and University |access-date=22 August 2022}}</ref> In the United States, Protestant institutions also widely adopted the term 'seminary' for independent graduate schools (separate from a university) to train their ministers. The oldest such Protestant seminary in the United States was founded in [[Andover, Massachusetts]], in 1807 as the [[Andover Theological Seminary]] and was affiliated with the [[Congregationalism in the United States|Congregationalist Church]]. After two mergers and a number of relocations, Andover is now part of the [[Yale Divinity School]], in [[New Haven, Connecticut]].

==Roman Catholicism==
General guidelines for seminary formation are set out in the governing document as of 2016 is ''Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis'', 1992's ''[[Pastores dabo vobis]]'', and the ''[[1983 Code of Canon Law#Book II. The People of God (Cann. 204-746)|Code of Canon Law]]''. Seminaries are overseen by regional [[episcopal conference|conferences of bishops]]. In the United States, the governing document is ''Program of Priestly Formation: in the United States of America (6th Ed.)'', published by the [[United States Conference of Catholic Bishops]] in 2022.

Seminaries in the Catholic Church are divided into [[minor seminary|minor seminaries]] for teenagers and major seminaries for adults, including both college seminaries, sometimes also known as minor seminaries, for undergraduate students and post-graduate seminaries for those who already have a [[bachelor's degree]]. There are also seminaries for older adults who are well out of school, such as the [[Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology]] in Wisconsin, and for other more specialized purposes.

All seminaries are run either by [[religious order]]s or by [[diocese]]s or other similar structures.  Often a seminary will train both that particular order's or diocese's priests and the priests of other orders or dioceses that select that particular seminary for its priests. For instance, [[Saint John's Seminary (Massachusetts)|Saint John's Seminary]] in Boston, Massachusetts trains priests for many of the other dioceses in New England which are [[suffragan diocese]]s of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston]]. Either way, a man who seeks to enter a seminary to become a priest must be sponsored by either a diocese or by a religious order.

Often a diocese might be attached to or affiliated with a larger Catholic college or university so that the larger college and its faculty provides more general education in history or theology while the seminary focuses on topics specific to the needs of future priests, such as training in [[canon law]], the [[sacrament]]s, and [[preaching]], or specific to the particular order or diocese. For instance the [[Theological College (Catholic University of America)|Theological College]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], is part of [[The Catholic University of America]].

Further, in Rome there are several seminaries which educate seminarians or already ordained priests and bishops and which are maintained by orders or dioceses from outside of Italy. Many countries have their own [[Roman Colleges|pontifical seminary]] in Italy, usually very close to the Vatican. For instance, the [[Pontifical North American College]], which trains priests from the United States and elsewhere, is supported by the [[United States Conference of Catholic Bishops]]. These colleges usually award degrees to seminarians and priests pursuing further education and specializing in specific fields such as [[Bible|Scripture]], [[hagiography]], [[moral theology]], or [[Canon Law]], among countless others. In addition to civil degrees, these pontifical seminaries confer ecclesiastical degrees ([[Baccalaureate of Sacred Theology]], [[Licentiate of Sacred Theology]], and [[Doctorate of Sacred Theology]]), which are backed by the Holy See. Only some [[Catholic higher education|Catholic universities]] may bestow these degrees; these are called [[Ecclesiastical university|ecclesiastical]] or [[Pontifical university|pontifical universities]]. The only pontifical ''seminary'' outside of Italy is the [[Pontifical College Josephinum]], in [[Columbus, Ohio]].

As outlined by the ''Ratio'', Catholic seminary formation is composed of four major components, or dimensions: human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral. The human dimension focuses on the seminarian's ability to relate to others, show etiquette, and care for himself (in what he eats, frequency of exercise, healthcare, etc.). The spiritual dimension aids the seminarian in becoming more responsive to God and forming a habit of prayer throughout the day. It also emphasizes the importance of the [[Sacraments]] and [[Catholic liturgy|liturgy]]. The intellectual dimension consists of academic classes, usually beginning with a college degree, usually a [[Bachelor of Arts]] or a [[Bachelor of Philosophy]], and terminating in a higher degree, such as a [[Master of Arts]] in Theology or a [[Master of Divinity]]. The pastoral dimension helps to develop pastoral familiarity with situations such as [[bedside manner]], marriage, and life in the parish.

For Catholic seminarians, seminary formation can be divided into four distinct stages of formation.
# '''Propaedeutic Stage''': the seminarian primarily grows in prayer and his relationship with God, study of Scripture, and Church teaching. He also significantly grows in the human dimension. This stage lasts from 12 months to three years and can be compared in many ways to a [[postulant]] in religious life.
# '''Discipleship Stage''': the seminarian begins his academic studies and continues to follow Christ as a disciple. If he entered out of high school, he usually pursues the Bachelor of Arts, which takes four years. If he did some college, he pursues the same degree, but it may take less time. If he already achieved a college degree, he pursues a two-year Bachelor of Philosophy.
# '''Configuration Stage''': the seminarian becomes configured to Christ. At this point, he has a regular habit of prayer. Focus in formation becomes more and more pastoral, as he gets closer to ordination. At the beginning of this stage, he receives candidacy (similar to [[Tonsure]]), which means he is expected to eventually be ordained. The seminarian may (depending on his region) begin wearing [[clerical attire]]. This stage usually lasts three to four years and ends in master's degree.
# '''Vocational Synthesis Stage''': the seminarian is ordained. He becomes a [[deacon]] and transitions into parish life for a period of at least six months. He becomes a priest thereafter, usually becoming a [[parochial vicar]] before becoming a [[pastor]].

==Protestantism==
The [[Dallas Theological Seminary]] (DTS) is an [[evangelical]] [[theology|theological]] seminary in [[Dallas, Texas]]. It is known for popularizing the theological system of [[dispensationalism]]. DTS has campuses in Dallas, [[Houston]], and [[Washington, D.C.]], as well as [[continuing education|extension sites]] in [[Atlanta]], [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], [[San Antonio]], [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]], Northwest [[Arkansas]], Europe, and [[Guatemala City|Guatemala]],  and a multilingual [[online education]] program. DTS is the largest non-denominational seminary accredited by the [[Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada|Association of Theological Schools]].

DTS was founded as "Evangelical Theological College" in 1924 by Rollin T. Chafer and his brother, [[Lewis Sperry Chafer]], who taught the first class of thirteen students, and [[William Henry Griffith Thomas]],<ref name="DTSLibrary">{{cite web | title=DTS Library| publisher=Dallas Theological Seminary | url=http://library.dts.edu/Pages/TL/Special/80th.shtml| access-date = 21 November 2012}}</ref> who was to have been the school's first theology professor but died before the first classes began.<ref>Randall Herbert Balmer, ''Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism: Revised and expanded edition'', Baylor University Press, USA, 2004, p. 202</ref> Their vision was a school where [[expository preaching|expository]] [[Bible]] preaching was taught simply, and under Chafers' leadership, DTS pioneered one of the first four-year degrees in theology, the [[Master of Theology]] (Th.M.). The present location of the school was purchased in 1926 and [[Doctor of Theology]] (Th.D.) program was started in 1927.<ref name=dtsmile>[http://www.dts.edu/about/history/ DTS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170507203037/http://www.dts.edu/about/history/ |date=2017-05-07 }} Historical Milestones.</ref> Chafer remained president until his death in 1952.

The seminary had a considerable influence in the [[Christian fundamentalism|fundamentalist]] movement by training students who established various [[Bible College]]s and independent fundamentalist churches in the southern United States.<ref>Samuel S. Hill, ''The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Volume 1: Religion'', University of North Carolina Press, USA, 2006, p. 77</ref>

The [[International Council for Evangelical Theological Education]] was founded in 1980 by the Theological Commission of the [[World Evangelical Alliance]].<ref>Bernhard Ott, ''Understanding and Developing Theological Education'', Langham Global Library, UK, 2016, p. 23</ref> In 2015, it would have 1,000 member schools in 113 countries.<ref>Brian Stiller, ''Evangelicals Around the World: A Global Handbook for the 21st Century'', Thomas Nelson, US, 2015, p. 170</ref>

==Other uses of the term==
In some countries, the term ''seminary'' is also used for secular schools of higher education that train teachers; in the nineteenth century, many [[female seminary|female seminaries]] were established in the United States.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.womenscolleges.org/about/history | title = The Rise of Women's Colleges, Coeducation | publisher = The Women's College Coalition | access-date = June 24, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110903142810/http://www.womenscolleges.org/about/history | archive-date = September 3, 2011 | url-status = live }}</ref>

[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) hosts seminary classes for [[high school]] students ages 14 to 18, as part of the [[Church Educational System]]. Unlike use in other religious contexts, the word "seminary", in an LDS Church context, does not refer to a higher education program designed to train students that they may obtain a church-based career.<ref>{{cite book |title=All Abraham's Children |last=Mauss |first=Armand L. |author-link=Armand Mauss |year=2003 |publisher=University of Illinois Press |isbn=978-0-252-02803-8 |pages=84–85 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7lXq9JfR_EYC&pg=PA85 |access-date=2008-09-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022080424/https://books.google.com/books?id=7lXq9JfR_EYC&pg=PA85 |archive-date=2016-10-22 |url-status=live }}</ref> It does, however, help prepare them for spiritual service within the church (such as LDS missions and other callings). LDS seminary students do not get high school credit for their seminary studies.

==See also==
{{Portal|Christianity|Judaism}}
* [[Consecrated life]]
* [[Bible college]]
* [[List of Eastern Catholic seminaries]]
* [[List of evangelical seminaries and theological colleges]]
* [[List of Roman Catholic seminaries]]
* [[Minor seminary]]
* [[Female seminary]]
* Jewish use: [[Yeshiva]], and especially [[Midrasha]], the women's equivalent, widely referred to as "seminaries"
* [[Madrasa]] in [[Islam]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Wiktionary-inline}}
* {{Cite Americana|wstitle=Education, Theological|author=Graves, Charles |short=x}}

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[[Category:Seminaries and theological colleges| ]]
[[Category:Christian universities and colleges]]
[[Category:School types]]
[[Category:Types of university or college]]
[[Category:Catholic education]]