China Lutheran Seminary is an independent theological school,

graduate school Postgraduate or graduate education refers to Academic degree, academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by higher education, post-secondary students who have earned an Undergraduate education, un ...

, and

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

, located in

Hsinchu City Hsinchu (, Chinese: 新竹, Pinyin: ''Xīnzhú'', Wade–Giles: ''Hsin¹-chu²'') is a city located in northwestern Taiwan. It is the most populous city in Taiwan Province not among the special municipalities, with estimated 450,655 inhabi ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

. Founded in 1966, the seminary is

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

in tradition and practice.

History

China Lutheran Seminary was founded in 1966 by four Lutheran missional organisations:

Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway The Evangelical Lutheran Free Church, or the Free Church as it is commonly known ( no, Den Evangelisk Lutherske Frikirke, shortened ''Frikirken''), is a nationwide Lutheran church in Norway, consisting of 83 congregations and 21,817 baptised memb ...

;

Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission The Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission (''FELM'', formerly ''The Finnish Missionary Society''; fi, Suomen Lähetysseura ry; sv, Finska Missionssällskapet rf) is a Lutheran missionary society formed on January 19, 1859, in Helsinki, Finland. ...

; Lutheran Brethren China Mission, USA; and the

Norwegian Lutheran Mission The Norwegian Lutheran Mission (''Norsk Luthersk Misjonssamband'' in Norwegian; NLM) is one of several independent Lutheran organisations based in Norway. History The organization was founded in 1891 as Det Norske Lutherske Kinamisjonsforbund ( ...

. Following confirmation of its associated membership with the Asian Theological Association (ATA) in 1977, in 1978 CLS conferred its first two degrees: the B.Th and the B.R.E.. Five years after gaining membership to the Asia Theological Association, the China Lutheran Seminary became a member of the Association of Taiwan Theological Institutions. On 31 October, 1989, the China Lutheran Seminary was formally endorsed by the

Taiwan Lutheran Church The Taiwan Lutheran Church (TLC; ) is one of the six Lutheran bodies in Taiwan. It currently has 80 mission sites nationwide (including 40 local congregations, 30 church plants and 10 parachurch organizations) with a total of 11,422 baptized mem ...

, and other affiliated Lutheran Church associations in Taiwan. By 1998, the seminary had implemented several infrastructural changes. In 1994 the work to establish new halls of residence for both faculty and students and a new chapel and classrooms had been completed. The previous chapel and classrooms were renovated and reopened as a new administrative centre in 1998. Further additions included the establishing of the Grassroots Mission Training Program in 1994, the Research Centre for Traditional Chinese Religions and New Religious Movements in 1995, and the China Lutheran Seminary Publishing House in 1997. Also in 1997, CLS formalised its partnership with Triumph Lutheran Brethren Church, which became the cooperative congregation on campus. In 1999 CLS sponsored a seminar focused on a ‘New Vision for the New Millennium’, named in honor of the

Anglican priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particul ...

, theologian, and author,

John Stott John Robert Walmsley Stott (27 April 1921 – 27 July 2011) was an English Anglican cleric and theologian who was noted as a leader of the worldwide evangelical movement. He was one of the principal authors of the Lausanne Covenant in 1974. In ...

. CLS is also affiliated with the acclaimed

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

theologian and author,

Frederick Buechner Carl Frederick Buechner ( ; July 11, 1926 – August 15, 2022) was an American author, Presbyterianism, Presbyterian Minister (Christianity), minister, preacher, and theologian. The author of thirty-nine published books, his work encompassed d ...

. In 2003 CLS founded the Graduate School for Luther Studies, initially offering an M.Th program, an

M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

in Care and Counseling, and a Distance Learning Program. Since its establishment the Graduate School has added further programs, most recently the

Doctor of Ministry The Doctor of Ministry (abbreviated DMin or D.Min.) is a professional doctorate, often including a research component, that may be earned by a minister of religion while concurrently engaged in some form of ministry. It is categorized as an advanced ...

degree. By 2007 the construction of the Theological Education and Church Resource Building, begun in 2005, was completed. With the increased size of its campus, CLS was able to broaden its outreach, in 2008 becoming a base for a variety of para-church ministries, a place of worship for several congregations, and a retreat centre. In 2011 the Seminary completed its ‘School History Room’, and celebrated the 45th anniversary of its opening. 2012 saw the Seminary formalise its relationship with Lutheran Theological Seminary, Hong Kong. Both organisations signed a ‘sister seminary cooperation memorandum’, with the aim of furthering the outreach and collaborative effectiveness of each seminary.

Academics

China Lutheran Seminary offers a number of degree programs, graduate certificates, and foundation programs. The degrees and certificates awarded by China Lutheran Seminary are accredited by the

Asia Theological Association Asia Theological Association (ATA) is a Christian organisation of seminaries in Asia. It is a member of the International Council for Evangelical Theological Education. The headquarters is in Quezon City, Philippines. History ATA was formally esta ...

History

Academics

References

Further reading