Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (russian: Свято-Троицкая духовная семинария в Джорданвилле) is an institution of higher learning under the jurisdiction of the
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) and located near
Jordanville, New York
Jordanville is a hamlet in the town of Warren, Herkimer County, New York, United States. Jordanville is in the northwestern part of Warren, at the intersection of New York State Route 167 and County Route 155. The community was settled by E ...
. Associated with
Holy Trinity Monastery, the seminary offers a four-year program of study leading to the degree of
Bachelor of Theology
The Bachelor of Theology degree (BTh, ThB, or BTheol) is a three- to five-year undergraduate degree in theological disciplines and is typically pursued by those seeking ordination for ministry in a church, denomination, or parachurch organization. ...
(B.Th.). It is accredited by the Commissioner for Education and the Board of Regents at the University of the State of New York. The
Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree program began in 2018.
[http://www.nysed.gov/common/nysed/files/htos-borapprovalsubstchg-accessible.pdf ]
It is not to be confused with
Holy Trinity Seminary
Holy Trinity Seminary is a Roman Catholic seminary residence in Irving, Texas, United States, in the Diocese of Dallas, Texas that is located within the University of Dallas campus, founded in 1964. It is headed by Rector Vincent Anyama, S.T.D ...
in
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, or
Holy Trinity College and Seminary
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
in
New Port Richey, Florida
New Port Richey is a city in Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is a suburban city included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was counted at 16,728 in the 2020 census.
History
B ...
.
Background
The mission of Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary is to serve the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia by preparing students for service to the Church. It trains students in disciplines that are preparatory for active service to the Church as clergy, monastics, choir directors and cantors, iconographers, and lay leaders to realize this mission.
As the only seminary of the
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, the seminary welcomes applicants not only from the United States but also from abroad. It serves parishes in all corners of the world. With the immigration of Russians to the United States, United Kingdom, and other western nations since the Revolution in the early 20th century, many members of ROCOR are now primarily English-speaking. In addition, the English language has gained prominence as an international language. Therefore, Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary offers instruction in English to English-speaking seminarians. The Russian language continues to be taught at HTS.
The seminary emphasizes the importance of the spiritual life in theological education. Active participation in the life of the Holy Trinity Monastery, on whose premises the seminary is located, allows students to participate firsthand in the spiritual depth of the Orthodox Church and gives future clergy the opportunity to gain a thorough foundation in and experience of the Orthodox liturgical life. The seminary strives to preserve the high scholarly standards, teaching, and traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The seminary is located near New York's historic
Mohawk Valley, which runs through the center of the state west of the Hudson River. It is located one mile north of the village of Jordanville in
Herkimer County
Herkimer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,139. Its county seat is Herkimer. The county was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. It is named af ...
, within a triangle formed by
Cooperstown,
Utica and
Albany, capital of the state. The seminary was founded in 1948 under the auspices of Holy Trinity Monastery, and the seminary's life continues to be intimately bound with that of the monastery.
History
Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary was founded in 1948 by Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko) under the auspices of
Holy Trinity Monastery, located near Jordanville in
Herkimer County
Herkimer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,139. Its county seat is Herkimer. The county was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. It is named af ...
in the
Mohawk Valley. The life of the seminary continues to be intimately interwoven with that of the monastery. The seminary was first established as a school for the young members of the monastic brotherhood. Founders Archbishop Vitaly and Dean Nicholas Alexander created an institution that has developed as a theological school for Orthodox Christian students from all over the world.
Pastoral courses were developed to serve the needs of non-Russian speakers, as many members of the church in the early 21st century are English speakers, either as first or second languages. The seminary has also expanded its mission by adding a summer school on liturgical music. These changes augment the main mission and goal of the seminary: to serve the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) through preparing students for service in the church.
This is the only seminary of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. The seminary admits applicants not only from the US, but also from abroad. It emphasizes the importance of spiritual life in theological education. Active participation in the life of the monastery allows the students to experience firsthand the spiritual depth of the Orthodox Church. Future clergy have the opportunity to gain a thorough foundation and experience of the Orthodox liturgical life.
The seminary strives to preserve the high scholarly standards, teachings, and traditions of the
pre-revolutionary Russian Orthodox Church. Its library, print shop, publications, museum, and archives play an important role in achieving this goal.
Publishing
By maintaining a religious printing press, the monastery fills a considerable need among the faithful. Several periodicals are printed in Russian and English, containing articles on contemporary religious issues, lives of saints, sermons, questions of theology, etc. Both students and faculty participate in the writing, editing and printing of these magazines. Many of the students are engaged in translating articles for publication.
Rectors
*
Vitaly (Maksimenko) (16 May 1948 — 1 March 1952)
*
Abercius (Taushev) Abercius (Avercius, Avircius, Avirkios) is a masculine given name that may refer to:
*Abercius of Hieropolis
__NOTOC__
Abercius of Hieropolis (Greek , died c. 167) was a bishop of Hierapolis at the time of Marcus Aurelius, also known as Abercius ...
(March 1, 1952 — April 13, 1976)
*
Laurus (Škurla) (17 July 1976 — March 16, 2008)
*
Luke (Murianka)
Bishop Luke (secular name Mark Murianka, russian: Марк Петрович Мурьянка; November 10, 1951) is an American church leader. He serves as bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, current abbot of Holy Trinity Mona ...
(since September 6, 2008)
See also
*
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops vi ...
References
External links
Official website''The Study of Educational Institutions Offering Programs in Orthodox Theology in the United States' (pdf)
{{Authority control
Men's universities and colleges in the United States
Eastern Orthodox seminaries
Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia
Eastern Orthodox churches in the United States
Eastern Orthodoxy in New York (state)
Christian universities and colleges in the United States
Russian-American culture in New York (state)