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Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...
school of theology in Princeton, in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
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. Established in 1812, it is the second-oldest seminary in the United States, founded under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church (USA) The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PCUSA, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination, denomination in the Religion in the United States, United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States too. Its th ...
, and the College of New Jersey (now
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
). It is also the largest of ten seminaries associated with the Presbyterian Church. The seminary operates the largest theological library in the United States and the second largest in the world (after the Vatican in Rome). It maintains a number of special collections, including the Karl Barth Research Collection in the Center for Barth Studies. The seminary also manages an endowment of $1.459 billion in 2022, making it the third-wealthiest institution of
higher learning Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...
in the state of New Jersey—after Princeton University and
Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...
. Princeton Seminary has been home to many leading
biblical scholars Biblical studies is the academic application of a set of diverse academic discipline, disciplines to the study of the Bible, with ''Bible'' referring to the books of the Biblical canon#Jewish canons, canonical Hebrew Bible in mainstream Judais ...
, theologians, and clergy among its faculty and alumni. In the 1980s, it enrolled about 900 students, but as of Fall 2023, the seminary enrolls approximately 276 FTE students. While around 26 percent of them are candidates for ministry specifically in the Presbyterian Church, the majority are completing such candidature in other denominations, pursuing careers in academia across a number of different disciplines, or receiving training for other, non-theological fields altogether. The Seminary holds academic reciprocity with
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
as well as the Westminster Choir College of
Rider University Rider University is a private university in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, United States. It consists of three academic units: the Norm Brodsky College of Business, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which includes Westminster Choir Coll ...
, New Brunswick Theological Seminary, Jewish Theological Seminary, and the Rutgers School of Social Work.


History

The plan to establish a theological seminary in Princeton was in the interests of advancing and extending the theological curriculum. The educational intention was to go beyond the liberal arts course by setting up a postgraduate, professional school in theology. The plan met with enthusiastic approval on the part of authorities at the College of New Jersey, later to become
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
, for they were coming to see that specialized training in theology required more attention than they could give. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church established the Theological Seminary at Princeton, New Jersey, in 1812, with the support of the directors of the nearby College of New Jersey, as the second graduate theological school in the United States. The seminary remains an institution of the
Presbyterian Church (USA) The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PCUSA, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination, denomination in the Religion in the United States, United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States too. Its th ...
, being the largest of the ten theological seminaries affiliated with the 1.1-million-member denomination. In 1812, the seminary had three students and Archibald Alexander was its first professor. By 1815 the number of students had gradually increased, and work began on a building: Alexander Hall was designed by John McComb Jr., a New York architect, and opened in 1817. The original cupola was added in 1827, but it burned in 1913 and was replaced in 1926. The building was simply called "Seminary" until 1893, when it was officially named Alexander Hall. Since its founding, Princeton Seminary has graduated approximately 14,000 men and women who have served the church in many capacities, from pastoral ministry and pastoral care to missionary work, Christian education and leadership in the academy and business. The seminary became known during the 19th and early 20th centuries for its defense of
Calvinistic Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyterian, ...
Presbyterianism Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
, a tradition that became known as Princeton Theology and greatly influenced
Evangelicalism Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...
during the period. Some of the institution's figures active in this movement included
Charles Hodge Charles Hodge (December 27, 1797 – June 19, 1878) was a Reformed Presbyterian theologian and principal of Princeton Theological Seminary between 1851 and 1878. He was a leading exponent of the Princeton Theology, an orthodox Calvinist theo ...
, B.B. Warfield,
J. Gresham Machen John Gresham Machen (; 1881–1937) was an American Presbyterian New Testament scholar and educator in the early 20th century. He was the Professor of New Testament at Princeton Seminary between 1906 and 1929, and led a revolt against modernist ...
, and Geerhardus Vos.


Liberalism and split

In response to the increasing influence of theological liberalism in the 1920s and the fundamentalist–modernist controversy at the institution, several theologians left to form the
Westminster Theological Seminary Westminster Theological Seminary (WTS) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian theology, theological seminary in the Reformed theology, Reformed theological tradition in Glenside, Pennsylvania. It was founded by members of the faculty of Prince ...
under the leadership of
J. Gresham Machen John Gresham Machen (; 1881–1937) was an American Presbyterian New Testament scholar and educator in the early 20th century. He was the Professor of New Testament at Princeton Seminary between 1906 and 1929, and led a revolt against modernist ...
. The college was later the center of the fundamentalist–modernist controversy of the 1920s and 1930s. In 1929, the seminary was reorganized along modernist lines, and in response, Machen, along with three of his colleagues: Oswald T. Allis, Robert Dick Wilson and Cornelius Van Til, resigned, with Machen, Allis and Wilson founding
Westminster Theological Seminary Westminster Theological Seminary (WTS) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian theology, theological seminary in the Reformed theology, Reformed theological tradition in Glenside, Pennsylvania. It was founded by members of the faculty of Prince ...
in Glenside, Pennsylvania. In 1958, Princeton became a seminary of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., following a merger between the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. and the United Presbyterian Church of North America, and in 1983, it would become a seminary of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) after the merger between the UPCUSA and the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.


Ties to slavery

In 2019, the seminary announced that it would spend $27 million on "scholarships and other initiatives to address its historical ties to slavery".


Academics

Princeton Theological Seminary has been accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) since 1938 and by the
Middle States Commission on Higher Education The Middle States Commission on Higher Education, abbreviated as MSCHE and legally incorporated as the Mid-Atlantic Region Commission on Higher Education, is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit membership organization that performs peer evalua ...
since 1968.


Degree programs

*
Master of Divinity For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and ...
(M.Div.) * Masters of Arts (MA) * Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS) *
Master of Theology Master of Theology (, abbreviated ThM, MTh or MTheol, or ''Sacrae Theologiae Magister''; abbreviated STM) is a post-graduate degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries. It can serve as a transition degree for entrance into a ...
(Th.M.) *
Doctor of Ministry The Doctor of Ministry (DMin) is a doctorate in religious ministry. It often includes an original research component, and may be earned by a minister of religion while concurrently engaged in ministry. It is categorized as an advanced doctoral de ...
(D.Min.), offered from 1975 to 2005, having been replaced with Ph.D. in Practical Theology *
Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...
(Ph.D.), although the
Doctor of Theology Doctor of Theology (, abbreviated DTh, ThD, DTheol, or Dr. theol.) is a terminal degree in the academic discipline of theology. The ThD, like the ecclesiastical Doctor of Sacred Theology, is an advanced research degree equivalent to the Doctor o ...
was previously awarded * Dual M.Div./MA in Christian Education with foci in Youth & Young Adults, Teaching Ministry, or Spiritual Development *Dual M.Div./MSW in partnership with Rutgers School of Social Work


Libraries

The Wright Library is a destination for visiting scholars from around the world. The current library building was completed in 2013 and was renamed on October 13, 2021, after Theodore S. Wright, the first African American to graduate from Princeton Theological Seminary. The library has over 1,252,503 bound volumes, pamphlets, and microfilms. It receives about 2,100 journals, annual reports of church bodies and learned societies, bulletins, transactions, and periodically issued indices, abstracts, and bibliographies. The libraries are: * Princeton Theological Seminary Library ("The Wright Library") was opened in 2013 and holds the bulk of the seminary's collection. The library is also home to the Center for Barth Studies, the Reigner Reading Room, and special collections including the
Abraham Kuyper Abraham Kuyper ( , ; 29 October 1837 – 8 November 1920) was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905, an influential neo-Calvinist pastor and a journalist. He established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, which upo ...
collection of Dutch Reformed Protestantism and personal libraries of theologians like Ashbel Green,
William Buell Sprague William Buell Sprague (October 16, 1795 Andover, Connecticut - May 7, 1876 Flushing, New York) was an American Congregational and Presbyterian clergyman and compiler of ''Annals of the American Pulpit'' (nine volumes, 1857–1869), a comprehensiv ...
, Joseph Addison Alexander,
Alexander Balloch Grosart Alexander Balloch Grosart (18 June 182716 March 1899) was a Scottish clergyman and literary editor. He is chiefly remembered for reprinting much rare Elizabethan literature, a work which he undertook because of his interest in Puritan theology. ...
, William Henry Green, Samuel Miller, and B. B. Warfield. * Speer Library was opened in 1957 and named in honor of the renowned missionary statesman Robert E. Speer. It was closed in late 2010 and was replaced by the new library. * Henry Luce III Library, dedicated in 1994 and named in honor of a distinguished trustee, Henry W. Luce, has 350,000 volumes and 250 readers. This library merged with Wright Library in 2013.


Rankings

Given its status as an autonomous postgraduate institution, Princeton Seminary does not appear in most global or national rankings for universities and colleges. As a
graduate school Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachel ...
, however, it does see such ranking on occasion. In 2020, it was ranked #53 nationwide – tied with
University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...
and
University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...
– for the field of history by the '' U.S. News & World Report''. It was also rated at A+ by the American rankings and review company Niche in 2020. The journal ''
First Things ''First Things'' (''FT'') is a journal aimed at "advanc nga religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society", focusing on theology, liturgy, history of religion, church history, culture, education, society, politics, literat ...
'', an organ of the Institute on Religion and Public Life in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
, ranked Princeton Seminary fifth among American graduate programs in theology, in 2012.


Student life

In 2021, 114 degrees were awarded, 52.6% to women, and 47.4% to men.


Seminary Chapel

Built in 1834, Princeton Seminary's chapel was named to honor Samuel Miller, the second professor at the seminary. It was designed in the
Greek Revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...
style by Charles Steadman, who also designed the nearby Nassau Presbyterian Church. Originally located beside Alexander Hall, it was moved in 1933 toward the center of the campus, its steps now leading down onto the seminary's main quad. Miller Chapel underwent a complete renovation in 2000, with the addition of the Joe R. Engle Organ. On January 18, 2022, members of the Association of Black Seminarians physically removed the sign naming the chapel "Miller Chapel" and held a protest calling for the trustees to rename the chapel because of Samuel Miller's direct ties to slavery. On January 25, 2022, the Board of Trustees of Princeton Seminary voted to rename Miller Chapel in light of the protest. "This decision followed thoughtful deliberation by the Board of Trustees, and it is part of their commitment to the ongoing work of confession and repentance that was part of the historical audit on slavery."


Navigating the Waters

In 2011, Princeton Theological Seminary's Office of Multicultural Relations and The Kaleidoscope Institute worked together to initiate an effort known as "Navigating the Waters", a program designed to promote cultural proficiency and diversity competency in faculty, staff, and students.


Research


Center for Barth Studies

The Center for Barth Studies was established at Princeton Seminary in 1997 and is administered by a board of seminary faculty. The Center sponsors conferences, research opportunities, discussion groups, and publications that seek to advance understanding of the theology of
Karl Barth Karl Barth (; ; – ) was a Swiss Reformed theologian. Barth is best known for his commentary '' The Epistle to the Romans'', his involvement in the Confessing Church, including his authorship (except for a single phrase) of the Barmen Decl ...
(1886–1968), the
German Swiss German Swiss usually refers to either a single, a group of, or all Swiss citizens with origins from the German-speaking Switzerland The German-speaking part of Switzerland ( ; ; ; ) comprises about 65 percent of Switzerland (North Western Swit ...
professor and pastor widely regarded as the greatest theologian of the 20th century. The Karl Barth Research Collection, part of Special Collections in the Princeton Theological Seminary Libraries, supports the scholarly activities of the Center for Barth Studies. The Karl Barth Research Collection is acquiring a collection of writings by and about Karl Barth. Although many volumes are still needed, the Research Collection has already acquired Barth's most important works in German and English, several first editions, and an original hand-written manuscript by Karl Barth.


Abraham Kuyper Center for Public Theology

The key aspect of the Abraham Kuyper Center for Public Theology is the Abraham Kuyper Collection of Dutch Reformed Protestantism in the library's Special Collections, which focuses on the theology and history of Dutch Reformed Protestantism since the nineteenth century and features a sizable assemblage of primary and secondary sources by and about
Abraham Kuyper Abraham Kuyper ( , ; 29 October 1837 – 8 November 1920) was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905, an influential neo-Calvinist pastor and a journalist. He established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, which upo ...
. The center maintains in partnership with the
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam The (abbreviated as ''VU Amsterdam'' or simply ''VU'' when in context) is a public university, public research university in Amsterdam, Netherlands, founded in 1880. The VU Amsterdam is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in ...
an onlin
database of secondary literature about Abraham Kuyper
The center has also established an annual event organized to award the Abraham Kuyper Prize for Excellence in Reformed Theology and Public Life, during which the recipient delivers an address. The Abraham Kuyper Consultation, a series of further lectures, takes place on the following day. In 2017, there was a controversy surrounding the plan to award the Kuyper Prize to Tim Keller, then Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. A group of students and faculty protested that Keller should not receive the award due to his non-affirming views regarding
LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
and women clergy. President Barnes initially defended awarding Keller the prize before changing his position. Keller withdrew himself from consideration for the prize and still delivered his lecture. While drawing support from some quarters, the decision to not award Keller the prize also drew criticism in the ''Wall Street Journal'' and ''Washington Post''.


Center of Theological Inquiry

In 1978, Princeton Theological Seminary's Board of Trustees established the Center of Theological Inquiry (''CTI) as an independent,
ecumenical Ecumenism ( ; alternatively spelled oecumenism)also called interdenominationalism, or ecumenicalismis the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships ...
institution for advanced theological research, "to inquire into the relationship between theological disciplines, nd of these with... both human and natural sciences, to inquire into the relationship between diverse religious traditions ..., to inquire into the present state of religious consciousness in the modern world, and to examine such other facets of religion in the modern world as may be appropriate ..." Today, the center has its own board, funding, mission and staff, yet maintains close relations with Princeton Theological Seminary. The present director is William Storrar and the associate director is Joshua Mauldin.


Journals

''Theology Today'' is a peer-reviewed, quarterly journal of Christian theology founded in 1944. ''Koinonia Journal'' is published annually by doctoral students at Princeton Theological Seminary. The publication and its annual forum promote written and face-to-face interdisciplinary discussion about issues in theology and the study of religion. It is distributed to well over 100 libraries worldwide. ''Princeton Theological Review'' is a student-run, annual and online journal that exists to serve students within the Princeton Theological Seminary body as well as the wider theological community. It is distributed to well over 100 libraries worldwide.


Seminary Lectureships

*
Abraham Kuyper Abraham Kuyper ( , ; 29 October 1837 – 8 November 1920) was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905, an influential neo-Calvinist pastor and a journalist. He established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, which upo ...
Lecture and Prize, held in April. In 2017, Princeton Theological Seminary reversed its decision to award the Kuyper Prize to Tim Keller after a group of alumni voiced their objection to the choice due to Keller belonging to a denomination (
Presbyterian Church in America The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is the second-largest Presbyterian church body, behind the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the largest conservative Calvinist denomination in the United States. The PCA is Calvinist, Reformed in theolog ...
) that ordain neither women nor practicing homosexuals. However, the seminary did allow Keller to deliver the Kuyper Lecture without receiving the Kuyper Prize. * The Alexander Thompson Lecture, held biannually in March. * The Frederick Neumann Memorial Lecture, held biannually in November. * Dr. Geddes W. Hanson Lecture, held biannually, fall semester. * Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...
Lecture, held in February. * Dr. Sang Hyun Lee Lecture, held biannually, spring semester. * The Donald Macleod/Short Hills Community Congregational Church Preaching Lectureship, held biannually, fall semester. *
Toyohiko Kagawa was a Japanese Evangelicalism, Evangelical Christian pacifism, Christian pacifist, Christian reformer, and labour activist. Kagawa wrote, spoke, and worked at length on ways to employ Christian principles in the ordering of society and in coo ...
, Japanese Evangelist and Social Worker; Lecture held triennially spring semester. * Students' Lectureship on Missions, held biannually, fall semester. * The Princeton Lectures on Youth, Church, and Culture, held in April. * The Levi P. Stone Lectures, held biannually in October. Brings an internationally distinguished scholar to the seminary each year to deliver a series of public lectures. Created in 1871 by Levi P. Stone of Orange, New Jersey, a director and also a trustee of the seminary. Previous lecturers include Samuel Colcord Bartlett (1882), Samuel H. Kellogg (1892),
Abraham Kuyper Abraham Kuyper ( , ; 29 October 1837 – 8 November 1920) was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905, an influential neo-Calvinist pastor and a journalist. He established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, which upo ...
(1898), Henry Collin Minton (1902),
Herman Bavinck Herman Bavinck (13 December 1854 – 29 July 1921) was a Dutch Calvinist theologian and churchman. He was a significant scholar in the Calvinist tradition, alongside Abraham Kuyper, B. B. Warfield, and Geerhardus Vos. Biography Backgro ...
(1908),
Archibald Thomas Robertson Archibald Thomas Robertson (November 6, 1863 – September 24, 1934) was a Southern Baptist preacher and biblical scholar whose work focused on the New Testament and Koine Greek. Biography Robertson was born at Cherbury near Chatham, Virg ...
(1915), Henry E. Dosker (1918), Louis Berkhof (1921), Valentine Hepp (1930), Hendrik Kraemer (1958), Karl Menninger (1969) and
Nicholas Wolterstorff Nicholas Paul Wolterstorff (born January 21, 1932) is an American philosopher and theologian. He is currently Noah Porter Professor Emeritus of Philosophical Theology at Yale University. A prolific writer with wide-ranging philosophical and theo ...
(1998). * Students' Lectureship on Missions, held in October. * The Annie Kinkead Warfield Lectures, held biannually in March, are a series of lectures which honor the memory of Annie Kinkead Warfield, wife of Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield, distinguished professor of theology at the seminary from 1887 to 1921. Previous distinguished lecturers include
Karl Barth Karl Barth (; ; – ) was a Swiss Reformed theologian. Barth is best known for his commentary '' The Epistle to the Romans'', his involvement in the Confessing Church, including his authorship (except for a single phrase) of the Barmen Decl ...
(1962), John Howard Yoder (1980), T. F. Torrance (1981), and Colin Gunton (1993). * Women in Church and Ministry Lecture, held in February.


Frederick Buechner Prize

Acclaimed writer and theologian
Frederick Buechner Carl Frederick Buechner ( ; July 11, 1926 – August 15, 2022) was an American author, Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies ...
has long standing ties to Princeton Theological Seminary and the seminary has honored him with the creation of the Buechner Prize for Writing. Princeton sponsored and hosted the Buechner Writing Workshop in June 2015. Also, Princeton Theological Seminary has given copies of Buechner's ''Telling the Truth'' to students as part of their graduation.


People


Principals and Presidents of Princeton Theological Seminary

Prior to the creation of the office of President in 1902, the seminary was governed by the principal. ;Principals * Archibald Alexander (1812–1850) *
Charles Hodge Charles Hodge (December 27, 1797 – June 19, 1878) was a Reformed Presbyterian theologian and principal of Princeton Theological Seminary between 1851 and 1878. He was a leading exponent of the Princeton Theology, an orthodox Calvinist theo ...
(1851–1878) *
Archibald Alexander Hodge Archibald Alexander Hodge (July 18, 1823 – November 12, 1886), an American Presbyterian minister, was the principal of Princeton Seminary between 1878 and 1886. Biography He was born on July 18, 1823, to Sarah and Charles Hodge in Princ ...
(1878–1886) * B. B. Warfield (1887–1902) ;Presidents * Francis Landey Patton (1902–1913) * J. Ross Stevenson (1914–1936) * John A. Mackay (1936–1959) * James I. McCord (1959–1983) * Thomas W. Gillespie (1983–2004) * Iain R. Torrance (2004–2012) * M. Craig Barnes (2013–2023) * Jonathan L. Walton (2023-) - first black president


Notable faculty (past and present)

* Diogenes Allen * Dale C. Allison * Bernhard Anderson * William Park Armstrong *
Emil Brunner Heinrich Emil Brunner (1889–1966) was a Swiss Reformed theologian. Along with Karl Barth, he is commonly associated with neo-orthodoxy or the dialectical theology movement. Biography Brunner was born on 23 December 1889 in Winterthur, i ...
* Donald Eric Capps * James H. Charlesworth * Ellen Charry * F. W. Dobbs-Allsopp * Jane Dempsey Douglass * Freda Gardner * L. Gordon Graham * George Hendry *
John Hick John Harwood Hick (20 January 1922 – 9 February 2012) was an English philosopher of religion and theologian, who taught in the United States for the larger part of his career. In philosophical theology, he made contributions in the areas o ...
* Seward Hiltner *
Archibald Alexander Hodge Archibald Alexander Hodge (July 18, 1823 – November 12, 1886), an American Presbyterian minister, was the principal of Princeton Seminary between 1878 and 1886. Biography He was born on July 18, 1823, to Sarah and Charles Hodge in Princ ...
*
Charles Hodge Charles Hodge (December 27, 1797 – June 19, 1878) was a Reformed Presbyterian theologian and principal of Princeton Theological Seminary between 1851 and 1878. He was a leading exponent of the Princeton Theology, an orthodox Calvinist theo ...
* Elmer G. Homrighausen * George Hunsinger * James Franklin Kay *
J. Gresham Machen John Gresham Machen (; 1881–1937) was an American Presbyterian New Testament scholar and educator in the early 20th century. He was the Professor of New Testament at Princeton Seminary between 1906 and 1929, and led a revolt against modernist ...
* Bruce L. McCormack *
Bruce Metzger Bruce Manning Metzger (February 9, 1914 – February 13, 2007) was an American biblical scholar, Bible translator and textual critic who was a longtime professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and Bible editor who served on the board of th ...
*
Patrick D. Miller Patrick D. Miller, Jr. (24 October 1935 – 1 May 2020) was an American Old Testament scholar who served as Charles T. Haley Professor of Old Testament Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary from 1984 to 2005. He was an ordained minister in t ...
* Samuel Miller *
Otto Piper Otto Piper (1841–1921) was a German architectural historian who, with August von Cohausen (1812–1896), is regarded as one of the two founders of scientific research into castles. Life Otto Piper was born on 23 December 1841 in Röckwitz, the ...
* Luis N. Rivera-Pagán * J. J. M. Roberts * Katharine Doob Sakenfeld * C. L. Seow * Richard Shaull * Mark S. Smith * Max L. Stackhouse * Loren Stuckenbruck * Mark Lewis Taylor * Wentzel van Huyssteen * Geerhardus Vos * B. B. Warfield * Robert Dick Wilson * Robert Jenson


Notable alumni

* James Waddel Alexander, 1823 *
William Patterson Alexander William Patterson Alexander (July 25, 1805 – August 13, 1884) was an American missionary to the Kingdom of Hawaii. His family continued to influence the history of Hawaii. Life William Patterson Alexander was born in Paris, Kentucky on July 2 ...
, missionary to Hawaii * Oswald T. Allis, 1905 * Rubem Alves, 1968, theologian * Gleason Archer, 1945, evangelical theologian * Albert Barnes, 1823 * Howard Baskerville * Louis Berkhof, 1904 *
Loraine Boettner Loraine Boettner (; March 7, 1901 – January 3, 1990) was an American theologian, teacher, and author in the Reformed tradition. He is best known for his works on predestination, Roman Catholicism, and postmillennial eschatology. Biography Boet ...
, 1929 * Greg Boyd, 1987 * James Montgomery Boice, 1963 * William Whiting Borden * Dave Brat, 1990, Randolph-Macon College professor and Congressional candidate in Virginia's 7th District * Robert Jefferson Breckinridge, 1832 * G. Thompson Brown, 1950, missionary, founder of Honam Theological Academy (now Honam Theological University and Seminary). * Hugh M. Browne, 1878, educator, principal of the
Institute for Colored Youth The Institute for Colored Youth was founded in 1837 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It became the first college for African-Americans in the United States, although there were schools that admitted African Americans preceding it. ...
* Ernest T. Campbell, pastor,
Riverside Church Riverside Church is an interdenominational church in the Morningside Heights, Manhattan, Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The church is associated with the American Baptist Churches USA and the Un ...
* Eugene Cho, 1997, president of Bread for the World * Hunter Corbett, pioneer American missionary to Yantai, Shandong China * Jack Cottrell * John Finley Crowe, 1815, founder of
Hanover College Hanover College is a private college in Hanover, Indiana, United States, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Founded in 1827 by Reverend John Finley Crowe, it is Indiana's oldest private college. The Hanover athletic teams participat ...
* Michael Simpson Culbertson, 1844, missionary to China * Kathy Dawson, Associate Professor of Christian Education and Director of M.A.P.T. Program at Columbia Theological Seminary; Association of Presbyterian Church Educators' 2015 Educator of the Year. * William Dembski, philosopher, mathematician, and Intelligent Design advocate, 1995 * Hilliard Dogbe, Presiding Bishop of the
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, or the AME Zion Church (AMEZ) is a historically African-American Christian denomination based in the United States. It was officially formed in 1821 in New York City, but operated for a number of y ...
(Western West Africa Episcopal District), and Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana * John H. Eastwood, 1941, US Army Air Corps chaplain 464th Bombardment Group in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
* Sherwood Eddy, 1896, missionary to India, YMCA leader, author, educator *
Bart D. Ehrman Bart Denton Ehrman (born October 5, 1955) is an American New Testament scholar focusing on textual criticism of the New Testament, the historical Jesus, and the origins and development of early Christianity. He has written and edited 30 books ...
, 1985, professor and writer * Anna Carter Florence, 2000 * George Forell *
David Otis Fuller David Otis Fuller (November 20, 1903 – February 21, 1988) was an American Baptist pastor. He was a graduate of Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois and Princeton Theological Seminary. He pastored Chelsea Baptist Church in Atlantic City, New ...
* Robert A. J. Gagnon, 1993 * George Washington Gale, 1819, founder of Knox College * Jim Garlow, pastor of Skyline Church * James Leo Garrett Jr., 1949, theologian * William H. Gray, 1970 * Richard C. Halverson, 1942, 60th Chaplain of the United States Senate * William Henry Green, 1846 * Francis James Grimké, 1878, African American Presbyterian pastor, co-founder of the NAACP * Phineas Gurley,
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
's pastor * Kyung-Chik Han, 1929, founder of Young Nak Presbyterian Church and winner of the
Templeton Prize The Templeton Prize is an annual award granted to a living person, in the estimation of the judges, "whose exemplary achievements advance Sir John Templeton's philanthropic vision: harnessing the power of the sciences to explore the deepest ques ...
* George C. Heckman, president of
Hanover College Hanover College is a private college in Hanover, Indiana, United States, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Founded in 1827 by Reverend John Finley Crowe, it is Indiana's oldest private college. The Hanover athletic teams participat ...
1870-79 *
Charles Hodge Charles Hodge (December 27, 1797 – June 19, 1878) was a Reformed Presbyterian theologian and principal of Princeton Theological Seminary between 1851 and 1878. He was a leading exponent of the Princeton Theology, an orthodox Calvinist theo ...
, 1819 * Elmer George Homrighausen, 1924 * William Imbrie, missionary to Japan * Sheldon Jackson, 1858, Presbyterian missionary in the
Western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Western States, the Far West, the Western territories, and the West) is List of regions of the United States, census regions United States Census Bureau. As American settlement i ...
, including
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
* Thornwell Jacobs, 1899, founder of
Oglethorpe University Oglethorpe University is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Brookhaven, Georgia, United States. It was chartered in 1835 and named in honor of General James Edward Oglethorpe, founder ...
* Richard A. Jensen, 1962, theologian and author * William Hallock Johnson, 1898, theologian and president of
Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) Lincoln University (LU) is a public state-related historically black university (HBCU) near Oxford, Pennsylvania. Founded as the private Ashmun Institute in 1854, it has been a public institution since 1972. Lincoln is also recognized as th ...
* Elizabeth Johnson (New Testament Scholar), J. Davison Philips Professor of New Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary *
Toyohiko Kagawa was a Japanese Evangelicalism, Evangelical Christian pacifism, Christian pacifist, Christian reformer, and labour activist. Kagawa wrote, spoke, and worked at length on ways to employ Christian principles in the ordering of society and in coo ...
, 1916 * Margaret Grun Kibben, 1986 and 2002, received MDiv and DMin, first female chaplain of the US House of Representatives * Guy Kratzer, 1968, Pennsylvania State Senator * Kimberly Bracken Long, 1990, Presbyterian pastor, author, associate professor of Worship at Columbia Theological Seminary *
Elijah Parish Lovejoy Elijah Parish Lovejoy (November 9, 1802 – November 7, 1837) was an American Presbyterianism, Presbyterian minister (Christianity), minister, journalist, Editing, newspaper editor, and Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist. After his ...
, 1834, first American martyr for
freedom of the press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic Media (communication), media, especially publication, published materials, shoul ...
, Presbyterian pastor and publisher of an
abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...
newspaper in
Alton, Illinois Alton ( ) is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 25,676 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is a part of the River Bend (Illinois), Riv ...
, killed while defending the press from an angry mob * Clarence Macartney, 1905 * John Gresham Machen, 1905, founder of
Westminster Theological Seminary Westminster Theological Seminary (WTS) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian theology, theological seminary in the Reformed theology, Reformed theological tradition in Glenside, Pennsylvania. It was founded by members of the faculty of Prince ...
*
George Leslie Mackay George Leslie Mackay (偕瑞理 or 馬偕 ''Má-kai''; 21 March 1844 – 2 June 1901) was a Canadian Presbyterian missionary. He was the first Presbyterian missionary to northern Taiwan (then Formosa), serving with the Canadian Presbyterian Mis ...
, Canadian missionary to Taiwan * John Maclean Jr., 1818, president of
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
*
Allan MacRae Allan Alexander MacRae (February 11, 1902 – September 27, 1997) was an evangelical Christian scholar who, with Harold S. Laird, Carl McIntire, Roland K. Armes, and several other conservative Presbyterians, helped found Faith Theological Seminar ...
, 1927, founder of Faith Theological Seminary and Biblical Theological Seminary * Basil Manly Jr., 1847 *
Carl McIntire Charles Curtis McIntire Jr. (May 17, 1906 – March 19, 2002), known as Carl McIntire, was a founder and minister in the Bible Presbyterian Church, founder and long-time president of the International Council of Christian Churches and the Am ...
, fundamentalist, attended briefly as a student, but transferred to
Westminster Theological Seminary Westminster Theological Seminary (WTS) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian theology, theological seminary in the Reformed theology, Reformed theological tradition in Glenside, Pennsylvania. It was founded by members of the faculty of Prince ...
in 1929 as a result of Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy. * David McKinney *
Bruce Metzger Bruce Manning Metzger (February 9, 1914 – February 13, 2007) was an American biblical scholar, Bible translator and textual critic who was a longtime professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and Bible editor who served on the board of th ...
, 1938 * Samuel H. Moffett, 1942, missionary, educator * John Monteith, 1816, first president of the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
* Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg (educator), 1839 *
John Murray (theologian) John Murray (14 October 1898 – 8 May 1975) was a Scottish-born Calvinist theologian who taught at Princeton Seminary and then left to help found Westminster Theological Seminary, where he taught for many years. He was ordained in the Ort ...
* Byron C. Nelson, 1936, apologist for
creationism Creationism is the faith, religious belief that nature, and aspects such as the universe, Earth, life, and humans, originated with supernatural acts of Creation myth, divine creation, and is often Pseudoscience, pseudoscientific.#Gunn 2004, Gun ...
* John Williamson Nevin, 1826 * John Livingstone Nevius, missionary to China * Harold Ockenga, prominent figure in 1950s "Neo-Evangelicalism", attended briefly as a student, but transferred to
Westminster Theological Seminary Westminster Theological Seminary (WTS) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian theology, theological seminary in the Reformed theology, Reformed theological tradition in Glenside, Pennsylvania. It was founded by members of the faculty of Prince ...
in 1929 as a result of Fundamentalist–Modernist controversy * Kathleen M. O'Connor * Jeanne Audrey Powers, leader within The United Methodist Church, an advocate for women and LGBTQ+ people in the church, and one of the first women ordained in the denomination * Francis Landey Patton, 1865 * Abune Paulos, Patriarch of the
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church () is the largest of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. One of the few Christian churches in Africa originating before European colonization of the continent, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church dates bac ...
Childs, David
"Abune Paulos: Religious leader and peace activist"
''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', August 27, 2012. Accessed December 25, 2024. "In the United States he studied at the St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, New York, and afterwards joined the doctoral programme at the Princeton Theological Seminary.... He returned to Princeton in 1984 to complete his doctoral degree, and was elevated to the rank of Archbishop by Patriarch Abune Takla Haymanot in 1986 while still in exile."
* Bradley Phillips, 1849, member of the
Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...
*
William Swan Plumer William Swan Plumer (July 26, 1802 – October 22, 1880) was an American clergyman, theologian and author who was recognized as an intellectual leader of the Presbyterian Church in the 1800s. Early life William S. Plumer was born to Willi ...
, 1826,
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
clergyman, author and educator * James Reeb, 1953, Civil Rights martyr * George S. Rentz, ordained in 1909; Navy chaplain during World War I and World War II * Joseph L. Roberts Jr., American pastor * Jana Riess, 1994 * Jay Richards * Stanley P. Saunders, 1990 * Samuel Simon Schmucker, 1820 * Louis P. Sheldon, 1960 * Charles Woodruff Shields, 1847 * Robert B. Sloan, 1973, educator * DeForest Soaries *
William Buell Sprague William Buell Sprague (October 16, 1795 Andover, Connecticut - May 7, 1876 Flushing, New York) was an American Congregational and Presbyterian clergyman and compiler of ''Annals of the American Pulpit'' (nine volumes, 1857–1869), a comprehensiv ...
, 1819 * Ned B. Stonehouse, 1927 * Loren Stuckenbruck * Lorna Taylor *
Charles Templeton Charles Bradley Templeton (October 7, 1915 – June 7, 2001) was a Canadian media figure and a former Christian evangelist. Known in the 1940s and 1950s as a leading evangelist, he became an agnostic and later embraced atheism after stru ...
, Canadian journalist * Timothy Tennent, 1991 * Mark L. Tidd, US Navy Admiral, 25th Chief of Chaplains *
Conrad Tillard Conrad Bennette Tillard (born September 15, 1964) is an American Baptist minister, radio host, activist, politician, and author. Tillard was in his early years a prominent minister of the black nationalist organization the Nation of Islam (NOI) ...
(born 1964; Master of Theology), Baptist minister, radio host, author, civil rights activist, and politician * Henry van Dyke, 1874 * Cornelius Van Til, 1924, presuppositional apologist, taught briefly but later followed Machen to Westminster Theological Seminary in 1929. * Geerhardus Vos, 1885 * Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield, 1876 *
Neil Clark Warren Neil Clark Warren (born September 18, 1934) is an American clinical psychologist, Christian theologian, seminary professor and co-founder of the online relationship sites eHarmony and Compatible Partners. In 1995, Warren and his son-in-la ...
* Victor Paul Wierwille, Th.M, founding president of
The Way International The Way International is a Nondenominational Christianity, nondenominational Christian ministry based in New Knoxville, Ohio. The followers congregate primarily in home fellowships located throughout the United States, two US territories, and in ...
biblical research, teaching and fellowship ministry in New Knoxville, Ohio * Ralph D. Winter, B.Div, founder of US Center for World Mission and William Carey International University * Theodore S. Wright, 1828. First African-American graduate. * John C. Young, 1828, pastor and 4th president of
Centre College Centre College, formally Centre College of Kentucky, is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky, United States. Chartered by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1819, the col ...


References


Further reading

* David B. Calhoun, ''History of Princeton Seminary.'' In Two Volumes. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Banner of Truth, 1996. * James Moorhead, ''Princeton Seminary in American Religion and Culture.'' Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 2012. * Richard Osmer and Gordon Mikoski, ''With Piety and Learning: The History of Practical Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary 1812–2012.'' Lit Verlag, 2012.


External links


Official website
* {{Coord, 40, 20, 40, N, 74, 39, 52, W, source:nowiki_region:US, display=title Seminaries and theological colleges in New Jersey Presbyterian Church (USA) seminaries Educational institutions established in 1812 1812 establishments in New Jersey Presbyterianism in New Jersey Christian seminaries and theological colleges Universities and colleges in Mercer County, New Jersey Reparations for slavery in the United States Schools in Princeton, New Jersey