Seminary

Theology education institution St Stephen's House, Oxford 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 theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, in academics, or mostly in Christian ministry. A seminary is typically a standalone institution focused more broadly on ministerial or professional training whereas a divinity school is often embedded within a larger school and can be more academically and research focused, though the labels can be used quite flexibly. The English word is taken from Latin: seminarium, translated as 'seed-bed', an image taken from the Council of Trent document Cum adolescentium aetas, 'Since the age of adolescence' which called for the first modern seminaries. 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 Catholic reforms of the Counter-Reformation after the Council of Trent. These Tride