New College Berkeley
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New College Berkeley is an Gospel-centered, ecumenical graduate school of Christian studies and spiritual formation. It is located near the campus of the University of California, Berkeley and is affiliated with the nearby
Graduate Theological Union The Graduate Theological Union (GTU) is a consortium of eight private independent American theological schools and eleven centers and affiliates. Seven of the theological schools are located in Berkeley, California. The GTU was founded in 1962 ...
. The purpose of New College Berkeley is to provide resources to bring God's presence into the public world of work, politics, civic life and academia, as well as the private spaces of discipleship, family and friendship. All of the approximately 200 students each year are enrolled part-time in various courses, seminars and conferences.


History

New College Berkeley was established in 1977 by a group of Christians, including pastors and scholars, with the aim of offering
interdisciplinary Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several other fields like sociology, anthropology, psychology, ec ...
, graduate-level Christian studies for people seeking to integrate their faith with their lives. In this mission, New College Berkeley is similar to schools such as Regent College in Vancouver, BC and the Toronto
Institute for Christian Studies The Institute for Christian Studies (ICS or ICS Toronto) is a private, graduate-level Reformed philosophical and theological school in Toronto, Ontario. At ICS, students and faculty take part in shared learning through participatory seminars, me ...
. The founding director, Dr. David W. Gill, co-founder Rev. Earl Palmer and the college's first president, Dr. W. Ward Gasque (1979-1982) brought to the school a firm commitment to the priesthood of all believers and emphasized a strong, biblically based Christian orthodoxy. In 1983 Dr. William Dyrness became president. He was succeeded in the presidency by Dr. David Gill (1986-1989), Dr. Richard Benner (1990-1993), Steven Pattie (1993-1994) and Dr. Susan S. Phillips (1994–2022, serving as executive director). From 1994 to 2016, Sharon Gallagher served as associate director. Starting in 2022, Craig Wong and Tim Tseng joined as co-executive directors. New College Berkeley was an independent, degree-granting institution for more than ten years. It acquired
WASC WASC may refer to: * Supreme Court of Western Australia * WASC (AM), a radio station (1530 AM) licensed to Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States * West Africa Submarine Cable * West African School Certificate * Western Association of Schoo ...
candidacy in 1988 and in 1993 became an affiliate of Berkeley's
Graduate Theological Union The Graduate Theological Union (GTU) is a consortium of eight private independent American theological schools and eleven centers and affiliates. Seven of the theological schools are located in Berkeley, California. The GTU was founded in 1962 ...
. Since 1994, all for-credit courses are under the umbrella of the GTU, through whose catalog such courses are offered every semester.


Academic programs

New College Berkeley offers programs in
biblical studies Biblical studies is the academic application of a set of diverse disciplines to the study of the Bible (the Old Testament and New Testament).''Introduction to Biblical Studies, Second Edition'' by Steve Moyise (Oct 27, 2004) pages 11–12 Fo ...
, church history, ethics,
spirituality The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape o ...
and various integrative subjects, taught by both resident and visiting faculty with expertise in these disciplines. The school cultivates spiritual community and
growth Growth may refer to: Biology * Auxology, the study of all aspects of human physical growth * Bacterial growth * Cell growth * Growth hormone, a peptide hormone that stimulates growth * Human development (biology) * Plant growth * Secondary growth ...
through small classes and
spiritual direction Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of their encounters of the div ...
groups, and does so with participants from various denominational affiliations and walks of life. New College Berkeley is one of the first Christian Study Centers in the United States, is a member of the Consortium of Christian Study Centers and provides support to students of the University of California.


Notable faculty and lecturers

* Bernard Adeney, Christian ethicist and scholar of interfaith relations *
Robert N. Bellah Robert Neelly Bellah (February 23, 1927 – July 30, 2013) was an American sociologist and the Elliott Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. He was internationally known for his work related to the sociology of reli ...
, sociologist * Patricia Benner, ethicist and scholar of nursing practice * Joel B. Green, New Testament scholar, Fuller Theological Seminary *
Carl F. H. Henry Carl Ferdinand Howard Henry (January 22, 1913 – December 7, 2003) was an American evangelical Christian theologian who provided intellectual and institutional leadership to the neo-evangelical movement in the mid-to-late 20th century. His earl ...
, theologian and first editor of ''
Christianity Today ''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evange ...
'' *
Mark Labberton Mark Labberton is the Clifford L. Penner Presidential Chair at Fuller Theological Seminary. Before he became Fuller's president, he served for 16 years as senior pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, California. Early life and ed ...
, President, Fuller Theological Seminary * Marilyn McEntyre, visiting professor of Christianity and literature * Earl Palmer, pastor and theologian *
John M. Perkins John M. Perkins (born June 16, 1930) is an American Christian minister, civil rights activist, and author. He is the founder and president emeritus of the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation with his wife, Vera Mae Perkins. He is co-founder of the ...
, urban missionary and scholar *
Eugene H. Peterson Eugene Hoiland Peterson (November 6, 1932 – October 22, 2018) was an American Presbyterian minister, scholar, theologian, author, and poet. He wrote over 30 books, including the Gold Medallion Book Award–winner '' The Message: The Bible in ...
, pastor, scholar, author, and poet * Luci Shaw, poet * John Stott, prominent leader of the Evangelical movement


See also

* List of evangelical seminaries and theological colleges


References


External links


New College Berkeley

Consortium of Christian Study Centers

Graduate Theological Union
{{authority control Seminaries and theological colleges in California Educational institutions established in 1977 Education in Berkeley, California 1977 establishments in California Graduate Theological Union