Berkeley Divinity School, founded in 1854, is a
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 ...
of
The Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church, based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere, is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is divided into nine provinces. The presiding bishop of ...
in
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...
. Along with
Andover Newton Theological School
Andover Newton Theological School (ANTS) was a graduate school and seminary in Newton, Massachusetts. Affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA and the United Church of Christ. It was the product of a merger between Andover Theological ...
and the
Yale Institute of Sacred Music
The Yale Institute of Sacred Music (ISM) is a joint venture between the Yale School of Music and Yale Divinity School focused on the study of music, visual arts, literature, liturgy, and other forms of the arts.
M.M., M.M.A., or D.MA. students in ...
, Berkeley is one of the three "Partners on the Quad," which compose a part of the
Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...
at
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
. Thus, Berkeley operates as a denominational seminary within an
ecumenical
Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The wo ...
divinity school
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, ...
. Berkeley has historically represented a
Broad church orientation among
Anglican seminaries in the country, and was the fourth independent seminary to be founded, after
General Theological Seminary
The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is an Episcopal seminary in New York City. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and the longest continuously operating Seminary in the Anglican Commu ...
(1817),
Virginia Theological Seminary
Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS), formally called the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia, located at 3737 Seminary Road in Alexandria, Virginia is the largest and second oldest accredited Episcopal seminary in the Unite ...
(1823), and
Nashotah House
Nashotah House is an Anglican seminary in Nashotah, Wisconsin. The seminary opened in 1842 and received its official charter in 1847. The institution is independent and generally regarded as one of the more theologically conservative seminaries in ...
(1842). Berkeley's institutional antecedents began at
Trinity College, Hartford
Trinity College is a private liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded as Washington College in 1823, it is the second-oldest college in the state of Connecticut.
Coeducational since 1969, the college enrolls 2,235 students. Tri ...
in 1849. The institution was formally chartered in
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States, Located along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, it is south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated by English settlers as a town under it ...
in 1854, moved to New Haven in 1928, and amalgamated with Yale in 1971.
Berkeley's offices and programs are centered with those of Yale Divinity School on the Sterling Divinity Quadrangle, although Berkeley also maintains a separate center for worship and some programs at the nearby Berkeley Center on St. Ronan Street.
History
Antecedents
Prior to the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolu ...
, the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
in America existed under the episcopal oversight of the
Bishop of London
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...
. There were no American bishops and ecclesial authority was exercised by “
Commissaries” such as The Rev.
James Blair. While American ordinands had to travel to England to be ordained, many of them were able to train for the ministry in the Colonies. As
Harvard was
Congregationalist, Anglican training largely occurred privately or at the
College of William & Mary
The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William II ...
(from 1693) and later also at
Yale College
Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...
(from 1701).
In 1754, The Rev.
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford D ...
founded the
King's College, New York
Columbia College is the oldest undergraduate college of Columbia University, situated on the university's main campus in Morningside Heights in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded by the Church of England in 1754 as King's ...
(now
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manha ...
) as an Anglican institution, in part to prepare men for the ministry. Johnson had been a close friend of the English priest, philosopher, and missionary
George Berkeley
George Berkeley (; 12 March 168514 January 1753) – known as Bishop Berkeley ( Bishop of Cloyne of the Anglican Church of Ireland) – was an Anglo-Irish philosopher whose primary achievement was the advancement of a theory he called "immate ...
and had induced him to donate his farm and library to Yale in 1731.
In 1794, Connecticut churchmen founded the
Episcopal Academy at Cheshire in the hope of later elevating it to collegiate status, though this did not come to fruition. Instead, the
General Theological Seminary
The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is an Episcopal seminary in New York City. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and the longest continuously operating Seminary in the Anglican Commu ...
in New York, founded in 1820, served as the principal center of theological study in the Northeast.
Foundation and Middletown years: 1849–1928
Berkeley Divinity School began as the theology department of
Trinity College, Hartford
Trinity College is a private liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded as Washington College in 1823, it is the second-oldest college in the state of Connecticut.
Coeducational since 1969, the college enrolls 2,235 students. Tri ...
, an
Episcopal school which was founded by the Rt. Rev.
Thomas Church Brownell in 1823.
In 1849, the Rev.
John Williams
John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review '' WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
, then President of Trinity, organized the department with the Rev.
Thomas Winthrop Coit as professor of Church History. Among the first class of assisting faculty were the Rev.
Abner Jackson, as well as the Rev.
Thomas M. Clark, and the Rev.
Arthur Cleveland Coxe
Arthur Cleveland Coxe (May 10, 1818 - July 20, 1896) was the second Episcopal bishop of Western New York. He used Cleveland as his given name and is often referred to as A. Cleveland Coxe.
Biography
He was the son of the Reverend Samuel Hanson ...
, both of whom later became bishops.

Instead of remaining within the college (like the departments at
Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio. It was founded in 1824 by Philander Chase. Kenyon College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Kenyon has 1,708 undergraduates enrolled. Its 1,000-acre campus is ...
and
Sewanee: The University of the South), the fledgling divinity school moved to
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States, Located along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, it is south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated by English settlers as a town under it ...
in 1853 after Williams, now
Assistant Bishop of Connecticut, resigned his college presidency to focus on his diocesan work.
Gifts from Edward S. Hall ($20,000) and the Rev. William Jarvis ($10,000, including his former house) permitted the growth of the seminary at Middletown. Berkeley was formally incorporated on 3 May 1854. The remaining students who were mid-course at Trinity were transferred to Middletown in 1854, and by 1859 the seminary was teaching nineteen students.
The seminary was intended to act as a mediating alternative between the
Anglo-Catholic
Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholic heritage and identity of the various Anglican churches.
The term was coined in the early 19th century, although movements emphasising the Catholic nature of Anglica ...
–leaning
General Theological Seminary
The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is an Episcopal seminary in New York City. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and the longest continuously operating Seminary in the Anglican Commu ...
in New York and the
evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exp ...
-leaning
Virginia Theological Seminary
Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS), formally called the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia, located at 3737 Seminary Road in Alexandria, Virginia is the largest and second oldest accredited Episcopal seminary in the Unite ...
.
The name of the seminary alludes to the vision of philosopher and Bishop
George Berkeley
George Berkeley (; 12 March 168514 January 1753) – known as Bishop Berkeley ( Bishop of Cloyne of the Anglican Church of Ireland) – was an Anglo-Irish philosopher whose primary achievement was the advancement of a theory he called "immate ...
, who a century earlier had planned a seminary in the western hemisphere; this use of his name for an educational institution precedes its association with California by some decades.
The Middletown campus consisted of two houses adjacent to the
Church of the Holy Trinity, with several buildings and extra wings being added over the next half century. Holy Trinity acted as the functional
pro-cathedral
A pro-cathedral or procathedral is a parish church that temporarily serves as the cathedral or co-cathedral of a diocese, or a church that has the same function in a Catholic missionary jurisdiction (such as an apostolic prefecture or apostolic ...
of the Diocese and for the first six years students worshipped there. In 1860 Mary W. Mütter (née Alsop) endowed a chapel in memory of her late husband Dr.
Thomas Dent Mütter. On the
Feast of the Epiphany
Epiphany ( ), also known as Theophany in Eastern Christian traditions, is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation (theophany) of God incarnate as Jesus Christ.
In Western Christianity, the feast commemorates principally (but not ...
, 1861 the first Chapel of
St. Luke
Luke the Evangelist (Latin: '' Lucas''; grc, Λουκᾶς, '' Loukâs''; he, לוקאס, ''Lūqās''; arc, /ܠܘܩܐ לוקא, ''Lūqā’; Ge'ez: ሉቃስ'') is one of the Four Evangelists—the four traditionally ascribed authors of t ...
the Physician opened to public worship. It was consecrated by Williams on 16 March 1861. The chapel was designed “in the decorated style of
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. I ...
,” in
collegiate seating with 62 stalls and a five-sided
apse
In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...
.

In this early period, the seminary was functionally part of the private household of the Bishop, operating in a similar manner to
Cuddesdon College
Ripon College Cuddesdon is a Church of England theological college in Cuddesdon, a village outside Oxford, England. The College trains men and women for ministry in the Church of England: stipendiary, non-stipendiary, local ordained and lay mi ...
founded by Bishop
Samuel Wilberforce
Samuel Wilberforce, FRS (7 September 1805 – 19 July 1873) was an English bishop in the Church of England, and the third son of William Wilberforce. Known as "Soapy Sam", Wilberforce was one of the greatest public speakers of his day. Natural ...
in
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...
in the same year. During the Williams tenure, seminarians lived, worshipped, and studied alongside their dean and professors. Students were expected at
Morning and Evening Prayer five days a week with––unusually for that period––
Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was institu ...
every Sunday. At first, these services were celebrated in the church, but were later transferred to the chapel. By 1904, a Thursday Eucharist was added.
The seminary also developed a series of academic and ecclesial affiliations, including one with
Wesleyan College
Wesleyan College is a private, liberal arts women's college in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1836, Wesleyan was the first college in the world chartered to grant degrees to women.
History
The school was chartered on December 23, 1836, as the G ...
, allowing students in both institutions access to lectures in the other.
Williams continued as dean while succeeding as Diocesan Bishop (and
Presiding Bishop from 1887) until his death in 1899. The number of students reached its low ebb in the period directly after Williams's death and by 1902, there were only seven students enrolled in the seminary.
On the eve of American entrance into the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...
, there were further blows to the school. Professor Hervey Vanderbogart died suddenly in his 40s and Dean
Samuel Hart
Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transit ...
died a month later. It was into this context that The Rev.
William Palmer Ladd was suddenly thrust as the new dean.
William Palmer Ladd, who had arrived at Berkeley as a professor in 1916 was formally inaugurated as dean on the Feast of
St. Simon and
St. Jude, on 28 October 1918. Ladd was a noted liturgical scholar, and like many of his English colleagues––including the visiting professor, priest, and author,
Percy Dearmer
Percival Dearmer (1867–1936) was an English priest and liturgist best known as the author of ''The Parson's Handbook'', a liturgical manual for Anglican clergy, and as editor of ''The English Hymnal''. A lifelong socialist, he was an early ad ...
––was a committed
Christian socialist
Christian socialism is a religious and political philosophy that blends Christianity and socialism, endorsing left-wing politics and socialist economics on the basis of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. Many Christian socialists believe cap ...
. In 1919, at the immediate conclusion of the war, a guest lecture on Russia sparked a small scandal with accusations of “
Bolshevism
Bolshevism (from Bolshevik) is a revolutionary socialist current of Soviet Marxist–Leninist political thought and political regime associated with the formation of a rigidly centralized, cohesive and disciplined party of social revolution, ...
at Berkeley.” Though Ladd was ultimately vindicated, the incident resulted in permanent tensions with certain members of the Board.
New Haven years: 1928–1971
Ladd remained committed to
Social Gospel
The Social Gospel is a social movement within Protestantism that aims to apply Christian ethics to social problems, especially issues of social justice such as economic inequality, poverty, alcoholism, crime, racial tensions, slums, unclean env ...
movements throughout his tenure and also expanded public access to seminary education, inaugurating a Summer School of Theology for Women from 1923 to 1925. After many years of discussion about potential moves or mergers, Ladd transferred Berkeley to
New Haven
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...
in 1928 to take advantage of the resources of
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
. The impossibility of immediately selling the Middletown campus, as well as the
Great Depression caused another prolonged period of financial instability from 1929 to 1935. Eventually, these were overcome and Berkeley moved into Sachem Hall (renamed Brewster Hall for The Rt. Rev.
Chauncey B. Brewster) at the corner of Prospect and Sachem street in 1940.
After Ladd's death in 1941, he was succeeded by Prof. Charles Baker Hedrick as Acting Dean and then by The Rev. Lawrence Rose from
Central Theological College, Tokyo
The Central Theological College (Japanese: 聖公会神学院 ''Seikōkai Shingakuin'') is the Anglican theological college of the Nippon Sei Ko Kai in Yōga, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan.
Founded in 1908 from the amalgamation of three older Japanes ...
. Rose himself had been expelled from Japan along with many other Christian missionaries in 1940. Rose left in 1947 after being elected dean of
General
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...
, and was succeeded by The Rev. Percy Linwood Urban Sr., who had begun as Berkeley's professor of
systematic theology
Systematic theology, or systematics, is a discipline of Christian theology that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It addresses issues such as what the Bible teaches about certain topi ...
in 1941. In the late 1940s and early 1950s under Urban's deanship, Berkeley grew significantly, buying and renovating a number of buildings off Prospect Street. Students also moved from their long-temporary chapel in the attic of a former barn (“the upper room”) to a purpose-built chapel with 78 student and 11 faculty stalls. The Rev. Richard Hooker Wilmer Jr., previously the Episcopal Chaplain at Sewanee and then Yale, succeeded Urban in 1957. Over the course of the 1960s, however, the seminary began to once again experience financial hardship.
Yale years: 1971–present
In 1971, as the Episcopal Church sought to reduce the number of seminaries, The Very Rev. Michael Allen was appointed dean to seek a solution to Berkeley's financial challenges. A new agreement between Yale and Berkeley resulted in a closer affiliation, rather than amalgamation with another Episcopalian institution; since then all students of Berkeley Divinity School have also been students of
Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...
and take a Yale degree. As a consequence of this merger, Berkeley sold its campus on Sachem Street to Yale and purchased a converted
Edwardian
The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...
mansion on St. Ronan Street to house the
Deanery
A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or reside ...
, chapel, offices, classrooms, and a few student apartments. Its former campus was demolished between 2009 and 2012 to make room for two new residential colleges including
Pauli Murray College, named for the
Episcopal priest and activist.

Allen was succeeded by the brief tenure of The Very Rev. Charles Halsey Clark (1977–1982), and then The Very Rev. James E. Annand (1982–1991), after whom the "Annand Program for Spiritual Formation" is named. After the seven-year tenure of The Very Rev. Philip W. Turner III, Berkeley elected The Rev. R. William Franklin to the deanship. Franklin was the subject of some controversy in 2001 when he was alleged to have misappropriated some $10,000 in charitable funds.
Franklin resigned, and a formal audit verified personal expenditures “not consistent with the dean’s employment agreement.” The incident resulted in some tension between Berkeley and Yale University, which apparently rescinded permission to build a new chapel on the main Divinity School campus.
It also resulted in a subsequent lawsuit, lodged against the seminary by its former finance director.
Over the course of his decade-long tenure, The Very Rev. Joseph H. Britton substantially stabilized relationships with Yale Divinity School and the university, and undertook a series of new initiatives including urban ministries and international exchanges. Britton was succeeded by The Very Rev. Andrew McGowan in 2014.
Programs of study
As part of the terms of its amalgamation with
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
in 1971, Berkeley agreed to no longer offer earned degrees, such as the
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) or
Master of Arts
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. ...
in Religion (M.A.R.). (However, because it remains a legally self-governing institution, it continues to offer
honorary degree
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad ho ...
s, such as the
Doctor of Divinity
A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity.
In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ra ...
). All students at Berkeley are concurrently students at
Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...
from which they take their M.Div, M.A.R., or S.T.M. Berkeley offers two courses of study, a
Diploma
A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...
in Anglican Studies for M.Div candidates and a
Certificate in Anglican Studies for M.A.R. and S.T.M. students. These are conferred ''in addition'' to the degree proper from
Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...
. Approximately one third of Yale Divinity School's students undertaking the master's degree in divinity are members of Berkeley.
Like all seminaries within
The Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church, based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere, is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is divided into nine provinces. The presiding bishop of ...
, Berkeley requires and helps to coordinate
Clinical Pastoral Education Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is education to teach spiritual care to clergy and others. CPE is the primary method of training hospital and hospice chaplains and spiritual care providers in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand ...
(CPE) and Supervised Ministry Internships for all of its
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 ...
candidates who are preparing for
ordination
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform v ...
.
Worship
Daily corporate worship at Berkeley occurs in the Chapel of St. Luke in the Berkeley Center on St. Ronan Street. This is officially the fourth Chapel of St. Luke (the previous ones being in Middletown, and two iterations on Sachem Street in New Haven). Worship generally conforms to the
''Book of Common Prayer'' (1979), which is the official Prayerbook of
The Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church, based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere, is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is divided into nine provinces. The presiding bishop of ...
. Worship alternates between Rite I (traditional language), Rite II (modern language), and the "Berkeley Office."
Berkeley has had a long history of liturgical development which began during the incumbency of The Very Rev. William Palmer Ladd, dean and
liturgist
Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...
, who authored the ''Prayer Book Interleaves'' in 1941.
In term-time,
Morning Prayer and
Holy Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instituted ...
are celebrated Monday through Friday at 7:30 AM.
Evening Prayer is read on Tuesdays and Thursdays (5:30 PM and 5:45 PM, respectively). An evening "Community
Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was institu ...
" is celebrated Wednesdays at 6:00 PM in
Yale Divinity School's Marquand Chapel with the Berkeley Chapel Choir. Noonday Prayer is read Fridays at 12:15 PM.
Deans
* 1854–1899: The Most Rev.
John Williams
John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review '' WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
*1899–1908: The Very Rev. John Binney
*1908–1917: The Very Rev. Dr.
Samuel Hart
Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transit ...
*1917–1941: The Very Rev.
William Palmer Ladd
*1942–1947: The Very Rev. Lawrence Rose
*1947–1957: The Very Rev. Dr. Percy Linwood Urban Sr.
*1957–1969: The Very Rev. Dr. Richard Hooker Wilmer Jr.
*1970–1976: The Very Rev. J. C. Michael Allen
*1977–1982: The Very Rev. Charles Halsey ("Kelly") Clark
*1982–1991: The Very Rev. James E. Annand
*1991–1998: The Very Rev. Dr. Philip W. Turner III
*1998–2001: The Rt. Rev. Dr.
Ralph William Franklin
*2003–2014: The Very Rev. Dr. Joseph H. Britton
*2014–present: The Very Rev. Dr.
Andrew McGowan
Notable alumni
*The Rt. Rev.
Charles Minnigerode Beckwith
Charles Minnigerode Beckwith (June 2, 1851 – April 18, 1928) was fourth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama from 1902 till 1928.
Early life and education
Beckwith was born on June 2, 1851, in Petersburg, Virginia, son of Thomas Stanley ...
, fourth Bishop of
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = " Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
*The Rev.
Barbara Brown Taylor, Episcopal priest, preacher, and theologian
*The Rev.
Robert W. Castle
Rev. Robert Wilkinson Castle Jr. (August 29, 1929 – October 27, 2012) was an American Episcopal priest, social activist, and actor. Castle was the subject of the 1992 documentary film '' Cousin Bobby'', which was directed by his cousin, film dir ...
(1929–2012), Episcopal priest, activist and actor (''
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
'', ''
Beloved'', ''
Rachel Getting Married
''Rachel Getting Married'' is a 2008 American drama film directed by Jonathan Demme, and starring Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, and Debra Winger. The film premiered at the 65th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2008 ...
'').
*The Most. Rev.
Michael Curry, (born 1953), Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church
*The Rev.
Charles Fulton (born 1938), Episcopal priest, revivalist
*The Rt. Rev.
Alfred Harding (1852–1923), second Bishop of
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
*The Rt. Rev.
Frederick Joseph Kinsman (1868-1944), third Bishop of
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacen ...
, subsequently converted to
Roman Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
*The Rev.
George E. Lounsbury
George Edward Lounsbury (May 7, 1838 – August 16, 1904) was an American politician and the 58th Governor of Connecticut from 1899 to 1901.
Early life
Lounsbury was born in Poundridge, New York on May 7, 1838, the son of Nathan Lounsbury ...
(1838-1904),
Governor of Connecticut
The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Conne ...
*The Right Rev.
Edward Harding MacBurney
Edward Harding "Ed" MacBurney SSC (October 30, 1927 – March 17, 2022) was an American Anglican bishop. He was born in Albany, New York to Alfred Cadwell MacBurney (1896-1986) and Florence Marion McDowell MacBurney (1897-1989). A graduate of Da ...
, Episcopal Bishop of Quincy
*The Rt. Rev.
Victoria Matthews
Victoria Matthews (born 1954) is a Canadian Anglican bishop. From 2008 until 2018, she served as Bishop of Christchurch in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. In 1994, she became the first woman ordained bishop in the ...
(born 1954), Bishop of
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anc ...
and of
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
*The Rev. Dr.
Leonel Mitchell (1930-2012), Episcopal priest, liturgist
*The Rt. Rev.
William Woodruff Niles
William Woodruff Niles (May 24, 1832 - March 31, 1914) was the third bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, United States, and served as such from 1870 until his death in 1914.''Who Was Who in America'', Vol. 1, 1897-1942, Chicago, Mar ...
(1832-1914), third Bishop of
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...
*The Rev.
Henry Harrison Oberly, Episcopal priest, liturgist
*The Rt. Rev.
Sidney Catlin Partridge
Sidney Catlin Partridge (September 1, 1857 – June 22, 1930) was the first Bishop of Kyoto (1900–1911) and the second Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri (1911–1930).
Early life and education
Partridge was born in New York C ...
(1857-1930), Bishop of
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ...
, second Bishop of
West Missouri
*The Rev.
Harry Boone Porter
Harry Boone Porter Jr. (1923–1999) was an American Episcopal priest, liturgist, and editor of '' The Living Church'' magazine.
Born on January 10, 1923, in Louisville, Kentucky, Porter was an alumnus of St. Paul's School in Concord, New Ha ...
(1923–1999), Episcopal priest, liturgist, journalist, and environmentalist
*The Rev. Dr.
Robert W. Prichard, Episcopal priest, church historian
*The Rt. Rev.
Walter Righter
Walter Cameron Righter (October 23, 1923 – September 11, 2011) was a bishop in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. He served the Diocese of Iowa from 1972 to 1988. He then served as assistant bishop for the Diocese of Newark ...
(1923–2011), seventh Bishop of
Iowa
Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
*The Rt. Rev.
Calvin Schofield Jr.
Calvin Onderdonk Schofield Jr., (born January 6, 1933), the second Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida, was born in 1933, in Delhi, New York, the son of Calvin O. Schofield and his wife, Mabel Ellen Schofield.''Episcopal Clerica ...
(born 1933), Bishop of
Southeast Florida
*The Rev. Dr.
Massey H. Shepherd
Massey Hamilton Shepherd Jr. (1913–1990) was an American priest and scholar of the Episcopal Church. A prominent liturgist, he was one of the few American members of other Christian churches honored with an invitation to observe the Second Va ...
, Episcopal priest, liturgist, architect of the
''Book of Common Prayer'' (1979)
*The Rt. Rev.
Kirk Stevan Smith
Kirk Stevan Smith (born 6 June 1951) was the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona from 2004 to 2019.
Early life and education
Smith was born on June 6, 1951, in Soap Lake, Washington, the son of Rev. Richard Smith and Harriet Smith. Rev. R ...
, fifth Bishop of
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...
*The Rt. Rev.
Elisha Smith Thomas
Elisha Smith Thomas (March 2, 1834 – March 9, 1895) was second bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas from 1889 to 1895.
Early life and education
Thomas was born on March 2, 1834, in Wickford, Rhode Island, the son of Allen Mason Thomas and ...
, second Bishop of
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to ...
*
William H. Vibbert, priest and Hebrew scholar
*The Rt. Rev.
Lemuel H. Wells
Lemuel Henry Wells (December 3, 1841 – March 27, 1936) was the first Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Spokane.
Early years
Born in Yonkers, New York, Wells lived a sheltered childhood, and as a boy experienced a desire to become a missi ...
(1841–1936), first Bishop of
Spokane
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Canada ...
*The Rev.
Henry S. Whitehead (1882–1932), Episcopal priest, author of
horror fiction
Horror is a genre of fiction which is intended to frighten, scare, or disgust. Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror, which is in the realm of speculative fiction. Literary historian J. ...
and fantasy
*The Rev.
Robert Shaw Sturgis Whitman (1915–2010), Episcopal priest, author
References
External links
Official website
{{coord, 41.3232, -72.9233, display=title
Anglican seminaries and theological colleges
Yale Divinity School
Educational institutions established in 1854
Education in New Haven, Connecticut
Episcopal Church (United States)
Buildings and structures in New Haven, Connecticut
Universities and colleges in New Haven County, Connecticut
Episcopal Church in Connecticut
Seminaries and theological colleges in Connecticut
1854 establishments in Connecticut