Columbia Theological Seminary

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Columbia Theological Seminary
Columbia Theological Seminary.JPG
Established 1828
Affiliation Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
President Dr. Leanne Van Dyk
Academic staff
20
Students 305
Location Decatur, Georgia, United States
33.76466�N 84.28080�WCoordinates: 33.76466�N 84.28080�W
Campus Urban
Website www.ctsnet.edu
Columbia Theological Seminary is a Presbyterian seminary in Decatur, Georgia. It is
one of ten theological institutions affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).
[1]

Contents
1 History
2 Notable People associated with the seminary
2.1 Presidents of Columbia Theological Seminary
2.2 Faculty Emeriti[5]
2.3 Current Faculty[5]
2.4 Past Faculty 1925-Present (Decatur, GA Campus)
2.5 Past Faculty 1828-1925 (Columbia, SC Campus)
2.6 Alumni 1925-Present (Decatur, GA Campus)
2.7 Alumni 1828-1925 (Columbia, SC Campus)
3 References
4 External links
History
Columbia Theological Seminary was founded in 1828 in Lexington, Georgia, by several
Presbyterian ministers.[2] In 1830, the seminary was moved to Columbia, South
Carolina (taking its name at that location), and in 1927, to its current location
in suburban Atlanta.[3] During the American Civil War, the seminary became
affiliated with the Presbyterian Church of the Confederate States of America,
renamed the Presbyterian Church in the United States after the war. The school
became a battle ground in the debate over the theory of evolution in the PCUS
during the 1880s, due to the controversial views of James Woodrow, an uncle of
President Woodrow Wilson and seminary science professor, who aligned with
evolution, a controversy which led to the school not operating during the 1887-1888
academic year.

In 1830, Columbia, South Carolina, became the first permanent location of the
seminary. The school became popularly known as Columbia Theological Seminary, and
the name was formally accepted in 1925. The decade of the 1920s saw a shift in
population throughout the Southeast. Atlanta was becoming a commercial and
industrial center and growing rapidly in its cultural and educational
opportunities. Between 1925 and 1930, President Richard T. Gillespie provided
leadership that led to the development of the present facilities on a fifty-seven-
acre tract in Decatur, Georgia. Because the early years in Decatur were difficult,
the future of the institution became uncertain. Columbia, however, experienced
substantial growth under the leadership of Dr. J. McDowell Richards, who was
elected president in 1932 and led the seminary for almost four decades.

Columbia was one of the several PCUS seminaries that joined the PC (U.S.A.)
following the 1983 PCUS and United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. merger. It
upholds its historic covenants with the Synods of Living Waters and South Atlantic.

Notable People associated with the seminary

Presidents of Columbia Theological Seminary
1851-1854 President G.T. Snowden
1854-1857 Dr. J.H. Thornwell
1921�1925 Dr. John M. Wells
1925�1930 President Richard T. Gillespie
1932�1971 Dr. J. McDowell Richards
1971�1976 Dr. C. Benton Kline
1976�1987 Dr. J. Davison Philips
1987�2000 Dr. Douglas Oldenburg
2000�2009 Dr. Laura S. Mendenhall
2009�2014 Dr. Stephen A. Hayner
2015�present Dr. Leanne Van Dyk [4]
Faculty Emeriti[5]
David L. Bartlett, Professor Emeritus, writer.
Walter Brueggemann, Old Testament Professor Emeritus, theologian and writer.
Erskine Clarke, Professor Emeritus, religious historian.
Catherine Gunsalus Gonzalez, Professor Emerita, writer.
Sara Myers, Professor Emerita, theological librarian.
Kathleen M. O'Connor, Old Testament Professor Emerita, writer.
George Stroup, J.B. Green Professor Emeritus of Theology, author.
Brian Wren, Conant Professor of Worship
Current Faculty[5]
John Azumah, Professor of World Christianity and Islam; Director of International
Programs
William P. Brown, William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament, writer
Kathy Dawson, Associate Professor of Christian Education; Director of MAPT Program.
Mark Douglas (Ethicist), Professor of Christian Ethics; Director of MDiv Program.
Anna Carter Florence, Peter Marshall Associate Professor of Preaching
Israel Galindo, Associate Dean for Lifelong Learning
Elizabeth Johnson (New Testament Scholar), J. Davison Philips Professor of New
Testament
Martha L. Moore-Keish, J.B. Green Professor of Theology, Director of ThM Program
Marcia Y. Riggs, J. Erskine Love Professor of Christian Ethics and Director of ThM
Program, writer
Love L. Sechrest, Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Jeffery Tribble, Associate Professor of Ministry
Haruko Nawata Ward, Associate Professor of Church History
Ralph Watkins, Peachtree Associate Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth
Christine Roy Yoder, Professor of Old Testament Language, Literature, and Exegesis
Past Faculty 1925-Present (Decatur, GA Campus)
Barbara Brown Taylor, Adjunct Professor of Christian Spirituality, and well-known
Episcopal priest and writer.
G. Thompson Brown, (1921-2014), Professor Emeritus, writer, missionary, Director of
the Division of International Mission for the Presbyterian Church (US) (1967�1980),
founder of Honam Theological Academy (now Honam Theological University and
Seminary).
Pamela Cooper-White, Ben G and Nancye Clapp Gautier Professor of Pastoral Theology,
Care and Counseling. writer.
Charles Cousar, (1933-2014) Professor Emeritus, New Testament scholar, author.
Justo Gonzalez, adjunct professor with an international reputation for his
contributions to Historical theology.
Shirley Guthrie, J.B. Green Professor of Systematic Theology.
Joan Gray, Interim Vice President for Student Services and Dean of Students, former
Moderator of the 217th General Assembly.
Ben Campbell Johnson, Professor Emeritus of Evangelism, former Director of
Spirituality, writer.
Kimberly Bracken Long, Associate Professor of Worship
Deborah Flemister Mullen, Dean of Faculty/Executive Vice President, Associate
Professor of American Christianity and Black Church Studies
Rodger Nishioka, Benton Family Associate Professor of Christian Education
Syngman Rhee (Presbyterian minister), (1931-2015), Distinguished Visiting Professor
for Global Leadership Development
Ronald Wallace, (1911�2006), Professor of Biblical Theology and brother-in-law of
Thomas F. Torrance, J. B. Torrance, and David W. Torrance
Past Faculty 1828-1925 (Columbia, SC Campus)
Charles Colcock Jones, Sr., professor (1835�38, 1847�50), patriarch of the family
chronicled in Children of Pride (1972) and Erskine Clarke's Dwelling Place (2005).
William Swan Plumer, (1802-1880), Professor of Didactic and Polemic Theology (1867-
1875) and Professor of Pastoral, Casuistic, and Historical Theology (1875-1880).
James Henley Thornwell, (1812-1862) professor of theology post-1855; president of
South Carolina College, leader in organizing the Presbyterian Church in the
Confederate States.
Joseph R. Wilson, father of Woodrow Wilson, faculty member following the Civil War.
James Woodrow, first Perkins Professor of Natural Science, uncle of President
Woodrow Wilson and controversial professor
Alumni 1925-Present (Decatur, GA Campus)
C. Hassell Bullock, B.D. 1964.
Charles Cousar, B.D. 1958.
D. James Kennedy, graduate.
John C. Knapp, graduate, author, speaker, college president.
John H. Leith, graduate.
Peter Marshall, 1931 graduate, twice Chaplain of the United States Senate.
Ben Mathes, graduate, Missionary, founder of Rivers of the World.
J. Vernon McGee, graduate (1933), founder of Thru The Bible Radio Network.
Ian Punnett, graduate, radio talk show host.
James M. Robinson, 1946 graduate, New Testament scholar.
Alumni 1828-1925 (Columbia, SC Campus)
William Alderman Linton, missionary, founder of Hannam University in Korea
Benjamin Morgan Palmer, graduate (1841); Professor of Church History and Polity
(1854-1856), first Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States.
John Leighton Wilson, 1833 graduate; first missionaries to West Africa by the
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.
References
"Your Presbyterian Theological Seminaries at a Glance - Theological Education -
Presbyterian Mission Agency".
Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF).
Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 49. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
"Columbia Theological Seminary - Graduate Theology Programs - Atlanta, GA".
Columbia Theological Seminary.
"Dr. Leanne Van Dyk Named Tenth President". Columbia Theological Seminary.
"Staff & Faculty Directory - Columbia Theological Seminary - Atlanta, GA".
History of Columbia Theological Seminary by George T. Howe; Presbyterian Publishing
House, Columbia, SC; 1884.
Columbia Theological Seminary and The Southern Presbyterian Church by William
Childs Robinson, AM, ThD, DD; Dennis Lindsey Printing Co., Inc., Decatur, GA; 1931.
Colored Light by Louis C. LaMotte, MA, ThM; Presbyterian Committee of Publication,
Richmond, VA; 1937.
As I Remember It by Dr. J. McDowell Richards; Columbia Theological Seminary Press,
Decatur, GA; 1985.
Time of Blessing, Time of Hope by J. Davison Philips; Columbia Theological Seminary
Press, Decatur, GA; 1994.
External links
Official website
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Seminaries of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
vte
Reformed seminaries in the United States
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Georgia private colleges and universities
Categories: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) seminariesEducational institutions
established in 1828Presbyterianism in Georgia (U.S. state)Seminaries and
theological colleges in Georgia (U.S. state)Universities and colleges in Georgia
(U.S. state)Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of
Colleges and SchoolsUniversities and colleges in DeKalb County, GeorgiaDecatur,
GeorgiaPresbyterian Church in the United StatesV-12 Navy College Training
Program1828 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
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