Starr King School For Ministry

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by spmoran, May 13, 2005.

Loading...
  1. spmoran

    spmoran Member

    Hi, all. The search doesn't seem to be working now (or nobody has ever written anything about this school) but I'm interested in finding out about the Starr King School For Ministry in Berkeley, CA. A church I want to explore has a minister that got a Master of Divinity there. Anyone know anything about this school? Thanks!
     
  2. spmoran

    spmoran Member

    Well, some of the pages that weren't working before are working now. The school is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools, and I looked them up and they said "The ATS Commission on Accrediting accredits institutions and approves degree programs offered by accredited schools. The Association's Commission on Accrediting is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and by the nongovernmental Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) for the accreditation of graduate, professional theological schools in the U.S. " So maybe the school is legit?
     
  3. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

  4. spmoran

    spmoran Member

    Well, now, that's even better. I am thinking of attending a Unitarian Universalist church this Sunday to check it out, and saw that the Minister had listed his credentials in his bio. I decided that if they were legit, and he really had earned an accredited Masters degree, then that was one less thing to be skeptical about. Thanks a lot, Bruce!
     
  5. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    It doesn't offer DL programs as far as I know.

    http://www.sksm.edu/

    SKSM is one of two Unitarian Universalist seminaries in the US. It's interesting that SKSM isn't regionally accredited. (It's true, several of the GTU seminaries aren't RA.) But it is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).

    The other UU seminary, Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago does offer some DL, I believe.

    http://www.meadville.edu/

    The GTU consortium is kind of interesting. It's a whole collection of formally independent but closely cooperating seminaries and institutes. The seminaries individually offer their own M.Div.s and professional preparation to clerics of their respective denominations. In addition, the consortium itself has kind of a virtual corporate existence (and its own regional accreditation) and it offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in the more scholarly religious subjects in the Graduate Theological Union name.

    http://www.gtu.edu

    Most of the schools are located adjacent to one another about a block north of the UC Berkeley campus on what's known in Berkeley as 'holy hill'. They all share a common theological mega-library. Students at any of them can take classes at any of the others. And UC Berkeley allows students at the GTU schools to take classes at UC and to use its libraries. Not too shabby.

    Here's the GTU's members:

    American Baptist Seminary of the West
    American Baptist Church, USA

    Church Divinity School of the Pacific
    Episcopal Church

    Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology
    Roman Catholic Church

    Franciscan School of Theology
    Roman Catholic Church

    Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley
    Roman Catholic Church

    Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
    Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

    Pacific School of Religion
    Interdenominational

    San Francisco Theological Seminary
    Presbyterian Church (USA)

    Starr King School for the Ministry
    Unitarian Universalist

    And here's its affiliates (descriptions from the GTU website):

    The Center for the Study of Religion and Culture (CSRC) encourages interdisciplinary approaches to the interpretation of texts, cultural environments, and social strutures of past and present.

    The Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies (CJS) offers graduate programs for Jewish students planning careers in Jewish studies or Jewish education and provides for mutual exploration and exchange between Jewish and Christian scholars.

    The Center for the Arts, Religion, and Education (CARE) encourages and develops programs, interrelations, and scholarship in the arts and religion.

    The Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences (CTNS) seeks to promote the creative mutual interaction between contemporary theology and the natural sciences.

    The Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS) is a seminary and graduate school affiliated with the GTU and associated with the Buddhist Churches of America. IBS offers a systematic educational program specializing in Contemporary Shin Buddhist Studies and culminating in a fully accredited Master of Arts degree which is jointly administered with the GTU.

    New College Berkeley (NCB) prepares Christian lay persons for active ministry in those settings to which God calls them, and promotes conversations among Christians and others concerning the moral sources underlying our social practices and cultural values.

    The Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute (PAOI) seeks to embody a strong and visible presence within the GTU, interpreting the ancient and rich tradition of the Christian East. Its primary objective is to be an important center for the study and dissemination of Orthodox thought and culture.

    The School of Applied Theology (SAT) is a sabbatical program specifically designed for mid-life persons. Founded in 1960, SAT provides an opportunity for religious, laity and clergy to integrate theology, ministry, spirituality and psychology in a holistic environment.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 13, 2005
  6. spmoran

    spmoran Member

    First: Wow, thanks for that wealth of information.

    Yes, this fellow went to Berkeley to study for his M.A. I guess I just wanted to find out since I'm already skeptical about religion, but this belief system seems interesting to me. However, if the minister had a bogus degree listed, I'd just sleep in this Sunday. But as it stands now, it looks like he really did put in his time in residence at a legit school (as well as his undergrad work at Michigan State University), so I will go and listen with an open mind. I figure if Thomas Jefferson was a Universalist or Unitarian (I don't know which, because they didn't merge until the 20th century), then it might just be for me, too. Who knows?
     
  7. NNAD

    NNAD New Member

    Starr King is one of the primary UU theological schools and perhaps the most popular. They do offer a couple of DL courses but they do not lead to any certificate, MA, or M Div program. You must go in residence to get the credential.

    I attend UU churches, and if you are center-to-left orientated politically, thoughtful and inquisitive, and believe in works over acceptance or submission, you may fit in. They are exceptionally welcome to all views, unless you favor any sort of disciminatory practices. I've found them to be more "Christian" and moderate than the UUA publications and outside rethoric suggest.

    There is an old joke that the only time a UU minister says "Jesus Christ" iswhen he/she trips on the steps after church. It's a cute joke, but not near the truth.

    Good luck
     
  8. uncle janko

    uncle janko member

    Mr Jefferson was neither a Unitarian nor a Universalist (Universalists at that time would have been well below his social station, and they, like the Unitarians of his day, considered themselves Christians, which Mr Jefferson did not). He was a Deist--a term sadly hijacked in our own time.

    Starr King is, as Bill explained, completely academically legitimate.
     
  9. Guest

    Guest Guest

    As a former Unitarian-Universalist I want to caution you, if you are not aware, that not all UUA churches are the same. You will find UUA churches that run the gamut from pagan and atheist to Christian and/or theistic.

    Don't judge the UUA by the first church you visit.

    Please allow me to give the following sites for further info:

    1. www.uucf.uua.org

    2. http://www.americanunitarian.org

    3. www.uua.org

    4. www.cuups.org
     
  10. spmoran

    spmoran Member

    Uncle Janko, I think that Jefferson did consider himself a Christian, as evidenced by the Jefferson Bible. But I also think that in modern times, the term "Christian" is one of the most loaded words in our society. It means many things to many people, as I am sure you are aware.

    Regards,
     
  11. spmoran

    spmoran Member

    Wow! Thanks for that list, Jimmy. Each of those sites were so different, yet (for the most part) under the same general umbrella. I'm very curious to attend this morning, and see what my experience will be like.
     
  12. Guest

    Guest Guest

    Would you share your experience with us, please?
     
  13. uncle janko

    uncle janko member

    Dear Moran:

    My awareness is pretty good at the moment. Thank you for your confidence.
    The many and varied meanings (most of which I consider the purest crap and blather) with which fin-de-siecle Americans endow the label "Christian" have precisely nothing to do with the facts--on which I may be mistaken--of Mr Jefferson's religious opinions, nor with my opinion of his opinions (and that opinion is ungermane to this discussion). I am no anachronistic eisegete.

    Do let us know how your visit turned out.

    Cordially,
    J. Preotul
     
  14. Guest

    Guest Guest

    One of the most inaccurate statements in the history of modern Unitarianism is that Jefferson was a member of their group.

    This probably stems from a quote from Jefferson that he predicted not a person living in his day would not die a Unitarian.

    Jefferson was not a Unitarian. Uncle Janko is correct, he was a Deist.
     
  15. spmoran

    spmoran Member

    Lovely. It was probably the most interesting service I've ever attended. The main message was on Ghandi's Seven Deadly Sins. Very nice people, nice choir, very happy and friendly bunch of socially aware, spirit communing people. I do believe I will return next week. Thank you for asking.
     
  16. Guest

    Guest Guest

    Glad you enjoyed it. Would you describe the church as a humanist or theist?

    Mind telling us the name and location? I still have my old UUA directory and it would be nice to look it up.
     
  17. tlamora

    tlamora New Member

    As a member of a UU congregation I should advise that no two churchs or no two Sundays are quite the same. You should realize that UU churches are on the far liberal end of the religious and political spectrum and if that does not suit you, you are probably in the wrong place.

    Tom
     
  18. uncle janko

    uncle janko member

    Gandhi's 7 Deadly Sins

    Poor taste in clothing, certainly. Mr Jinnah was always better dressed.
     
  19. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    Re: Gandhi's 7 Deadly Sins

    If his last rebirth had been a little off-target, he mighta been a Digambara Jain. Skyclad. The problem of poor taste in clothing solved.
     
  20. spmoran

    spmoran Member

    Here you go, Jimmy.

    The Unitarian Universalist Association of Tacoma
    Website
    1115 South 56th Street
    Tacoma, Washington 98408-3405
    (253) 474-4646

    As for humanist or theist, that's a bit more difficult to answer. They most certainly seemed to believe in God (or a power greater than ourselves, define it how you will), but the message and the value system that I heard was very humanist. I will need more visits and more interaction with the minister to decide if it's a place for me.

    I will say, though, that it's the first service I ever left not questioning or doubting anything I heard. I certainly was questioning whether I am actually doing my best to live up to my own belief system, but I consider that a benefit.
     

Share This Page