Louisville Seminary at a Glance
Spanish-language lay training at Louisville Seminary provides biblical, theological education, contextual curriculum
The need to minister to the ever-growing population of Spanish-speaking people in the south central United States has resulted in a collaborative lay training program organized by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Read more
1044 Alta Vista Rd.
Louisville, KY 40205
(502) 895-3411
Size
Students: 229 (152 FTE)
Faculty: 15 full-time, 9 part-time
Degrees offered
Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, Master of Arts (Religion), Doctor of Ministry
Special programs
Field Education Program, Bible and Spiritual Formation Program, Black Church Studies Program
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary is called by God through the church to educate men and women to participate in the redemptive ministry of Jesus Christ in the world. The seminary’s primary goal is to serve the church by equipping those preparing for ordination as ministers of the Word and Sacrament. The seminary also provides education for counselors, educators, chaplains, teachers and other church leaders, whose vocation invites professional training integrated with theological reflection. Students are strongly encouraged to seek field education experiences in diverse settings — unfamiliar places that can build upon or expand the experiences of their upbringing. Master of Divinity students are required to take four semesters of field education, and all students are expected to immerse themselves in placements that nurture, stretch, challenge and reaffirm their understanding of ministry and service. The seminary serves as a resource to the church and society through continuing education programs. Through its commitment to scholarly research and teaching, the seminary provides a theological resource for the church by striving to interpret the gospel in an ever-changing world.
What programs does Louisville Seminary offer?
Louisville Seminary has more than 200 students studying in the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts (Religion), Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, Master of Theology,and Doctor of Ministry degree programs.
Theological education at Louisville Seminary is grounded in the history and Scripture of the Christian movement, informed by the Presbyterian and Reformed traditions and guided by the vision of an ecumenical church that is committed to ministry in a global, multicultural and religiously diverse context and to religious leadership that is competent in the practices of Christian ministry.
Louisville Seminary is one of three theological schools in the nation with an accredited, seminary-based master’s program in marriage and family therapy. In addition, the seminary is home to the Louisville Institute, a program of Lilly Endowment Inc., which is dedicated to leadership education and scholarly support of the study of American religion, and the Grawemeyer Award in Religion, a $100,000 prize recognizing works that honor the relationship between God and humanity.
The faculty members are accomplished scholars of the church who care deeply about students and nurture them in diverse viewpoints through team-taught curriculum and the hallmark Field Education Program. Strong financial aid helps students meet the expenses of theological education, often through full tuition grants. And a commitment to hospitality makes Louisville Seminary known nationwide for its welcome.
History and Location
Founded in 1853, Louisville Seminary shares the heritage of the earliest “western” seminaries and universities created to train ministers.
The present seminary has represented both the northern and southern streams of the Presbyterian Church since 1901, when the Danville School of Theology and Louisville Seminary joined to support the oldest and best example of a unified Presbyterian witness after the Civil War. Today, following reunion of the Presbyterian Church in 1983, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary has continued to serve as a bridge, mediating with a sense of welcome and hospitality the dividing issues in the world today.
The seminary’s wooded 67-acre, park-like campus is nestled within two park systems, which were designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, who was the designer of New York City’s Central Park. The campus is close to downtown Louisville and the Ohio River, and its students benefit greatly from the Seminary’s proximity to the national center of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The location provides students and faculty with many opportunities to practice and learn about ministry in larger and smaller congregations and communities throughout central Kentucky and southern Indiana and Ohio.
