Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary, located in
Pasadena, California, is the largest multidenominational seminary in the world. A leading Christian theological institution known for its academic rigor and
ethnic and
denominational diversity, Fuller has over 4300 students from over 70 countries and 120 denominations.
Through its three schools,
Theology,
Psychology,
Intercultural Studies, and the Horner Center for Lifelong Learning, the seminary offers
university-style
education leading to 13 different
degrees.
While maintaining an evangelical outlook, Fuller is welcoming both to the evengelical conservative and the theologically liberal. The faculty consists of a variety of Christian scholars with equally diverse backgrounds. Students and professors often hold diametrically opposing views and vehemently debate a wide range of religious and ethical issues, yet remain committed to their Christian camaraderie. Fuller's diverse student body and ecumenical persuasion are among its chief strengths. It is also frequently at the center of debate among religious and secular intellectuals on issues ranging from politics, religion, science and culture. Fuller is also the target of criticism in conservative evangelical circles for its allegedly liberal stance on religious and political issues.
Fuller Seminary was founded in
1947 by
Charles E. Fuller, a well-known
radio evangelist,
Harold Ockenga,
pastor of Park Street Church in
Boston,
Carl F. H. Henry, and
Harold Lindsell. It began with the theological vision of reforming
fundamentalism from its anti-intellectual and socially isolationist stance of the 1920-40 era. The founders envisaged that the seminary would become the
CalTech of Christian scholarship.
Some of the earliest faculty held to theologically and socially conservative views, which later gave way to more progressive thinking in the 1960s and 1970s. There were tensions in the late 1950s and early 1960s as some of the conservative faculty members—such as
Carl F. H. Henry,
Harold Lindsell, Wilbur Smith and
Gleason Archer; became uncomfortable with staff and students who did not agree with total biblical
inerrancy. These tensions are discussed at length in
George Marsden's well-known historical account of the seminary and its place in the rise of
neo-evangelicalism. Since the 1970s, Fuller has gone through significant transformation and is influential today as a progressive evangelical institution with strong commitment to scholarship and training of Christian leaders, as well as to social justice and mission.
In addition to its main campus in Pasadena, Fuller Theological Seminary offers classes at five extension sites located in the western United States:
* Fuller Northwest (Seattle)
*
Fuller Northern California (Bay Area and Sacramento)
* Fuller Southern California
* Fuller Southwest (Phoenix)
* Fuller Colorado (Colorado Springs)
Fuller Theological Seminary has numerous notable alumni and faculty.
Notable alumni
*
Miroslav Volf (M.A), influential theologian and
Yale University professor. Director of the
Yale Center for Culture and Faith.
*
Anthony C. Yu (S.T.B), religion and literary scholar; translator of
Journey to the West. Professor at
the University of Chicago.
*
Wallie Jennings (M.Div), scholar and theologian at
Duke University*
John Piper (B.D), author, theologian and senior pastor of
Bethlehem Baptist Church.
*
Rob Bell (M.Div), author of the acclaimed
Velvet Elvis, founding pastor of
Mars Hill Bible Church.
*
Tony Jones (M.Div), national coordinator of "Emergent" a growing, generative friendship of missional Christians and author of many books including "The Sacred Way."
*
Bill Bright (B.D), founder of
Campus Crusade for Christ.
*
Joon Gon Kim, founder of
Korea Campus Crusade for Christ.
*
Robert Grant, founder of the
Christian Voice organization.
*
John Ortberg, teaching pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, and author of several books including
The Life You've Always Wanted and
If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat.
*
Rick Warren (D.Min), pastor of
Saddleback Church and author of the best-selling hardback book in U.S publishing history,
The Purpose Driven Life.
Fictional Alumni-
* Danny Witwer: Federal agent and one of the main characters in
Steven Spielberg's science-fiction thriller
Minority Report, played by
Colin Farrell.
Notable faculty
*
Nancey Murphy, notable philosopher of science and Christian theologian. Known for her works on religion and science. Author of Theology in the Age of Scientific Reasoning, winner of prizes from the American Academy of Religion and the
Templeton Foundation.
*
Miroslav Volf, influential theologian and currently the Henry B. Wright Professor of Systematic Theology at
Yale University. Author of
Exclusion and Embrace, named by
Christianity Today as one of the 100 most important religion books of the
20th Century. Volf taught at Fuller from 1991-1998.
*
Richard Mouw, influential Christian philosopher, ethicist and author. Current President of Fuller.
*
Glen Stassen, Christian ethicist and son of
Harold Stassen. Currently the Lewis B. Smedes Professor of Christian Ethics at Fuller.
*
Charles H. Kraft, linguist and anthropologist. Proponent of the
Third Wave of the Holy Spirit Movement. The Sun-Hee Kwak Professor of Anthropology and Intercultural Communication at Fuller.
*
Gleason Archer, influential Biblical scholar and theologian. Taught at Fuller from 1948-65.
*
David M. Scholer, Associate Dean for the Center for Advanced Theological Studies and Professor of
New Testament. Scholer is a distinguished authority on ancient
Gnosticism and particularly the
Nag Hammadi Scrolls. Scholer, who has incurable
cancer, has been delivering sermons on drawing on religious faith and having a deadly disease. Listen to the sermon
Living With Cancer here.
*
Marianne Meye-Thompson, Professor of
New Testament Interpretation. Meye-Thompson is an expert in the interpretation of the Gospel of John as well as New Testament background.
*
Edward John Carnell (1919-1967) was the author of
Introduction to Christian Apologetics,
A Philosophy of the Christian Religion, and many other books. He served as seminary President from 1954-59.
*
Lewis B. Smedes (1921-2002), influential theologian and writer. Author of Forgive and Forget. Formerly Professor of Theology and Ethics and taught at Fuller for twenty-five years.
*
John Wimber, pastor and founder of the
Vineyard Movement. Wimber directed the Charles E. Fuller Institute of Evangelism and Church Growth from 1974-1978 and later served as an adjunct professor at Fuller.
*
C. Peter Wagner, former professor of Church Growth at Fuller Theological Seminary. Coined the term
Third Wave; founder of
Global Harvest Ministries, and co-founder of the World Prayer Center.
*
Richard J. Foster, theologian and author of Celebration of Discipline- named by
Christianity Today as one of the 100 Best Religious Books of the 20th Century.
*
Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, a creative and prolific theologian with notable influence in ecumenical circles.
*
Thomas Talbott, a professor of philosophy at
Willamette University who is controversial in theological circles for his vigorous defense of the doctrine of Christian
universal salvation.
*
Russell P. Spittler, a professor of New Testament and Corinthian Christianity, and former provost at Fuller.
*
Cecil Mel Robeck, ordained with the
Assemblies of God, a professor of ecumenics, church history, and Pentecostalism with influence in Roman Catholic circles.
In the movie,
Minority Report, character Danny Witwer, played by
Colin Farrell, noted that he had attended Fuller Theological Seminary for three years before joining the Attorney General's office as a representative.
* George M. Marsden,
Reforming Fundamentalism: Fuller Seminary and the New Evangelicalism (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1987).
*
Official site*
Article on Fuller: "Jesus With a Genius Grant"*
Atlantic Monthy article on Fuller and the intellectual development of evangelicalism
