Boston College School of Theology and Ministry

(Redirected from Weston School of Theology)

The Gloria L. and Charles I. Clough School of Theology and Ministry (CSTM) is a Jesuit school of graduate theology at Boston College. It is an ecclesiastical faculty of theology that trains men and women, both lay and religious, for scholarship and service, especially within the Catholic Church.[1]

Boston College
School of Theology and Ministry
TypePrivate
Established2008
Parent institution
Boston College
Religious affiliation
Catholic (Jesuit)
Academic affiliations
Boston Theological Institute
DeanRev. Michael C. McCarthy, S.J.
Academic staff
61
Students420
Location,
42°20′34″N 71°9′49″W / 42.34278°N 71.16361°W / 42.34278; -71.16361
CampusSuburban
Websitewww.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/stm.html

History

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The School of Theology and Ministry was founded in the merger of Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Boston College Institute for Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry on June 1, 2008.[2]

Weston College opened in 1922 in Cambridge, Massachusetts within the Harvard University neighborhood, as a center of philosophy for the New England Province of the Jesuits which was located in Weston, Massachusetts. Weston College expanded in 1927 to prepare men for ordination, and later to include religious and lay men and women, as the Weston Jesuit School of Theology.[2][3]

Historically, the School of Theology at Weston College was listed in the Boston College course catalog as a constituent school of the university, with the names of theological degree graduates in the commencement program.[4]

In December 2004, Boston College announced plans to create a School of Theology and Ministry by merging the Institute for Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry and the Weston Jesuit School of Theology.[5][6] The reaffiliation of Weston Jesuit School of Theology with Boston College took place in 2008, and the new school was moved to Boston College's campus in Brighton, purchased in 2006. These buildings formerly housed the chancery of the Archdiocese of Boston and portions of St. John's Seminary.[7][8] In September 2015, Simboli Hall, home of the School of Theology and Ministry, was dedicated in recognition of alumnus and real estate developer Anthony C. Simboli and his wife Gloria.[9]

In 2024, the STM was renamed for donors Charles “Chuck” Clough Jr. and Gloria Clough who donated $25 million to the school.[10]

Academics

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The School of Theology and Ministry is both a graduate divinity school and an ecclesiastical faculty of theology regulated by the Apostolic Constitution Sapientia Christiana (1979) and accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. It offers both master and doctoral degrees, civil and ecclesiastical degrees, and a wide variety of continuing education offerings, including online programs through C21 Online.

Faculty

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There are approximately 29 full-time faculty members at the School of Theology and Ministry, in addition to about 32 members of the Morrissey College Department of Theology at Boston College with which students are able to work and take classes. The School of Theology and Ministry faculty can be divided according to their research in the following fields:[11]

Student demographics

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Enrollment at the School of Theology and Ministry is approximately 420 students.[12] While the majority of students at the STM are Catholic, it is also home to a number of Anglican/Episcopal, Methodist, Lutheran, Evangelical, Orthodox, Presbyterian, Unitarian Universalist, Nondenominational, Buddhist, and Hindu students. The student body includes representatives from 27 nations and 6 continents, and students range in age from 21 to 74 years old. Laypersons comprise 65% of the students at the STM while 35% represent a religious order or are diocesan priests. Lay students in all programs study alongside Jesuit scholars.

Theology and Ministry Library

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The Theology and Ministry Library is located on the Brighton Campus. It is open to all Boston College students, faculty and staff, and is a part of the Boston College Library System. Integrating the former collections of Weston Jesuit School of Theology and St. John's Seminary, it contains more than 2.44 million volumes. The library also participates in the Boston Theological Institute library program, which allows School of Theology and Ministry students to borrow materials from any of the other BTI libraries.[13]

New Testament Abstracts

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The School of Theology and Ministry publishes New Testament Abstracts, a research and bibliographic aid for scholars, librarians, clergy, and students of the New Testament and its historical milieu. The journal has been in publication since 1956, and each year it abstracts approximately 1,500 articles, selected from over 500 periodicals in different languages, as well as hundreds of books. New Testament Abstracts is published three times per year.[14]

Deans

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  1. Rev. Richard J. Clifford, S.J. (2008–2010)
  2. Rev. Mark S. Massa, S.J. (2010–2016)[15]
  3. Rev. Thomas D. Stegman, S.J. (2016–2022)[16]
  4. Rev. Michael C. McCarthy, S.J. (2022–present)[17]

Notable alumni

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "About BC STM – Boston College School of Theology and Ministry". bc.edu. Archived from the original on 2017-06-21. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  2. ^ a b Hemel, Daniel J., "Local Jesuit School Eyes BC Merger : Weston Jesuit School of Theology may leave Cambridge home", Harvard Crimson, December 10, 2004.
  3. ^ "Mission & History – School of Theology and Ministry – Boston College". Archived from the original on 2021-08-26. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  4. ^ Donovan, Dunigan, FitzGerald, Charles F., David R., Paul A. (1990). History of Boston College: From the Beginnings to 1990. University Press of Boston College. ISBN 0-9625934-0-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ "WESTON JESUIT AUTHORIZED TO TAKE NEXT STEPS TOWARD RE-AFFILIATION WITH BOSTON COLLEGE, WASHINGTON". bc.edu. February 16, 2006. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  6. ^ "The Boston College Chronicle". bc.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-08-26. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  7. ^ School of Theology and Ministry Archived February 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "BC Adds School of Theology, Ministry", The Heights (Boston College student newspaper) 8 November 2007. Archived November 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "In Recognition of Simboli Family, A New Name on Brighton Campus". 17 September 2015. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  10. ^ "BC School of Theology and Ministry to be named for benefactors Gloria and Chuck Clough". www.bc.edu. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  11. ^ Boston College School of Theology and Ministry Faculty Archived April 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "Facts & Figures - School of Theology and Ministry - Boston College". Archived from the original on 2022-03-24. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  13. ^ Boston College Theology and Ministry Library Archived August 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ "New Testament Abstracts NTA – BC School of Theology and Ministry". bc.edu. Archived from the original on 2021-09-18. Retrieved 2021-09-20.
  15. ^ Rev. Mark Massa, Named Dean of the School of Theology and Ministry Archived May 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ "Rev. Thomas Stegman, Named Dean of Boston College School of Theology and Ministry". bc.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  17. ^ "New dean for School of Theology and Ministry Michael McCarthy, S.J., former vice president at Fordham University, will assume the post July 1". bc.edu. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  18. ^ "Bishop Malone's Story". Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
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