After recent financial problems, Claremont School of Theology (CST) in Claremont, CA is in the preliminary stages of establishing a multi-faith graduate university. The Methodist-affiliated seminary is in the process of transforming itself into an institution of higher learning that will include the role of training United Methodist ministers but will include at least two other colleges (allegedly to be called "school of ethics, politics, and society" and the intriguing "school of world spiritualities and the healing arts"), which will constitute an institution dedicated to higher education towards promoting interreligious understanding and peace by training leaders in these areas of expertise.
CST's endeavor is an ambitious plan to build a multifaith, multicultural graduate university "to create active rapport among religions" for dealing with world problems. This must be an extremely challenging and exciting time for those at CST, but I can't express enough how absolutely magnificent this transformation will be. As of now, there are certainly a number of universities or colleges that offer courses and/or programs in comparative religion and interreligious studies. However, there are very few places with the enormous credentials and ability to attract superior scholars and students like CST to create an academic institution that structures its programs under the mission and purpose of being a multi-faith educational forum for promoting interreligious understanding and peacework. Universities and colleges with this directive are greatly needed and helpful in this increasingly pluralistic society and globalized world.
I wish CST's transition all the best and hope to contribute somehow. I'm eagerly waiting to see how this institution transforms into an interfaith center of scholarly learning.
John Dart reports on CST's transition in The Christian Century.
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