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CORE VALUES
Scripture
Ashland Theological Seminary believes God’s saving revelation has been supremely
made in Jesus Christ. The Bible is the complete and authentic record of that
revelation. We are committed to both the Old and New Testaments as God’s
infallible message for the church and the world. The Scriptures are foundational to
the education process at Ashland Theological Seminary.
Spiritual Formation
Ashland Theological Seminary believes that spiritual formation is at the heart of all
we do. Spiritual formation is the process of nurturing an intimate relationship with
God, encompassing heart, soul, and mind. Spiritual formation is obedience to the
Word of Christ and an intentional commitment to grow, study, pray, and be held
accountable for our life and witness, both before God and one another.
Community
Ashland Theological Seminary builds community through shared faith. As students,
staff, faculty, and administration, we identify ourselves as community. We express
community through chapel, classes, spiritual formation groups, social events, conferences,
prayer cells, and joint ministry experiences as we work and live together.
Within this environment of support and challenge, it is possible for us to grow
inwardly, in our relationship with God and others, and in our outlook on the world.
Academic Excellence
Ashland Theological Seminary is committed to academic excellence. While seminary
education is unique, Ashland creates an atmosphere conducive to academic studies
and sustains high scholastic standards from an internationally recognized faculty.
Integrated within our curriculum is the whole framework of the Seminary’s core
values leading to a goal of lifelong learning expressed through servant leadership.
ETHOS OF ASHLAND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
SUMMARY
Ashland Theological Seminary is sponsored by the Brethren Church, whose
Anabaptist and Pietist heritage shapes the core values of the seminary. The
seminary is an evangelical and ecumenical institution, as well as a community
of faith whose identity is shaped by its service to the scholarly community, the
church, and the world. We embrace a diversity that finds its unity in Jesus
Christ. We are committed to practicing justice in our engagements with one
another and with the world. As partners in ministry and brothers and sisters
in Christ, we strive to foster a redemptive community that lives by the values
of God’s kingdom.
RELIGIOUS HERITAGE
Anabaptist/Pietist Heritage
The core values of the Seminary are grounded in its Brethren heritage, which
is derived from Anabaptism and Pietism. Both the 16th-century Anabaptists
and the 17th-century Pietists emphasized the centrality of Scripture for their
faith and life. Spiritual formation was also critical for both movements. While
both stressed the necessity of regeneration and new life, the Anabaptists
expressed spiritual formation in terms of discipleship to Christ, while the
Pietists expressed it as a warm personal devotional life. The Anabaptist view
of the church as a community of disciples and the Pietist use of small groups
for Christian growth have both contributed to the Seminary’s understanding
of community. Finally, academic excellence showed clearly in the Pietists’
founding of educational institutions and their efforts to provide quality
education for both men and women and for diverse social groups.
Church Relationship
The Brethren Church, which sponsors the Seminary, is a branch of the
Brethren movement that began in Schwarzenau, Germany, in 1708. The
founders of the Brethren movement were influenced by Radical Pietism and
adopted much of their theology and practice from
Anabaptism. By 1729, because of persecution and
other pressures, the Brethren had relocated to
America. The present-day Brethren Church,
headquartered in Ashland, Ohio, grew out of the
Progressive movement within the German Baptist
Brethren and became a distinct denomination in
1883.
The Brethren Church is both conservative and
progressive—conservative in its commitment to
Scripture and to the historic Christian faith and
progressive in its commitment to modern methods
and contemporary relevance. The denomination is
evangelical in theology.
Since its early days, the Brethren Church has had a concern for higher
education and for the training of men and women for ministry. These
commitments were behind the founding of Ashland Theological Seminary.
The Seminary welcomes non-Brethren students and is home to faculty and
students from many different Christian traditions.
Historical Background
Ashland Theological Seminary is part of the graduate school of Ashland
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