Greetings From The Academic Dean

It’s my pleasure to welcome you to the academic side of Hartford Seminary. Whether your interest is as a prospective student, experienced scholar, or for other reasons besides, I hope you will take some time to explore our website for what we have to offer through the school’s first-rate programs and personnel.

This is an exciting and challenging time to engage in theological education. So much is changing so rapidly in religious life, not just in the United States but globally as well. Hartford Seminary has long pioneered new directions for such education and continues to do so today in distinctive ways. For one thing, we have historic and progressive scholarly strengths in leadership development and practical theology, interfaith dialogue, and Islamic studies and Christian-Muslim relations. For another, we have the gift of an outstanding, diverse, and committed faculty who not only conduct leading research in their own disciplines but also can then teach what they know in dynamic, effective ways. Backing them up is an academic services staff that is attentive to students and enables our doctoral, masters, and certificate programs to run smoothly.

If you are interested in a conventional theological school that comfortably repeats the staid truisms of a bygone era, then I suspect that Hartford Seminary will not be what you want. If, on the other hand, you want to have your thinking challenged by engaging with excellent colleagues in an intimate setting, and if you hope to understand our complex, pluralistic, and changing religious landscape in ways that can contribute to justice, mercy, and peace, then I am sure you could do no better than to get to know us.

I look forward to meeting you in person.

Sincerely,

James Nieman, Ph.D.
Academic Dean