Additional Opportunities for Study
Candler Foundry
The Candler Foundry is located in the Rita Anne Rollins Building, 1531 Dickey Drive, Suite 257. The Candler Foundry staff can be reached at 404.727.3164 or at candlerfoundry@emory.edu. For more information visit candlerfoundry.emory.edu.
The Candler Foundry offers courses, non-degree certificates, webinars, a podcast, and other opportunities designed to help individuals explore theology, grow spiritually, and learn in community. Its goal is to make theological education accessible outside of Candler’s formal degree programs and in formats that are wise, engaging, and relevant to broader audiences, including laity of all denominations, ministry leaders, Sunday School goers, teachers, clergy, and those just curious about faith.
Courses in the Community
The Courses in the Community program offers in-depth learning opportunities led by Candler faculty and hosted at congregations in and beyond Atlanta. These courses are designed to bridge the gap between the church and the academy by developing classes that connect biblical and theological learning to issues and questions that are relevant to faith communities. These courses come in two formats: (1) Master Classes are semester-long courses that are open to both Candler students and community participants and are located in local congregations or taught online. Candler students can enroll in these courses through the normal enrollment process and will receive standard course credits. Community participants can enroll through The Candler Foundry, with no application required. The standard course fee is $150, excluding books. Community members are full participants in the class, with the ability to attend class sessions, engage in classroom discussions, access course materials, and interact with the instructor as would enrolled Candler students. Community participants are permitted, but not required, to submit papers and complete tests. Submitted written work will receive feedback from the instructor but will not be graded. Community participants can apply for continuing education units (CEU), with 4 CEUs being awarded for a 3-credit course. (2) Short Courses range from 3-6 weeks and are conducted in partnership with congregations and other organizations in and beyond Atlanta. Taught by Candler faulty, these courses cover a variety of topics, from the Bible and theology to social justice and Christian leadership. No application is required; course fees vary for $10-$49. Candler students may register for any Short Course but will not receive credit towards the completion of their degree. For more information, visit https://candlerfoundry.emory.edu/courses.
TheoEd
This ecumenical speaker series brings together leading thinkers in the church and the academy to give the talk of their lives in 20 minutes or less. By packaging powerful ideas in bitesize talks, TheoEd aims to spark conversations that change the way people think about God, religion, and the power of faith to shape lives and communities. Two TheoEd events are conducted each year, one in Atlanta and the other in host cities around the country. Individual talks are accessible for free at TheoEd.com. There one can also find discussion guides, play lists, speaker interviews, and other free resources. For more information, visit https://theoed.com.
Foundations in Faith and Leadership
Foundations in Faith & Leadership is an online certificate program that offers training and micro-credentialing for lay leaders, deacons, church boards, pastors, teachers, activists, community organizers, and other individuals seeking to grow spiritually and professionally through structured, cohort-based learning. Each track consists of four, 6-week courses that can be completed within 8 months. Weekly modules include two hours of independent learning and a 1-hour live discussion session with a trained facilitator. Course content includes brief lectures from leading scholars, short readings, videos, and reflection questions to help you make connections to your life and ministry. Two tracks are available in 2022: Essentials for Biblical Interpretation and Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation. Additional tracks will be launched in 2023. Tuition is $750 per track. In addition to being enrolled in four courses, participants will receive free digital access to Pitts Theology Library, a professional certificate, and 8 Continuing Education Units. Registration is open to individuals and to groups. For more information visit https://candlerfoundry.emory.edu/ certificates.
Candler in Conversation
Candler in Conversation is a podcast that focuses on faith vocation, and ministry innovation. Aimed at the Candler community, the podcast consists of short interviews and profiles on Candler students, alumni, faculty, and staff.
Candler Course Access Program
Candler Course Access (CCA) is designed to allow nondegreeseeking persons to audit a select number of Candler courses. CCA students are admitted after completing a brief application process and receiving individual approval through the registrar’s office and by the academic dean. Participation is limited based on space availability. CCA participants will be active observers in the class, with the ability to attend classes meetings, engage in classroom discussion, and access course materials (including the Canvas site), but they will not have individual access to faculty nor should they expect to submit any coursework (e.g., papers or tests) for grading or other evaluation. The CCA fee is $399 for 3 credit hours and is payable upon approval of application. This cost includes an administrative fee, course fee, and continuing education credit (CEU), if desired. Under no circumstances will course access be granted until the fee is paid.
Application Deadlines
Fall Semester: August 1 Spring Semester: December 1 Summer Session: May 1
Application and Admission Process
- Determine the courses you are interested in by reviewing the course schedules and descriptions.
- Complete the online registration.
- If you are accepted, you will be notified via email and invoiced for the fee. The registration fee is due one week prior to the beginning of the course. If the fee is not received by the first class meeting, admission will be canceled. If the class is full or you are not accepted you will not be charged.
Formation Communities
The Program in Formation Communities supports Candler students in cultivating intentional communities of discernment and belonging. Each community of three to six students is animated by distinct charisms, or foci, that orient a rule of life, or shared practices discerned for common life, which guides corporate rhythms of eating, praying, and celebrating. Most of the communities are based in a single house, some in a neighborhood, and some are virtual.
Each community is supported by a house rector, who is a student facilitator and member of the community, and a house chaplain, who is a faculty member or clergyperson who serves as a wise guide for community life. The formation communities' curriculum includes the Rule of Life Retreat in August, a Midyear Retreat in January, community building events throughout the year, and a closing celebration in May.
Through these communities of formation Candler provides a platform for vocational discernment; forms student capacities for community building and spiritual practice; and cultivates communities of belonging where residents can integrate their theological studies, their vocational aspirations, their spiritual practices, and their diverse identities. For more information please visit the formation communities' website: https://candler.emory.edu/student-life/formation-communities/index.html or contact Dr. Kyle Lambelet, Director of Formation Communities.
Internships
Internships are a student-initiated practical experience for which academic credit is given. Students may intern with a church, an agency, or an existing internship program. Internships provide students with an opportunity to tailor their course of study to meet specific learning goals, to enrich and/or complement their courses, to gain more experience in a particular aspect of ministry, or to obtain greater exposure to a range of vocational pathways and professional opportunities.
They can be an important avenue for discernment of the student’s professional ministry, service, and calling. To get ideas for an internship opportunity, visit http://candler.emory.edu/academics/con-ed/internship.html. Internships may be taken for variable credit hours, with no more than six hours granted toward the MDiv or MTS degree. MRL students are required to take a total of six hours of internship credit. MRPL students are allowed to take up to three hours of internship credit.
Students wishing to receive credit for an internship will find instructions on how to enroll at http://candler.emory.edu/academics/con-ed/internship.html. Credit will be awarded when all the reporting required to confirm successful completion of the internship has been submitted to and approved by the Contextual Education Office.
To be eligible to participate in internships, students must be certified to be in good academic standing by the Candler Registrar. Students participating in internships will be required to complete Stewards of Children—Adults Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse training, SAP-G training, and a criminal background check. To learn more about internships, students can contact the Office of Contextual Education at 404.727.4178 or visit http://candler.emory.edu/academics/con-ed/internship.html.
Clinical Pastoral Education
Basic Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is available to seminarians during the fall, spring, and summer of each year at sites accredited by the national Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). CPE is most often located in hospitals, clinics, and community agencies, and the program has a concentrated focus on spiritual care, counseling, and relational skills development. Some traditions (e.g., Episcopal, particular UM Conferences) require CPE for ordination. In those cases, students are responsible for determining and fulfilling these requirements. CPE can be a part of a person’s preparation for parish ministry, chaplaincy, lay ministry, teaching, and counseling. Students apply directly to the site where they would like to do CPE. Once accepted into a particular CPE program, students can apply for Candler academic credit for CPE through the Office of Contextual Education. Students may be awarded variable credit hours for CPE, with no more than six hours granted toward the MDiv degree as Contextual Education elective credit.
Students who complete Clinical Pastoral Education who do not wish to claim academic credit hours but wish to record completion of a CPE unit for the purpose of completing concentration or similar requirements may elect a zero-credit course upon verification of completion of the CPE unit by the Candler Office of Contextual Education. Students who wish to record zero credit CPE in the semester in which they are graduating must do so before the end of add/drop/swap for the semester; the Office of Contextual Education will not post a grade of Satisfactory until after the unit has been verified as completed at the end of the semester. Otherwise, the record will be posted in the next semester after the unit has been verified as completed by the Office of Contextual Education.
To learn more about Clinical Pastoral Education, visit http://candler.emory.edu/academics/con-ed/clinical-pastoral-education.html.
U.S. Educational Opportunities
Candler has agreements for its students with the General Theological Seminary (New York, N.Y.) and Wesley Theological Seminary (Washington, D.C.). Registration, financial aid, and approval for transfer credit for these programs must be approved prior to study. To be eligible to participate, students must be certified to be in good academic standing by the registrar. For further information, contact the assistant dean of students, Allison Henderson Brooks, at 404.727.4143 or allison.michelle.henderson-brooks@emory.edu.
The General Theological Seminary
Located in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City, The General Theological Seminary’s mission is to educate and form leaders for the church in a changing world. Chartered by the General Convention in 1817, General’s very name was chosen to reflect the intention of its founders: that it would serve the entire Episcopal Church. Church leaders conceived a theological institution that would belong to the whole Episcopal Church, where students from all parts of the country would come to prepare for ordination. The school unites academics, worship, and life in community in the process of formation for ministry, whether lay or ordained. While students who live on campus are free to develop their own individual routines, nearly all worship in General’s chapel as a part of their daily life, as do faculty members and many members of the staff. Services in the chapel include the Eucharist, Morning and Evening Prayer, and Compline. In addition to numerous degree offerings, General is home to a Center for Christian Spirituality. Candler students may apply for a one semester or yearlong exchange at General.
National Capital Semester for Seminarians (NCSS)
http://wesleyseminary.edu/degreeprograms/ncss
Candler is a participating seminary in the National Capital Semester for Seminarians (NCSS), a semester-long, intensive program of study in ethics, theology, and public policy. It brings together seminary students from accredited theological schools across the country for a combination of classroom experience, field visits, and internships. The NCSS program takes place in the spring semester and is open to any student who has completed at least one year of a degree program accredited by the ATS and is recommended by their home seminary. Tuition is paid at the regular tuition rate to the student’s home institution. Housing and meals are made available at Wesley Theological Seminary and paid for by the student.
International Educational Opportunities
Candler offers many opportunities for international involvement. In addition, Emory’s campuswide international programs offer exposure to other cultures and discussion of current international issues through speakers, forums, films, and festivals.
Candler organizations, including the Candler International Student Association (CISA), the Candler African Theological Students Association (CATSA), the Emory Korean Graduate Student Association (EKGSA), and the Candler Latin American Community also sponsor internationally focused programs. Students may study with visiting professors from other nations and may participate in courses with short-term international study components. Listed below are Candler’s regular offerings for short- and long-term theological study abroad. Registration, leave of absence, financial aid, and approval of transfer credit for study abroad programs must be arranged prior to study. To be eligible to participate in courses and programs that require significant travel students must be certified to be in good academic standing by the Candler Registrar. This includes all Candler sponsored international programs. For further information, contact the assistant dean of students, Allison Henderson-Brooks, at 404.727.4143 or allison.michelle.henderson-brooks@emory.edu.
In addition to the organizations listed below, Candler also has programs at Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary (South Africa) and Yonsei University, United Graduate School of Theology (South Korea).
Africa University
Located just outside the eastern highlands city of Mutare in Zimbabwe, Africa University is a private, international higher education institution with both undergraduate and graduate programs, founded in March 1992 by the United Methodist Church. The faculty of theology offers seminars in major and minor areas in the following theological disciplines: Old Testament, New Testament, Church History, Theology, and Ethics and areas in Applied Theology. Africa University is an English-speaking institution.
Georg-August Universität
http://uni-goettingen.de/en/19855.html
The Theology School at Georg- August Universität, in Göttingen, Germany, is committed to the legacy of the Enlightenment. In addition to the traditionally strong disciplines of biblical studies and church history in the combination of systematic and practical theology in recent years, another focus emerged: the study of specific selfunderstanding and social perception of the Christian religion in the last two centuries. Most courses are taught in German, but there are summer institute scholarships available for immersion in German language. Students live in community with other German theology students and within walking distance of the city center and the university.
Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität (LMU)
http://en.evtheol.uni-muenchen.de/faculty/index.html
Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität is in Munich, Germany, and offers studies in Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox theology. Today, the faculty of Protestant Theology at LMU Munich has seven departments comprising 12 professorships: Old Testament Studies and New Testament Theology; Church History; Systematic Theology; Fundamental Theology and Ecumenics; Practical Theology; and Missiology and Studies of Religion. All lectures and seminars at the facility are held in German. Budget accommodations in convenient locations are available at the international Collegium Oecumenicum and in several Protestant halls of residence.
Methodist Theological University (MTU-Seoul)
http://mtu.ac.kr/mtu_eng/c3/sub4.jsp
Methodist Theological University (MTU) is located in Seoul, South Korea, where studies are offered in both English and Korean in the following areas: Bible, theology/ethics, church history, ecumenics, missiology, practical theology, cultural studies, and religious education.
St. Paul’s University Faculty of Theology
St. Paul’s is an ecumenical private chartered university founded in 1903 and located in Kenya, 30 kilometers from Nairobi. The university offers graduate degrees in Community Pastoral Care and HIV/AIDS, Theology, and Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations. The university provides accommodation for single students as well as married students who wish to bring their families with them.
Trinity Theological College, Singapore
Located in Bukit Timah, Singapore, Trinity Theological College (TTC) serves all Christian churches and denominations by educating and equipping Christian leaders for the manifold ministries of the church across Asia. TTC houses the Center for the Study of Christianity in Asia which focuses on three research areas: Asian Christianity, Faith and Society, and Mission Practice. Other areas of study for students include Liturgy/Worship, Sacred Music and Christian Education. Unique to TTC is a rooftop prayer garden, supporting the school’s emphasis on student spiritual formation. Courses are taught in English.
Universidade Metodista de São Paulo
The School of Theology (FaTeo) is the founding faculty of Methodist University and has around 225 full-time students at its campus in São Bernardo do Campo just outside São Paulo. Methodist University has over 15,000 students in all degree programs, and is known for the strength of its programs in theology and religion as well as communications and business. Theology students live on-campus but participate in ministry sites throughout the São Paulo metropolitan region.
University of Helsinki
http://helsinki.fi/rre/research/areas.htm
The Faculty of Theology is one of many undergraduate and graduate schools at the University of Helsinki in Helsinki, Finland. UH offers a unique masters program in RRE, Religious Roots of Europe.
Wesley House
The Wesley House is a Methodist theological college that has access to and is affiliated with the University of Cambridge. Its program emphasizes formation of lay and ordained leaders through a community of scholarship and discipleship. Students at Wesley House live alongside students of the Centre for Jewish-Christian Relations and the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies near the center of the city of Cambridge. This requires a full year of study.
New Opportunities
New opportunities for academic exchange and pastoral internships are being developed. For information regarding pastoral internships, contact Thomas Elliott Jr., director of contextual education II, thomas.elliott@emory.edu or 404.727.4178. For information on Candler’s international initiatives, contact Steffen Loesel, director of international initiatives, at sloesel@emory.edu or 404.727.2816. For information regarding student exchanges, contact Allison Henderson-Brooks, assistant dean of students, at allison.michelle.henderson-brooks@emory.edu or 404.727.4143. Information regarding new opportunities also may be found at http://candler.emory.edu/academics/international-study/index.cfm.
Candler Writing Center
Candler offers academic enrichment to all interested students through the Candler Writing Center, under the direction of the Candler writing center director. In addition to one-on-one tutoring sessions, the center includes an array of workshops to facilitate academic success. From basic academic skills to refreshers on grammar and writing practices to advice on the particular types of writing required in Candler courses, the Writing Center supports students in doing their best. Participation in the ADVANCE Program is required for students admitted on academic probation. For international students, students for whom English is not the first language, or students who have been educated in English outside of North America, Candler academic support coordinates an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) assessment, courses in written and oral communication, and tutoring. Courses are tailored to support students’ academic success in theological studies.
Study in Other Divisions of the University
Candler students may enroll in courses at other Emory schools with instructor permission. The student must obtain approval via email from the course instructor and forward the permission to candlerregistrar@emory.edu for enrollment to be process in OPUS.
Emory College
With the exception of some modern language study, MDiv, MRL, MRPL, MTS, and ThM students who take a course at the undergraduate level through Emory College require additional work agreed upon by the student and instructor to meet graduate level course requirements. Permission of the instructor and the contract form found at http://candler.emory.edu/academics/registrar/forms.html are required for enrollment in the course.
Graduate Division of Religion
Students whose aptitude in a given field of study qualifies them for advanced work may register for graduate seminars in the Graduate Division of Religion with the approval of the instructor. Permission must be obtained via email from the instructor and forwarded to candlerregistrar@emory.edu for processing. Emory’s Graduate Division of Religion offers the doctor of philosophy (PhD) in religion in the areas of American religious cultures; ethics and society; Hebrew Bible; historical studies in theology and religion; Jewish religious cultures; New Testament; person, community, and religious life; theological studies; and West and South Asian religions. This program is oriented toward teaching and research, and admission generally presupposes a master’s level theological degree or equivalent. For further information, refer to http://gdr.emory.edu.
Centers, Institutes, and Affiliates
Aquinas Center of Theology
An affiliate of Emory University, the Aquinas Center is a Dominican-inspired, lay-funded center whose mission is to assist inquiring persons to enhance their knowledge of the living Catholic tradition so they can better engage the spiritual and moral life of the Church. More specifically, the Aquinas Center sponsors lectures, community events, lifelong learning classes, the major Catholic Speaker Series, the Catholic Studies Minor, and partners with parishes in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. For further information contact Gregory Hillis, Executive Director, at 404.727.8860, or visit their webpage at http://aquinas.emory.edu.
Center for the Study of Law and Religion
A university-wide Law and Religion program is available for students to explore the religious dimensions of law, the legal dimensions of religion, and the interaction of legal and religious ideas and institutions. The program offers courses, several joint-degree programs, and clinical programs. The program also sponsors conferences and lectures on the interaction of law and religion.
The program offers courses in law and religion open to MDiv candidates, MTS candidates, and students in the law school, Emory College, and the Laney Graduate School. Courses include Western Legal Tradition, Law and Theology: Problems in Moral Accountability, History of Church- State Relations in the West, Jewish Law: Background and Process, and American Constitutional Law: Church and State. For additional information on the Center for the Study of Law and Religion see http://cslr.law.emory.edu.
Rollins Center for Church Ministries
The guiding purpose of the Rollins Center for Church Ministries is the integration of theological education and the ministries of Christian congregations. The center promotes research on congregational life and mission and provides opportunities for students to learn methods of congregational study, particularly through the Teaching Parish Program. The Rollins Center for Church Ministries was given by O. Wayne Rollins in memory of his mother, Claudia A. Rollins.
World Methodist Evangelism Institute
The World Methodist Evangelism Institute (WMEI), a cooperative missional ministry of World Evangelism (WME), World Methodist Council, and Candler School of Theology, offers additional opportunities for study and research in the nature and practice of evangelism. In partnership with churches around the world and using a multiracial and multinational faculty, the WMEI brings world evangelism leaders, lay and clergy, faculty and students together at Candler and at other places abroad, and sends faculty to different countries to share insights and learn from the experience of others. Connecting, encouraging, mentoring, resourcing, training, and providing cross-cultural experiences in world evangelism, the WMEI has been instrumental in the work of strengthening the pan-Methodist/Wesleyan family as a movement that is mission driven, situated in time and space, in each culture and conjuncture. Annually, Candler students and students from other seminaries are permitted to enroll in the institute’s international and regional evangelism seminars for academic credit. Located on the Emory campus, the institute also provides opportunities for pastors and laypersons to earn continuing education credits while gaining experience in evangelism in other cultures, offers training in faith-sharing in a non-confrontational approach, and provides opportunities for Christian leaders and seminary students to engage in dialogue with other seminar participants and students from other seminaries across the world. For further information, contact Paul Capps, WMEI’s program coordinator at the Faculty Support Office (FSO) on the third floor of Candler’s RARB or its director, L. Wesley de Souza, at 404.727.7196 or l.wesley.de.souza@emory.edu.
Youth Theological Initiative
Founded in 1993, the Youth Theological Initiative (YTI) is a center of research and teaching dedicated to the theological education of youth for the benefit of church and society. The program strives to:
- foster recognition among youth and adults of the theological abilities of youth
- equip youth to engage in theological reflection and to bring theology into action for the betterment of church and society
- promote a vision of youth ministry that takes the theological abilities and questions of youth seriously
- equip youth workers to engage in innovative forms of youth ministry
YTI hosts workshops, trips, online groups, and residential programs that help high school students to engage in faithful and critical theological reflection on social and public issues. YTI studies the theological perspectives and practices of adolescents, practices of youth ministry, and theological pedagogies. YTI offers training in youth ministry to lay and ordained youth leaders.
For further information, contact the director, Jill Weaver, at jweaver@emory.edu or visit http://yti.emory.edu.
Associated Organizations
Atlanta Theological Association
Through the Atlanta Theological Association, Candler School of Theology is affiliated with Columbia Theological Seminary, Erskine Theological Seminary, the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC), Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, and the McAfee School of Theology. The association coordinates the educational programs and resources of these member institutions, which include more than 1,200 students, one hundred faculty, and six hundred thousand library volumes. The Candler ThD is jointly sponsored by Candler, Columbia, and ITC. Other cooperative endeavors include cross-registration; sharing of faculty, library, and lectureship resources; interseminary courses; experimental programs in various academic disciplines and professional specializations.
Association for Clinical Pastoral Education
In addition to its relationship to the Care and Counseling Center of Georgia, Candler is a member seminary in the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, a national organization with centers in hospitals, parishes, correctional institutions, community mental health centers, and a variety of other community agencies and institutions. Through this relationship, Candler students may complete basic credits for CPE concurrent with their enrollment or during the summer. CPE may be taken for academic credit (one to six hours) or without credit. For more information about the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, visit http://acpe.edu.
Hispanic Theological Initiative Consortium
Candler School of Theology is a member of the Hispanic Theological Initiative Consortium (HTIC), a consortium comprised of eighteen PhD-granting institutions seeking to support and advance the work of Latina/o scholars in order to address the need for more representation of Latina and Latino students and faculty in higher theological and religious studies education. Candler supports the mentoring and networking costs for HTIC scholars. Additionally, Candler recognizes that pooling resources and building communities are essential elements for securing a stronger and more diverse scholarly theological body. For additional information, see http://htiprogram.org.
Hispanic Summer Program
Candler is a participating member of the Hispanic Summer Program (HSP), an ecumenical program in theology and religion, which sponsors a two-week academic program mainly designed for Latina/o seminarians hosted by participating seminaries in June. Hispanic and non-Hispanic students enrolled in seminaries and departments of religion, Hispanic seminary graduates seeking continuing education, and other students interested in Hispanic ministries are welcome and encouraged to apply.
HSP sets fees for the program each year. Students are able to enroll in a course taught in Spanish by Latinx faculty. Courses cover a wide range of topics in the theological curriculum and course credits are transferable to Candler. HSP offers study and fellowship with Hispanic peers, Hispanic professors and leadership, experience in prayer and celebration, and enhanced cultural awareness.
HSP also offers Through Hispanic Eyes, a cross-cultural annual seminar open to non-Hispanic faculty and administrators only. For further information, go to http://hispanicsummerprogram.org, or contact Susan B. Reynolds, Candler’s liaison for the HSP Governing Board, at susan.bigelow.reynolds@emory.edu.
