Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- theology_department [2023/07/10 19:07] – bant06
+++ theology_department [2023/07/11 15:42] (current) – bant06
@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 A foundational area of study in the early days of Trinity College, the Theology Department is one of the College's oldest departments.
-In the establishment of [[washington_college|Washington College]] (now Trinity College), theology was considered one of the core subjects, particularly as the founders of the College modeled the new school after the European style of teaching. Even the College's first president, [[brownell_thomas_church|Thomas Church Brownell]], was a professor of Theology. In 1839, a survey of alumni revealed that 55 out of 140 were clergymen or theology students. A Dean of Theology was also part of the College's administration, the first of whom was the Reverend Dr. Thomas Winthrop Coit.
+In the establishment of [[washington_college|Washington College]] (now Trinity College), theology was considered one of the core subjects, particularly as the founders of the College modeled the new school after the European style of teaching. Even the College's first [[presidents|president]], [[brownell_thomas_church|Thomas Church Brownell]], was a professor of Theology. In 1839, a survey of alumni revealed that 55 out of 140 were clergymen or theology students. A Dean of Theology was also part of the College's administration, the first of whom was the Reverend Dr. Thomas Winthrop Coit.
-The importance of theology at the College was not only for academic or moral pursuit but to compare itself with its nearby rival, Yale College, which was a Congregational institution. [[wheaton_nathaniel_s|Nathaniel Wheaton]], defending against claims that the College was simply "an instrument of [Episcopal] Proselytism," could justly reply that the College lacked a theology professor, compared to Yale's three theologians in the classroom.  However, Wheaton could only point to one faculty member and only a mere fourth of the [[trustees|Trustees]] who were //not// from the [[episcopal|Episcopal]] Church, hardly disproving the idea that sectarian theology mattered at Washington College. For a time, expanding the College into a university with a School of Theology was considered, but ultimately the idea did not take hold.
+The importance of theology at the College was not only for academic or moral pursuit but to compare itself with its nearby rival, Yale College, which was a Congregational institution. [[wheaton_nathaniel_s|Nathaniel Wheaton]], defending against claims that the College was simply "an instrument of [Episcopal] Proselytism," pointed out that the College lacked a theology professor, compared to Yale's three theologians in the classroom.  However, Wheaton could only indicate one faculty member and only a mere fourth of the [[trustees|Trustees]] who were //not// from the [[episcopal|Episcopal]] Church, hardly disproving the idea that sectarian theology mattered at Washington College. For a time, expanding the College into a university with a School of Theology was considered, but ultimately the idea did not take hold.
 In 1848, when [[williams_john|John Williams]] was named [[presidents|president]] of Trinity College, he wanted to strengthen the ties between Trinity and the Episcopal Church. As a result, Williams was intent on offering courses in theological education, as he had done in the past with students from Union College in Schenectady, New York. Some of these students followed Williams to Trinity, where he continued to informally instruct them in theological coursework. In time, a Theology Department grew out of Williams' instruction and by 1851, the College had integrated a full complement of theological coursework into its curriculum. In 1852, the Diocese of Connecticut recognized the program as an official Diocesan School of Theology, which brought a steady number of new theological students to the College. The Department's early curriculum mirrored that of the General Seminary in New York; many students of this curriculum proceeded to pursue a Master's Degree.