Candler School of Theology is one of seven graduate schools at Emory University, located in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, United States. A university-based school of theology, Candler educates ministers, scholars of religion and other leaders. It is also one of 13 seminaries affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
History
In March 1914, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MECS) and Vanderbilt University, a flagship institution of higher education for the church, severed ties. MECS appointed an Educational Commission to establish a university in the Southeast that would be a place where pastors-in-training at Vanderbilt could continue their education by the fall. Asa Candler, founder of The Coca-Cola Company and brother of commission chair Warren Candler, promised one million dollars for the endowment of the southeastern university. The commission voted unanimously to locate it in Atlanta. Emory College in Oxford, Georgia, agreed to become the undergraduate division of the university and the university was given the name Emory University in recognition of the college's history.
In September 1914, the theology school began instruction at Wesley Memorial Church, moving to the Druid Hills campus in 1916. In 1915, the Emory University trustees voted to name the theology school Candler, though the meeting minutes don't indicate definitively whether the name is in honor of Warren or Asa Candler.
In 1922, Candler faculty elected to offer admission to female students, despite the fact that the Methodist Episcopal Church, South did not offer a path to ordination for women. It was not until 1938 that Mary Vaughn Johnson became the first woman to be awarded Emory's bachelor of divinity degree.
The United States' involvement in World War II decreased enrollment at Candler, and focused the school's training of remaining students for military chaplaincy, a vocation that half of the graduating class of 1943 pursued. Kiyoshi Tanimoto, a 1940 graduate of Candler, was serving a Methodist church in Hiroshima when the atomic bomb is dropped. Tanimoto later devoted his life to helping the survivors and speaking out for nuclear disarmament.
Despite the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, Georgia resisted attempts at racial integration. In 1957, 80 white religious leaders signed what became known as the "Ministers' Manifesto" calling for an end to segregation in the city's schools. A year later, Atlanta newspapers published another open letter from Emory faculty and administrators reiterating the need to integrate the public schools; nearly the entire theology faculty signed the letter. In 1965, Candler's first black student, Otis Turner, enrolled.
In 1971, Charles Gerkin led the design of a three-year program of supervised ministry as a curriculum requirement. In addition to field placements at sites ranging from hospitals and homeless shelters to local churches, the program also included time for reflection seminars led by faculty. This program came to be known as Contextual Education, or ConEd. In 1974, the Anglican Studies program began. Later renamed Episcopal Studies, the program is the oldest university-based Episcopal ministry education program in the country.
In 1975, Candler librarian Channing Jeschke persuaded Dean James T. Laney to purchase the Hartford Theological Seminary library collection, which grew the library's holdings from 90,000 volumes to more than 300,000. That same year, the theology building began renovations to serve as a library for the new collection. In 1976, the building was renamed Pitts Theology Library in recognition of Margaret Pitts and her father, William I.H. Pitts, and the Pitts Foundation's assistance in purchasing the Hartford collection.
In 1978, Roberta C. Bondi became the first female faculty member on the tenure track of the theology school. Though Candler had employed female visiting professors and untenured lecturers, Bondi's appointment marked the first time a woman was officially on faculty.
That same year, Paul Rudolph was retained to design a new chapel, and in 1979, U.S. President Jimmy Carter presided over the groundbreaking of Cannon Chapel, named in honor of former dean William R. Cannon.
In 1990, Robert M. Franklin, Jr. launched Candler's Black Church Studies Program. Franklin later would become president of Morehouse College and returned to Candler in 2014 as the inaugural James T. and Berta R. Laney Chair of Moral Leadership.
In 1991, the Program in Women's Studies was launched under part-time director Kris Kvam; it would later be renamed the Program for Women in Theology and Ministry. That same year, Nancy Ammerman founded Candler's Baptist Studies Program. In 2007, Jan Love became Candler's first female dean.
Candler School of Theology observed its centennial in the 2014–2015 academic year with a series of events that acknowledged Candler's contributions to theological education and to the church during the past 100 years; its role within and contribution to Emory University during the past 100 years; its vision for addressing the challenges and opportunities facing theology in the 21st century; and the accomplishments of Candler's faculty, alumni and friends/donors.
Three members of the faculty are fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences: E. Brooks Holifield, Carol A. Newsom, and Carl R. Holladay.
Jonathan Strom, a Professor of Church History and historian of Pietism at Candler School of Theology, succeeded Jan Love as the Mary Lee Hardin Willard Dean on August 1, 2024. Terrence L. Johnson will succeed Jonathan Strom as dean on August 1, 2026.
Academics Degrees and Accreditation Candler School of Theology has been accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) since 1938. In addition, Emory University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award degrees at the associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels. Master of Divinity (M.Div.) Master of Arts in Religion and Leadership (MARL) Master of Religion and Public Life (MRPL) Master of Theological Studies (MTS) Master of Theology (Th.M.) Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)
Candler School of Theology offers dual degrees in Bioethics, Business, Development Practice, Law, and Public Health with other graduate schools at Emory University.
Contextual Education Candler School of Theology's Contextual Education program integrates coursework, supervised field experience and pastor-led reflection groups. Master of Divinity students are required to fulfill placements in both clinical or social ministry settings in their first year and in ecclesial settings their second year.
International- and U.S.-based study Candler School of Theology students may participate in academic programs at international and domestic theological institutions, including the General Theological Seminary, New York City; the National Capital Semester for Seminarians, Washington, D.C.; Methodist University of São Paulo, Brazil; the University of Helsinki, Finland; the University of Göttingen, Germany; LMU Munich, Germany; Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana; St. Paul's University, Kenya; Methodist Theological University (MTU), Korea; Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico; University of St. Andrew, St Mary's College, School of Divinity, Scotland; Trinity Theological College, Singapore; University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa; University College Stockholm, Sweden; Wesley House – University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; and Africa University, Zimbabwe.
Programs
Baptist Studies Candler School of Theology's Baptist Studies program prepares students for ordination in the Baptist Church. Candler students enrolled in the Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree program may earn a certificate in Baptist Studies.
Black Church Studies Candler School of Theology's Black Church Studies program prepares students for leadership in black and multiracial churches; and teaches the origins, development and contemporary diversity of the black church tradition. Candler students enrolled in the Master of Divinity or Master of Theological Studies degree programs may earn a certificate in Black Church Studies. In addition, the program sponsors events and lectures on black religious life, including the Howard Thurman Lecture, the Anna Julia Cooper Lecture, and the Sankofa Scholar program.
Episcopal Studies Candler School of Theology's Episcopal Studies program prepares students for ministry in The Episcopal Church and all the churches in the Anglican Communion. Candler students enrolled in the Master of Divinity degree program who are preparing for ordained parish ministry under the supervision of a bishop may earn a certificate in Episcopal Studies.
Methodist Studies Candler School of Theology's Methodist Studies program offers a range of courses in Methodist studies, stewards denominational and conference relations, mentors candidates seeking ordination and organizes denominational activities.
Religious Education Ministries Candler School of Theology's Religious Education Ministries program prepares students for educational leadership in congregations, schools and communities. Candler students enrolled in the Master of Divinity, Master of Religious Leadership or Master of Theological Studies degree programs may earn a certificate in Religious Education Ministries. In addition, the program partners with the Youth Theological Initiative.
Women, Theology, and Ministry Candler School of Theology's Women, Theology, and Ministry program educates women and men to be leaders and advocates for the well being of girls and women in the church and in the world. Candler students enrolled in the Master of Divinity or Master of Theological Studies degree programs may earn a certificate in Women, Theology, and Ministry. In addition, the program sponsors lectures, events and networking opportunities.
Continuing Education Candler School of Theology offers continuing education for individuals not enrolled in a degree program through Candler course auditing, seminars, certifications and other theology courses.
United Methodist Course of Study The Course of Study School at Emory educates and trains local pastors in The United Methodist Church, and is sponsored by The United Methodist Church, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, the Southeastern Jurisdictional Administrative Council, and Candler School of Theology.
Pitts Theology Library
Margaret A. Pitts, a devout Methodist and supporter of its educational institutions, was responsible for much of the library's growth, providing substantial gifts for new acquisitions. In 1976, the library was named in honor of Pitts and her father, W. I. H. Pitts.
Institutes and Initiatives
Youth Theological Initiative In 1993, Dr. Craig Dykstra partnered with Candler School of Theology and Lilly Endowment, Inc. to create the Youth Theological Initiative. Since then, the program has focused on developing theologically-grounded, socially-conscious ministries with youth and young adults, by educating and preparing youth ministers, and leading a summer program for high school students to engage in justice-seeking theological education. In addition, the Initiative conducts research into the theological perspectives of youth.
World Methodist Evangelism Institute