Francis was both a very complicated man and yet utterly simple. Endearing and maddening. Visionary and traditionalist. Audacious and cautious. What might the late Bishop of Rome, the Pontiff, say to us now? I. Our Common Home, Our Common Humanity, Our Common Ground “‘Laudato sì, mi’ Signore’ — ‘Praise be to you, my Lord.’ In
Read More187th Commencement Join us for the Union Theological Seminary Commencement on Friday, May 16, as we celebrate the graduating class of 2025. Families, friends, Union alumni, and the wider community are invited to honor their hard work and dedication as our graduates take the next steps toward positively impacting the world. The ceremony will be
Read MoreOn Sunday, April 21st, Union Theological Seminary (UTS) students invited President Rev. Dr. Serene Jones to participate in a worship service at the encampment on the lawn at Columbia University at 5:30 pm. The small worship group was accompanied by UTS alumni and local clergy. Upon arriving at the Columbia campus, President Jones asked NYPD
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Dear Union Community, Given the twisting of truth, outright lies, and relentlessly hateful speech that our present social media culture encourages, I have become increasingly less confident that writing public letters is a useful way to achieve meaningful change. That said, today, as the sirens blared by my window and hundreds of NYPD flood onto
Read More186th COMMENCEMENT Join us for the Union Theological Seminary Commencement on Friday, May 17, as we celebrate the graduating class of 2024. Families, friends, Union alumni, and the wider community are invited to honor their hard work and dedication as our graduates take the next steps toward positively impacting the world. The ceremony will
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This project is funded through a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. New York – Union Theological Seminary has received a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to establish the Innovative Preaching and Eco-Justice Initiative (IPEJI). This landmark project will equip preachers and lay people with the tools to speak about climate change with creativity, enthusiasm, and insight
Read MoreDear Union Community, Like so many of you, I find myself deeply distressed and shocked by all that is transpiring in Israel and Palestine. As I search for meaningful words to share, I am reminded that Union is a school of theology where we explore deep truths, ask important and hard questions, and grapple with
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Union Theological Seminary recently added caste to its non-discrimination policy – making it the first independent seminary in the nation to do so. In doing so, Union takes a small step towards dismantling pervasive discrimination stemming from caste systems and furthers its commitment to justice, equity, and inclusion. Caste systems – which were first used
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Younger Americans aspire to build a world marked by love and justice. But they don’t see much of that in church. Read Union President Rev. Dr. Serene Jones’s op-ed featured in Religion News Service below or online here. Far-right politicians and influencers are on a rampage to impose their views on all Americans. They’re pushing
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Jim Hayes, an indispensable Union Theological Seminary (UTS) mainstay for nearly 40 years, died in a North Carolina nursing home on April 14, 2023 at the age of 80. As per his wishes, there are no funeral or memorial services. Jim first came to work in the Registrar’s Office in 1968, and later he was
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