Programs & Content

Degree Programs

Whether pursuing an MA or an MDiv, ESR students can concentrate their studies on questions of peace and justice. Courses in this area include: Introduction to Peace and Justice Studies; the Bible and Violence and Nonviolence; Liberation Theologies; Process Theology, Conflict Resolution; History of Friends’ Peace Witness; and a Spirituality of Peacemaking. Students are encouraged to supplement their course work with involvement in their peace and justice concerns outside class. Students interested in writing as a way to address these questions can pursue that focus through our Ministry of Writing emphasis.

Courses Integrating Faith and Service

In addition to the courses available through Earlham School of Religion, ESR students have full access to all of Bethany Theological Seminary’s courses, including “Feminist Theology and Thought”; “Bonhoeffer, War, and Peace”; and “Religion as a Source of Terror and Transformation,” among others. 

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Bible, Violence, and Nonviolence This course examines key biblical texts on such issues as warfare, nonviolence, gender, race, and ecology. Both those passages that present varieties of peacemaking efforts and the difficult texts presenting various forms of violence will be explored. In addition to the usual historical-critical tools, literary approaches will also be applied to these texts.

Bible in Global Context This course focuses on approaches to biblical interpretation from contexts outside of the dominant white, North American context. Students will engage with the writings of biblical interpreters from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, as well as liberation and post-colonial readings of the text. In addition to understanding the point of view of the interpreter and the role of context in their interpretation, students will critically consider the role of their own context in interpretation.

History of Friends Peace Witness This course studies the responses of the Society of Friends to peace and justice issues past and present. What is sought is the history of the actual Quaker practice during such conflicts as well as what Quakers said about their practice. Examples of such issues would be war, slavery, sexism and oppression of women and people of color. We will also look at the methodological issues present in the historical analysis of those practices, as presented by Quaker historians such as Rufus Jones, Hugh Barbour, John Punshon, Peter Brock, and Wilmer Cooper.

Church’s Mission in World Community This course focuses on how the church understands and undertakes its mission in the world. Historical and contemporary models will be examined with careful attention given to problems relating to the conversion experience, cross-cultural ministry, religious pluralism, and church growth.

Introduction to Peace & Justice This foundational course in the Peace and Justice program explores contemporary conflict by applying each of ESR’s four core areas of religious studies: Bible, Theology, Church History, and Spirituality. This course serves as the introduction to the three core courses in the Peace and Justice program.

Christian Reconciliation: Conflict Resolution in Church and World This course combines the theoretical and practical study of reconciliation. We will study a variety of models in conflict resolution and begin to construct our own models of reconciliation. Students will also be introduced to practical experience in seeking to resolve conflicts. In this way, we seek to address theoretical issues with practical concerns.

Interfaith Dialog This is an introduction to concepts and practices of world religions and to theological reflection upon the relationship of Christianity to other faith traditions. As such, the course will touch upon Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese traditions, Judaism, Islam, and primal traditions. There will be some introduction to how these faith traditions express themselves in the United States.

Liberation Theologies The Liberation Theologies course investigates various theologies of liberation, such as African-American, Latin American and Latina/o, feminist/womanist, LBGT/Queer, ecological, and nonviolent. Students engage personally with the challenges of these theologies, visit organizations engaged in social justice advocacy, analyze the arguments of these theologies and then begin to construct their own theology in dialog with this tradition of theology.

Spirituality of Peacemaking This course first explores the autobiographies of selected figures who have connected their spiritual life with work for social transformation, including people such as Thomas Merton, Malcolm X, Dorothy Day, Dietrich Bonhoefffer, and Peace Pilgrim. Next, theological models for putting together spirituality and social change are examined in such figures as Latin American liberation theologian Jon Sobrino and womanist theologian Emile Townes.

Theology in Context This course introduces students to the role of context and culture in theology and in the practice of ministry through a first hand cross-cultural experience and careful reflection upon it. Locations will vary each year and will range from international, to border site, to US rural, to US intercity. Selected readings and discussions will raise questions such as otherness, enculturation of faith, communication, theological diversity, and so on. Travel will reinforce this learning and place it in demonstrable context.

Public Theology This course focuses on bringing faith and seminary education into critical engagement with culture and society.  It introduces students to theologies of public engagement but primarily offers them practice in several relevant genres.  These may include editorial writing, advocacy journalism, cultural criticism, reviews, interviews, and other means of taking seminary learning into the public square.

Field Education Connecting Faith and Justice:

Martin Melville is a current MDiv student based in Centre Hall, PA, and is working to build bridges of understanding between environmentalists and loggers. “The idea of this project is to create a series of podcasts that explores the issues around forests & their management, and the wisdom of those who make their living out here in the sticks,” writes Martin. “The ministry will seek to improve public understanding of resource management issues. This is important because the public influences what is perceived as right action.”

Dan Miyake, a 2013 MDiv graduate, chose Daybreak in Dayton, Ohio for his Supervised Ministry placement. “Daybreak is an organization that provides services to homeless teens and youth,” says Dan. “I believe I helped many, though not all, of the youth to understand that conflict need not end in violence.”

​Marcia Nelson is a 2017 MDiv graduate who worked with Faith in Place in Chicago. Her work involves helping to set up and run a winter farmers’ market that links “producers and consumers in concrete ways that will help both of them flourish when consumers get good food and farmers get income during the off season.”

Student Engagement

Extra-Curricular Opportunities

• Earlham Bonner program – through a partnership with Earlham College, ESR Leadership and Service Scholarship recipients who are Bonner alums can continue their Bonner service as graduate students by helping to coordinate Bonner placements and experiences at the undergrad level.
• International Conference on Conflict Resolution Education - ESR Peace and Justice Professor Lonnie Valentine has presented and brought students along to this annual conference for several years.
• Opening Minds Through Art - ESR students are working at Friends Fellowship Community in this intergenerational art program for people with dementia.
• Open Arms Ministries – ESR students work with this faith-based coalition of churches and other social ministries that provides a clearinghouse of need-based services in the greater Richmond area.
• Community Food Pantry - The goal of the Food Pantry is to provide food to fill the basic need of hungry people in the Richmond community. We hope to raise the awareness in the community of the hunger and poverty present. 
• Wayne Township Trustee – Students have completed supervised ministry placements with the Trustee’s office, which offers assistance to low-income households who, despite their personal efforts, are not able to provide for their basic needs.

Service-Based Scholarships

Full tuition scholarship for students who've completed Bonner Scholars program or a year of service with one of the Service Programs that Change the World

Earlham School of Religion has a long track record of supporting community service. In 1985, the Wilmer and Emily Haines Cooper Scholarship was established to provide significant tuition support for students in exchange for community service.  The scholarship currently provides full tuition for 54 credit hours for M.Div/M.Min. students, or 27 credit hours for M.A. students. For international students, the scholarship provides full tuition for an entire degree program as well as a living stipend.  Students sign a moral obligation covenant agreeing to contribute four volunteer hours of service to the ESR community for each credit hour covered by the scholarship. 

In 2014, ESR took this commitment even further with the launch of the Leadership and Service Scholarship. This award offers full tuition for residential students who, within the past 3 years, are recommended by and have participated in a Bonner Scholar or Bonner Leader program, or a service or leadership program including: a Quaker College Leadership program; Quaker Voluntary Service or another “Service Programs that Change the World” program, or a year-long internship with Friends Committee on National Legislation, QuEST Seattle, Quaker United Nations Office, or other approved service organization. 
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Q: What makes Earlham unique?

ESR’s Peace and Justice program maintains an active engagement with topics related to service and social justice, including hosting events such as the Friends Peace Teams’ PeaceQuest conference in 2015 and the War Tax Objection for Peace and Justice Conference in 2014. ESR’s 2014 Ministry of Writing Colloquium featured peace activist John Dear sharing on the topic of “Writing and the Non-Violent Life.” In 2014, ESR also hosted Rev. Rita Nakashima Brock, Ph.D., for our annual Willson Lectures to discuss moral injury and soul repair after war. ESR’s 2016 Willson Lectures will feature Earth Quaker Action Team co-founder George Lakey on the topic of “Joy in the Struggle: How We Can Experience Our Full Humanity While Serving God.”
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Careers that Change the World

Q: What are some of the innovative or non-traditional jobs/careers recent grads have landed?

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Adriana Cabrera-Velasquez (MDiv, 2008), served as the coordinator for Christian Peacemaker Teams in Colombia after graduation. In 2015 she helped lead a Contextual Theology class from ESR in Colombia with Ministry of Writing professor Ben Brazil.

Brett Stewart (MDiv, 2010), Soil and Water Conservation District Coordinator, Wayne County, IN.

​Emma Churchman (MDiv, 2013), chaplain resident at Johnson City Medical Center in Johnson City, TN

Vivian Wyatt (MDiv, 2011), Minister of Care and Business Administration at LifeJourney Metropolitan Community Church in Indianapolis, IN. 
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Q: Profile three alum who are integrating faith and service in their current ministry/career fields.

Abbey Pratt-Harrington
​The Laundry Project

​Abbey has always had a heart for social justice. Perhaps the most noticeable way she lives this out is with her work on Richmond Indiana’s Laundry Day Project. Three to four times a month she goes to the local laundry mat with others from the community to provide soap, dryer sheets, and most importantly quarters to local residents so they can clean their laundry for free. It’s a need that is often overlooked in the community but an important one for dignity. The Laundry Project has recently passed its 3,000th load and continues to grow.

John Fitch
​Rennaisance House

An ESR MDiv graduate, John launched Renaissance House 2003 as an ESR student. This is “an intentional Christian community…located in an impoverished area of Richmond, Indiana [serving the poor and those who have] physical or mental disabilities.” As former resident and ESR graduate Micah Bales puts it, “We had an open door policy, inviting folks from the neighborhood to stop by and visit with us. Three nights a week, we hosted community meals, inviting folks from the neighborhood, and our friends from around town, to come and have dinner together. These dinners were an amazing demonstration of what Christ’s table looks like.” ​

Jessica Easter
​The Night Ministry

Jessica is a Quaker minister who is endorsed by her home Meeting (Lake Forest Friends Meeting) to provide a ministry of presence to folks of a variety of life circumstances. A large part of her ministry involves demonstrating that Quakers still exist, are relevant to today’s concerns, and can look like her. 

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At ESR Jessica learned that G-d can be present and active in the most complicated and difficult circumstances. As a result, she has been able to highlight the presence of G-d in some of the most heartbreaking and challenging of situations (e.g. the deaths of children, spirituality and sexual minorities, and the growing tension between police and youth of color). 
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During her final year of seminary, Jessica was certified as an HIV pre- and post- testing counselor and health educator. Upon graduating ESR, she embarked upon a yearlong internship as a chaplain at the University of California San Francisco’s three main clinical sites. She currently works as a Youth Outreach Professional at The Night Ministry in Chicago, IL. Taking seriously George Fox’s encouragement to “[answer] that of G-d in everyone”, Jessica has ministered to and been blessed by everyone from pediatric cancer patients in San Francisco to homeless LGBTQ youth on the streets of Chicago.

The Dean's Q&A: How is Earlham School of Religion changing the world?

Jay Marshall

Dean, Earlham School of Religion; Vice President of Earlham College

Seminaries won’t change the world overnight; neither will we do it alone. But over time and in collaboration with others, ESR is committed to developing persons and ministries that renew, re-imagine, and revitalize faith communities and the neighborhoods they occupy.
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ESR is committed to a model of ministry that is not content to play quietly within the confines of our sacred spaces while ignoring the disparity between social norms and gospel values. For those students courageous enough to say “yes” to their call to ministry, ESR commits significant resources, both financial and personnel, toward their formation and development for ministry.
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