Center for Barth Studies Built in 1814. The Center for Barth Studies was established at Princeton Seminary in 1997 and is administered by a board of seminary faculty. The Center sponsors conferences, research opportunities, discussion groups, and publications that seek to advance understanding of the theology of
Karl Barth (1886–1968), the
German Swiss professor and pastor widely regarded as the greatest theologian of the 20th century. The
Karl Barth Research Collection, part of Special Collections in the Princeton Theological Seminary Libraries, supports the scholarly activities of the
Center for Barth Studies. The Karl Barth Research Collection is acquiring a collection of writings by and about Karl Barth. Although many volumes are still needed, the Research Collection has already acquired Barth's most important works in German and English, several first editions, and an original hand-written manuscript by Karl Barth.
Abraham Kuyper Center for Public Theology The key aspect of the Abraham Kuyper Center for Public Theology is the Abraham Kuyper Collection of Dutch Reformed Protestantism in the library's Special Collections, which focuses on the theology and history of
Dutch Reformed Protestantism since the nineteenth century and features a sizable assemblage of primary and secondary sources by and about
Abraham Kuyper. The center maintains in partnership with the
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam an online database of secondary literature about Abraham Kuyper. The center has also established an annual event organized to award the Abraham Kuyper Prize for Excellence in Reformed Theology and Public Life, during which the recipient delivers an address. The Abraham Kuyper Consultation, a series of further lectures, takes place on the following day. In 2017, there was a controversy surrounding the plan to award the Kuyper Prize to
Tim Keller, then Pastor of
Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. A group of students and faculty protested that Keller should not receive the award due to his non-affirming views regarding
LGBTQ and women clergy. President Barnes initially defended awarding Keller the prize before changing his position. Keller withdrew himself from consideration for the prize and still delivered his lecture. While drawing support from some quarters, the decision to not award Keller the prize also drew criticism in the
Wall Street Journal and
Washington Post.
Center of Theological Inquiry In 1978, Princeton Theological Seminary's Board of Trustees established the
Center of Theological Inquiry (CTI) as an independent,
ecumenical institution for advanced theological research, "to inquire into the relationship between theological disciplines, [and of these with] ... both human and natural sciences, to inquire into the relationship between diverse religious traditions ..., to inquire into the present state of religious consciousness in the modern world, and to examine such other facets of religion in the modern world as may be appropriate ..." Today, the CTI has its own board, funding, mission and staff. The present director is
Tom Greggs and the associate director is Joshua Mauldin.
Journals Theology Today is a peer-reviewed, quarterly journal of Christian theology founded in 1944.
Koinonia Journal is published annually by doctoral students at Princeton Theological Seminary. The publication and its annual forum promote written and face-to-face interdisciplinary discussion about issues in theology and the study of religion. It is distributed to well over 100 libraries worldwide.
Princeton Theological Review is a student-run, annual and online journal that exists to serve students within the Princeton Theological Seminary body as well as the wider theological community. It is distributed to well over 100 libraries worldwide.
Seminary Lectureships •
Abraham Kuyper Lecture and Prize, held in April. In 2017, Princeton Theological Seminary reversed its decision to award the Kuyper Prize to
Tim Keller after a group of alumni voiced their objection to the choice due to Keller belonging to a denomination (
Presbyterian Church in America) that ordain neither women nor practicing homosexuals. However, the seminary did allow Keller to deliver the Kuyper Lecture without receiving the Kuyper Prize. • The Alexander Thompson Lecture, held biannually in March. • The Frederick Neumann Memorial Lecture, held biannually in November. • Dr. Geddes W. Hanson Lecture, held biannually, fall semester. • Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture, held in February. • Dr. Sang Hyun Lee Lecture, held biannually, spring semester. • The Donald Macleod/Short Hills Community Congregational Church Preaching Lectureship, held biannually, fall semester. •
Toyohiko Kagawa, Japanese Evangelist and Social Worker; Lecture held triennially spring semester. • Students' Lectureship on Missions, held biannually, fall semester. • The Princeton Lectures on Youth, Church, and Culture, held in April. • The Levi P. Stone Lectures, held biannually in October. Brings an internationally distinguished scholar to the seminary each year to deliver a series of public lectures. Created in 1871 by Levi P. Stone of Orange, New Jersey, a director and also a trustee of the seminary. Previous lecturers include
Samuel Colcord Bartlett (1882),
Samuel H. Kellogg (1892),
Abraham Kuyper (1898),
Henry Collin Minton (1902),
Herman Bavinck (1908),
Archibald Thomas Robertson (1915), Henry E. Dosker (1918),
Louis Berkhof (1921),
Valentine Hepp (1930),
Hendrik Kraemer (1958),
Karl Menninger (1969) and
Nicholas Wolterstorff (1998). • Students' Lectureship on Missions, held in October. • The Annie Kinkead Warfield Lectures, held biannually in March, are a series of lectures which honor the memory of Annie Kinkead Warfield, wife of
Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield, distinguished professor of theology at the seminary from 1887 to 1921. Previous distinguished lecturers include
Karl Barth (1962),
John Howard Yoder (1980),
T. F. Torrance (1981), and
Colin Gunton (1993). • Women in Church and Ministry Lecture, held in February.
Frederick Buechner Prize Acclaimed writer and theologian
Frederick Buechner has long standing ties to Princeton Theological Seminary and the seminary has honored him with the creation of the Buechner Prize for Writing. Princeton sponsored and hosted the Buechner Writing Workshop in June 2015. Also, Princeton Theological Seminary has given copies of Buechner's
Telling the Truth to students as part of their graduation. ==People==