Who We Are - The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology

Our Distinct Approach

We live at the intersection of theology, psychology, and culture, training artists, pastors, therapists, counselors, and change-makers to join God — Father, Son, and Spirit — in the restoration of their communities. We exist to create a community of people who go into places of despair and trauma, bringing the light of God’s presence to even the darkest places.

Like the synagogues of Ancient Israel, we gather around biblical, theological, and cultural texts to wrestle with their meaning in our lives for the purpose of faithfully engaging our world. Holding text, soul, and culture together with a diverse and inclusive community means we are always learning from each other through dialogue at the intersection of different perspectives.

We train practitioners who see the world through this threefold lens, skilled in their particular craft, ready to serve God and neighbor through transforming relationships.

text: To make meaning in our contexts, we must be skilled interpreters of the texts that fill our lives: Scripture, literature, art, and our own narratives.
soul: We understand ourselves to be souls with a psychological, social, and spiritual dimension made in the image of God.
culture: Truth is never disembodied, but takes shape through our identities and contexts. We seek to understand the contexts of our culture so we can respond with healing, hope, and change.

Our Core Values

Formation: We seek to form people through a holistic process that encompasses transformational learning methods, cross-disciplinary inquiry, personal and spiritual development, and experiential learning.
Integration: We practice the exercise of integrating theology and psychology as a means to emphasize scholarship with a goal towards effective service and practice in a complex world.
Sustainability: We emphasize personal and relational development in preparation for service to the common good and the social and spiritual revitalization of the Christian Church.

Our Story

The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology began as an idea around a kitchen table, where a gathering of a few passionate dreamers dared to imagine a new kind of theological and psychological training. They envisioned a community of change agents being equipped to understand the narrative of their own lives, while growing in capacity to bring healing to others who had experienced deep darkness and trauma.

Our mission of training people to be competent in the study of text, soul, and culture to serve God and neighbor through transforming relationships is embodied in our graduate school and seminary, the Allender Center, and the Center for Transforming Engagement. Our commitment to Kingdom imagination and prophetic leadership is expressed in the twice-yearly print and digital journal, The Other Journal.

Through many difficulties and joys, a brand new kind of school was born,
The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology.

2020

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities grants regional accreditation to The Seattle School.
2019

Dr. J. Derek McNeil is appointed as President.
2018

The Seattle School appoints Dr. Craig Detweiler as President.
2018

Resilient Leaders Project is launched to help leaders cultivate flourishing lives in the midst of demanding ministries.
2013

The Association of Theological Schools accredited The Seattle School as a full member.
2011

The Allender Center at The Seattle School is formed to steward the legacy of Dr. Dan Allender.
2011

We adopted the name “The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology” to more clearly reflect our mission and identity.
2009

Dr. Keith Anderson is installed as our second President.
2007

We moved to our current home in Belltown in 2007, a beautiful red brick building filled with stories from its life as former fish canning facility and luggage factory on Elliott Bay.
2002

Mars Hill Graduate School gains independence from Western Seminary.
2002

Dr. Dan Allender is appointed as our first President.
1997

The School was initially established under the auspices of Western Seminary in 1997. In 2000, it became Mars Hill Graduate School at Western Seminary.