Seminary and Graduate School of Theology - Mundelein Seminary

THE ASSOCIATION OF CHICAGO
THEOLOGICAL SCHOOLS
Mundelein Seminary is a member of the
Association of Chicago Theological Schools
(ACTS), an ecumenical association of nine
Protestant, one Catholic and one Baptist
formed in 1985. ACTS is intended to be the
chief avenue of cooperation among its
member institutions, particularly in the areas
of student cross-registration, library access
and acquisitions, interchange among faculty
members in the various disciplines of
theological education, and communications
between the schools.
Six of the schools are located on Chicago's
south side in Hyde Park: Catholic Theological
Union, Chicago Theological Seminary (United
Church of Christ), Lutheran School of
Theology, Seabury Western, Meadville/
Lombard Theological School (Unitarian
Universalist), and McCormick Theological
Seminary Presbyterian U.S.A.). One school is
in the western suburbs: Northern Baptist
Theological Seminary.
Four of the schools are located in the
northern metropolitan area: Garrett-
Evangelical Theological Seminary (United
Methodist), Mundelein Seminary, North Park
Theological Seminary (Evangelical Covenant),
and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
(Evangelical Free Church of America).
Together, the schools within ACTS offer an
enormously rich network of resources for
theological education, making it one of the
largest centers for theological education in the
world. Available to the approximately 3500
students currently enrolled at its member
schools is a faculty of some 300, over 1000
courses offered annually, and library
collections of over 2.2 million volumes and
nearly 5000 currently received periodical
subscriptions. Several schools have wellstocked
theological bookstores. More
important, ACTS makes it possible for
students and faculty to pursue their work,
study and reflection in interaction with people
from many different cultural and theological
traditions.
THE NORTHSIDE CHICAGO
THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE
In 1974, the Northside Chicago Theological
Institute (NCTI) was organized by six
theological schools for ecumenical and
educational purposes: Mundelein Seminary,
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
(Evanston), Seabury Western, North Park
Theological Seminary (Chicago), Northern
Seminary (Lombard) and Trinity Evangelical
Divinity School (Deerfield).
The activities of the NCTI are under the
direction of a Board of Directors whose
officers are elected annually. The Academic
Dean and one faculty member from Mundelein
Seminary are members of the board.
In January, each member school of NCTI
observes the Week of Prayer for Christian
Unity through activities appropriate to its own
tradition. Exchange of pulpit speakers is one
practice that has proven to be an enrichment
of the schools.
In the Fall and Spring, NCTI sponsors two
seminar courses which address various
theological themes. "Global Theologies" and
"Prayer and the Life of the Spirit" are the
thematic titles for the Fall and Spring
seminars. The faculty of the various NCTI
schools participate as resource people in this
intensive seminar experience which is held on
three week nights and two weekends.
HISPANIC SUMMER PROGRAM
In 1995, Mundelein Seminary became a
sponsoring member of the Hispanic Summer
Theology Program, which takes place for two
weeks every summer at a different site in the
United States or Puerto Rico. Hispanic
students, as well as others who are bilingual
and who are interested in Hispanic ministries,
may attend this academic program and take a
maximum of two courses for three credits
each. Courses in the Hispanic Summer
Program cover a wide range of the theological
curriculum, and are always taught with the
Latino church in mind. Mundelein Seminary
hosted the 2008, 2011 Hispanic Summer Program
and will in 2013.
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