Candler School of Theology works in partnership with groups and organizations focused on promoting education, training and ministry for high school students, seminarians, clergy and lay leaders, as well incarcerated women.
Institutes & Initiatives
BRIDGE: Building Religious Inclusion, Diversity, and Generational Equity
Funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., Candler launched The BRIDGE in 2022 to create and foster new partnerships with local congregations in ministries with young adults who are in their twenties.
Young adults today face challenges that did not confront previous generations, such as lifelong cycles of economic instability, increased experience and witnessing of violence, high rates of depression and loneliness, and navigating online relationships and social media. Many congregations are not equipped to minister with young adults as they face these challenges. The resulting gap can make it difficult for young adults and churches to see each other as beneficial relationship and ministry partners. The BRIDGE addresses this gap.
A collaborative project of the Atlanta Theological Association (ATA) and Lee Arrendale State Prison’s Chaplaincy Department, the Certificate in Theological Studies is a yearlong program of theological education for incarcerated women, with classes designed and taught by graduate students and faculty from ATA schools, including Candler.
The program prepares incarcerated women to serve as leaders, develops their critical thinking skills, and also provides seminary students with teaching opportunities and formative experiences for ministry and discernment.
The Laney Program in Moral Leadership honors the legacy of Emory President Emeritus James T. Laney and his wife, Berta. Jim Laney, who led the university from 1977 to 1993 and served as Candler’s dean from 1969 to 1977, believed in providing service to the world by engaging in the traditions, values, virtues, and vision of the community. Berta Laney provided dedicated service to others, creative initiative in numerous educational programs, and active engagement for justice and peace.
The program challenges students to explore the concept of moral leadership in the 21st century in various contexts and cultures in the United States and around the world.
The Sacred Arts Collective is a new initiative at Candler School of Theology focused on deeply engaging congregations in the Atlanta area to imagine how to nurture and grow the faith of children through the integration of the arts in worship. We hope to fashion creative learning environments that inspire leaders and families to fully embrace the arts to engage in sensory-rich worship across generations.
The Summer Institute for Global Charismatic-Pentecostal Studies at Candler School of Theology brings together esteemed scholars, pastors, and key leaders in the field of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity in partnership with the Society for Pentecostal Studies and funded by a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
The WMEI seeks to develop clergy and lay leaders in the worldwide Methodist/Wesleyan movements through international and regional seminars, as well as training opportunities within local churches, districts and conferences. Since its founding in 1982, this joint ministry of Candler and the World Methodist Council has sponsored 59 major seminars in more than 121 countries around the world.
Since 1993, Candler’s Youth Theological Initiative (YTI) has focused on developing theologically-grounded, socially-conscious ministries with youth and young adults by educating and preparing youth ministers and leading programs for high school students to engage in justice-seeking theological education.
Affiliated Organizations
Aquinas Center of Theology
The Aquinas Center of Theology at Candler provides a Catholic scholarly presence for the benefit of Emory University, the Archdiocese and the region. Our programming engages the intellectual and moral life of the Church by sharing our tradition in an ecumenical setting, fostering faith and dialogue. We welcome all people who seek to enhance their knowledge of the living Catholic tradition.
Center for the Study of Law and Religion
The Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University (CSLR) is an interdisciplinary, interreligious, and international community of scholars devoted to exploring the religious dimensions of law and the legal dimensions of religion. Studying ideas, institutions, and practices, CSLR proposes that religion inspires law toward ritual and justice, while law undergirds religion through order and organization.
Emory Center for Ethics
An international leader in the exploration of ethics, the Emory Center for Ethics is dedicated to exploring how ethical issues underlie the decisions that shape our minds, lives, and society. Scholars from across the university gather at the Ethics Center to collaborate and study. The Center also hosts public programs, partners and consults with private and public community organizations, and teaches students at every level of university life. The Center is committed to asking tough questions and developing strategies to help enable people and organizations to put ethics into practice.
Emory Graduate Division of Religion
The Graduate Division of Religion (GDR) at Emory University’s Laney Graduate School prepares scholars and teachers of religion and theology. The GDR offers nine distinct courses of study: American Religious Cultures; Ethics and Society; Hebrew Bible; Historical Studies in Theology and Religion; Jewish Studies; New Testament; Person, Community, and Religious Life; Theological Studies; West and South Asian Religions.
Emory Office of Spiritual and Religious Life
The Office of the Spiritual and Religious Life is the center of religious life and programming for the Emory campus. Opportunities for worship, education, study, service, and community life reflect the religious diversity of the Emory student body. Chaplains on staff represent Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, and Muslim traditions.
Hispanic Theological Initiative
The mission of the Hispanic Theological Initiative (HTI) is to cultivate Latina/o PhDs for leadership positions in the academy, the church, and the world. Candler is one of 24 consortium member institutions of the HTI, committed to three major goals: (1) to increase the recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of Latina/o PhD students across the nation by uniting and leveraging institutional resources; (2) to increase the presence of Latina/o faculty—especially tenured faculty in seminaries, schools of theology, and universities; and (3) to provide a forum for the exchange of information, ideas, and best practices to engage the contributions of Latina/o faculty and students in theological and religious education.
Methodist Review
Methodist Review is an open access, peer-reviewed electronic journal sponsored by Candler School of Theology, publishing scholarly articles in all areas and eras of Wesleyan and Methodist studies.
