Claremont School of Theology is a richly diverse gathering of learners. The School is a "community of communities," composed of many groups with their own sense of identity. This reflects the diversity of Southern California and of today's world. Yet in the midst of diversity, the students, faculty and staff of Claremont discover common bonds and share the joys and struggles of learning and spiritual life. Students, faculty and staff care for one another in all aspects of life together, while sharing experiences of worship, spiritual and intellectual life, and social concern. Dialogues continue on topics of importance to the community, including how to become more inclusive and sensitive to the issues of our time. Community life is nurtured through experiences in the classroom, sharing over meals in the Broken Loaf, and impromptu discussions. Programs provided by a variety of organizations add to the community life, creating opportunities for involvement by all members of the community.

Worship and Spiritual Life

As an intentional time set aside for the gathering of the Claremont School of Theology community, worship is integral to the expression of the School's Christian identity. Worship is a reflection of the unity and plurality of our community. Liturgical and musical contributions of our diverse groups enrich this unifying experience. A community Worship Service is held each Tuesday and Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. in the Chapel. Morning Prayer is held each morning that School is in session, in the Prayer Chapel, located in the Butler Ecumenical Building. During the day, the Prayer Chapel and the Biblical Meditation Garden are available for prayer. Special worship events are planned to celebrate the seasons of the Church year. Spiritual Growth Groups are a requirement in the Master of Divinity program, and students in other degree programs are invited to take part if they wish. Resources for individual spiritual direction are also provided, with financial support for third-year M.Div. students. Occasional retreats and workshops focusing on spiritual life are offered. Students often form groups on their own to share their spiritual journeys.

Events and Activities

A variety of opportunities for community interaction are offered each semester. Regular community events are held, with some focusing on issues of concern to the community, while others are purely social in nature. Celebrations of the opening and closing of the School year, as well as holiday parties, are enjoyed by the entire community. Adults and children, students, faculty and staff are all welcome at these events. One of the important emphases is to get to know one another beyond the classroom setting. Frequently, students organize activities, such as hiking and beach trips, for persons with similar interests. The School hosts lectureships for the enrichment of its students and the wider community throughout the school year with the Opening Convocation (the Colwell Lecture) and the Ministry Convocation held in the fall, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Lecture held in the winter, and the Paul Irwin Lecture and Bennett-Morton Lecture held in the spring. The Cook Event, an occasion honoring the arts, is offered biennially either as a free-standing event or as a rich component of one of the convocation series. For a listing of upcoming events, please click here.

Student Organizations

Aldersgate

The Arts Council sponsors and coordinates a variety of arts activities on campus, which contribute significantly both to the curricular and extra-curricular life of the School. It also keeps the School community in touch with a wide range of interesting arts events on our neighboring campuses and in the greater Los Angeles area. Arts Council also regularly presents exhibitions of photography, painting and sculpture by members of the Claremont community, and by artists of local and national reputation. Music groups perform at numerous Claremont events. The Claremont School of Theology Chorale, composed of students, spouses, staff and faculty, regularly participates in community worship services, and presents special programs several times each year, as do Korean Singers who present music sung in both English and Korean. Other musical ensembles are formed as time and interest permit. Claremont students are welcome to participate in the excellent choirs at The Claremont Colleges and attend concerts, which these schools sponsor. The extensive musical venues of the Los Angeles area are also readily accessible.

Drama activities include the production of plays presented in the School's fully equipped theater, as well as in worship services. Groups of students and faculty attend and discuss plays presented at The Claremont Colleges and as part of the active Los Angeles theater scene. Of special interest are its many equity waiver theaters, which regularly present important contemporary work produced and performed by members of the Hollywood film and television community who use these stages as a way of keeping in touch with the traditions and practice of live theater. Opportunities for the study of film and television as an art form, cultural record, and communications resource are available on campus and in the community. Campus showings, open to the campus community without charge, include recent feature films as well as weekly series of art and classic films. Facilities are provided for individual study of these media, with the Flaherty Study Center offering special resources in nonfiction film. Other organizations in the community, including The Claremont Colleges, regularly present important films, and the School makes many of its resources available as well. These include special programs and in some cases research collections at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Directors Guild, the County Museum of Art, as well as the major film schools at USC and UCLA. The School has simple facilities for film and video production, which students use in connection with courses or to create individual work according to interest and ability.

Claremont Association for Spirituality and Music (CASM)

Community of Faith for Healing the Earth (COFFHE)

The Dance Group, "Movement of the Spirit," meets when there is sufficient student interest to prepare and present liturgical dance as part of Claremont worship services. It also sponsors occasional dance recitals on campus, and discussions with their choreographers and performers.

The Eco-Justice Task Force is active in educating and involving the Claremont community in social issues such as hunger, peace and other global concerns. This student-faculty group is also working to make the Claremont School of Theology campus a "regenerative" ecological community.

The Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer Students Association works to educate the community about the issues of gays and lesbians in the church and the world. Inclusion and acceptance of lesbians and gays in all aspects of the life of Claremont and the Church is also a concern.

Hispanic Student Association

International Friend to Friend Group

Korean Singers

The Korean Students' Association provides programming and support for Korean students. They work to support the spiritual life of the Korean community as well as providing forums on topics of interest in theology and international issues.

The Pan-African Seminarians Association promotes fellowship and mutual assistance among Pan-African students. It works for meaningful interaction among all students, and for the increased presence of Pan-African faculty and students at Claremont.

Seminarians for Social Justice

The Student Council represents students' concerns throughout the institution. One of its responsibilities is to appoint students to the faculty committees, which oversee the degree programs of the School, to certain administrative committees, to faculty meetings, and to the Board of Trustees. The Student Council also hears student concerns, and sponsors programs and activities for the entire community.

Theolog is the unofficial paper of the Claremont School of Theology. In it one can find the many opinions and interests of students. The Theolog is an independently run publication of the Community Life Committee, and is not tied down by anything except good taste and common courtesy.

Worship Council





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