Sewanee: The University of The South - School of Theology

School of Theology

The School of Theology at the University of the South was founded in 1878. Originally it was known as "St. Luke's" because it was housed in St. Luke's Hall, which was given by Charlotte Morris Manigault to the University specifically for a School of Theology. This building hosted the first meeting of what would become the National Episcopal Historians and Archivists under the guidance of Dr. Arthur Ben Chitty, the Historiographer of the University.

Following the merger of the Sewanee Academy with St. Andrew's School, located a few miles from Sewanee, in 1981, the School of Theology moved to the former SA campus. Because this new location was a mile away from St. Luke's Chapel (west of the campus proper), seminarians worshiped in a converted classroom (affectionately known as "the Pit") until a new chapel was constructed adjacent to the school in 2000.

The School of Theology is one of the eleven seminaries officially connected with the Episcopal Church. Further, it is the only one located within the Southeastern U.S. proper, the only other Southern seminaries being located at geographical fringes of the region, Virginia Theological Seminary near Washington, D.C. and the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. Historically, its position within Anglicanism is generally considered to fall within the parameters of the High Church tradition, whereas Virginia was seen as the seminary in the Low Church tradition.