Creating Leaders for Communities of Christian Faith, Hope, and Justice
Social action, biblical scholarship, empowered preaching, or worship leadership. We are ready to help you to respond and take the next step.
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We Invite You to Join Us
A Message from LeAnn Snow Flesher, VP of Academics and Professor of Biblical Interpretation
Prospective Students
At Berkeley School of Theology, it is our hope that your sense of calling is rooted deeply in who you are, your passions, skills, and your ties to the community.
Current Students
Berkeley School of Theology is committed to walk with you from orientation to graduation. At BST, we offer academic, personal, financial and spiritual support as you prepare for you life call.
Alumni & Friends
You are a treasured member of the Berkeley School of Theology family. Here you will find new ways to connect with your Seminary, other alums and supporters of BST.
Following the Light of Epiphany: A 4-week Discernment Group
Epiphany, derived from the Greek word epiphaneia, meaning manifestation or appearance, signifies a moment of sudden revelation or insight. In Christian theology, it marks the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, represented by the Magi, and underscores the universal nature of Jesus’ mission.
During these 4 weeks, we will seek insight from God for our own lives and futures by reading, sharing, listening, and praying together.
4 Sessions on Zoom
Thursdays @ 6:00-7:30pm pacific time
January 9, 16, 23, 30
FREE: Registration is Required
This group will be led by Rev. Dr. Angie Barker Jackson, VP Institutional Advancement. Group participation is FREE but registration is required to receive the Zoom link.
White Christian Nationalism: How It Threatens Our Democracy and What We Can Do Together
The Center for Truth, Racial Healing, and Restorative Justice, 2024 Fall Lecture
The Center’s fall lecture on Thursday, October 17 at 6:30pm PT in Karpe Hall on BST’s campus.
Amanda Tyler, Executive Director of the Baptist Joint Committee (BJC), will speak on the following: White Christian Nationalism: How it Threatens Our Democracy and What We Can Do Together.
Amanda is the lead organizer of BJC’s national campaign: Christians Against Christian Nationalism and the author of the forthcoming book, How to End Christian Nationalism, coming in October 2024 from Broadleaf Books.
Visit BST Week — September 23-27
Have you ever wondered what seminary classes were like? Try a class (or 2 or 3) for FREE!
Join us for Visit BST Week from September 23-27. Each day we are offering 1-2 opportunities where you can experience theological education FREE of charge. The only requirement: you must REGISTER.
The following courses and experiences are available to choose from. Simply follow the instructions, click the button(s), and complete the registration form(s). We can’t wait to see you September 23-27!
January Intersession
Theological Aesthetics — January 6-10
How can we create art that makes a difference in our world today? This course introduces a theological framework and practice of designing creative and prophetic work that changes the world. Informed by theological aesthetics and human-centered design, we will ask students to love God and their neighbor by creating an art project born from spiritual reflection and biblical inquiry. Our journey together is for spiritual creatives and ministry leaders who want to respond to the needs of today’s world.
Dates/Times: January 6-10 from 8:30am to 12:00pm PDT on Zoom
Professor: Rev. Sam Kim
Registration Open: November 4-15, 2025
Questions? Email Lia Rochill, lrochill@bst.edu
Theological Aesthetics — January 6-10
How can we create art that makes a difference in our world today? This course introduces a theological framework and practice of designing creative and prophetic work that changes the world. Informed by theological aesthetics and human-centered design, we will ask students to love God and their neighbor by creating an art project born from spiritual reflection and biblical inquiry. Our journey together is for spiritual creatives and ministry leaders who want to respond to the needs of today’s world.
Dates/Times: January 6-10 from 8:30am to 12:00pm PDT on Zoom
Professor: Rev. Sam Kim
Registration Open: November 4-15, 2025
January Intersession
Following the Light of Epiphany: A 4-week Discernment Group
Epiphany, derived from the Greek word epiphaneia, meaning manifestation or appearance, signifies a moment of sudden revelation or insight. In Christian theology, it marks the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, represented by the Magi, and underscores the universal nature of Jesus’ mission.
During these 4 weeks, we will seek insight from God for our own lives and futures by reading, sharing, listening, and praying together. Read more…
4 Sessions on Zoom
Thursdays @ 6:00-7:30pm pacific time
January 9, 16, 23, 30
FREE: Registration is Required
This group will be led by Rev. Dr. Angie Barker Jackson, VP Institutional Advancement.
Let Your Life Speak — A Discernment Group
Join a discernment community! The group will meet weekly over a 6-week period from Thursday, January 11 – Thursday, February 15, 2024. It will be held on Zoom from 6:00-7:30pm Pacific Time and will be led by Rev. Dr. Angie Barker Jackson, VP Institutional Advancement. All participants should purchase their own copy of Let Your Life Speak, by Parker J. Palmer. Group participation is FREE but registration is required to receive the Zoom link.
Listen to your life, hear the wisdom of others, and seek the Spirit together.
Inscripción Al Programa De Entrenamiento De Liderazgo Cristiano
Equivalencia De Licenciatura Acelerada O Maestría Avalada
Inscripción Al Programa De Maestría en Estudios Teológicos
MTS en español con énfasis en el liderazgo cristiano
Arc Initiative
Working locally and globally to offer opportunities for theological reflection, education, critique, and practice related to justice matters in public policy.
BST Bulletin
Soul Time in the Year of Our Lord, 2025
At my age, now measured in decades, each year seems to pass by faster than the year before. It’s January once again, a mix of emotions: sadness of another year gone by with wars, rumors of wars, hope lost by half of the voters of an election gone south; and, also, new babies on the way, first books published, new political possibilities felt by the other half of voters, and graduations just around the corner.
One of the wonderful lessons I’ve learned over the years from working alongside African American women, mothers, grandmothers, and my own nieces, is how time can be relativized, and stretched, by their stories of sheer persistence and amazing resilience no matter the future. More than surviving, “storied persistence” describes an ongoing capacity to “keep on, keeping on” as “anchors for the souls of our families,” says Kisha Braithwaite Holden and Camara Phyllis Jones in their book, Black Women and Resilience.
Latest Events
First Friday Lunch & Learn
Join Berkeley School of Theology by Zoom on the first Friday of the month at 12p Pacific Time to learn about a fun and interesting topic from a member of the BST community!
News and Announcements
Announcing the Arc Initiative: Berkeley School of Theology’s partnership with Asian American congregations and leaders
We invite you to join us as we discover individual and collective histories, learn and grow through shared experiences, and collaborate with partners for transformative impact in our churches and communities. Together, we hope to be living documents that draw connections between the past, present, and future. By engaging the myriad stories that form and inform our cultural and faith identities, we can be transformed by the arc of God’s story in and through us.
For more information and to register for a Q&A session hosted by Rev. Dr. Lauren Lisa Ng, director of the Arc Initiative, click below.
BST Bulletin
President Brenneman in India
From April 1-10, President Brenneman was privileged to preach twice and represent BST and the American Baptist Churches USA at the 125th Anniversary Celebration of the Tangkhul Baptist Churches Association, a gathering of over 20,000 people in Manipur, India. The northeast region of India is home to 1.5M Baptists and some 8500 churches, a source of many BST students, graduates and affiliate faculty over the years. President Brenneman was part of the unveiling of a new monument in honor of Rev. William Pettigrew, the earliest American Baptist missionary to visit Manipur and establish the first public school among the Tangkhul tribal groups, planting churches, and penning the first translation of several biblical books and hymns in the Tangkhul language.
Latest Events
First Friday Lunch & Learn
Join Berkeley School of Theology by Zoom on the first Friday of the month at 12p Pacific Time to learn about a fun and interesting topic from a member of the BST community!
January Intersession
The New Thing: Theological & Historical Inquiry into Innovation
Innovation begins with a regard for resources already present, even in the most challenging circumstances. “Behold, I am doing a new thing,” the prophet says to a people in exile. “It’s right in front of you. Can you see it?” This course will explore the theology that prompts the prophet’s audacious claim of divine action toward a new social situation. The prophetic tradition is not solely about God’s identification with the poor; the theology is about God’s provision of gifts that create prospects for economic reversal. Course participants will consider several moments in the 19th and 20th centuries when people of faith took hold of their assets to create a more just, equitable and sustainable future. The course will conclude with consideration of the new thing in contemporary contexts.
Dates/Times: January 21-23 and 28-30 from 9am-12noon PDT on Zoom
Professor: Rev. Daniel Pryfogle
Registration Open: November 4-15, 2025
Questions? Email Lia Rochill, lrochill@bst.edu
The New Thing: Theological & Historical Inquiry into Innovation
Innovation begins with a regard for resources already present, even in the most challenging circumstances. “Behold, I am doing a new thing,” the prophet says to a people in exile. “It’s right in front of you. Can you see it?” This course will explore the theology that prompts the prophet’s audacious claim of divine action toward a new social situation. The prophetic tradition is not solely about God’s identification with the poor; the theology is about God’s provision of gifts that create prospects for economic reversal.
Dates: January 21-23 and 28-30 from 9am-12noon PDT on Zoom
Professor: Rev. Daniel Pryfogle
Theological Aesthetics
How can we create art that makes a difference in our world today? This course introduces a theological framework and practice of designing creative and prophetic work that changes the world. Informed by theological aesthetics and human-centered design, we will ask students to love God and their neighbor by creating an art project born from spiritual reflection and biblical inquiry. Our journey together is for spiritual creatives and ministry leaders who want to respond to the needs of today’s world.
Dates: January 6-10 from 8:30am to 12:00pm PDT on Zoom
Professor: Rev. Sam Kim
Auditors welcome. Register Now! Questions? Email Lia Rochill, lrochill@bst.edu
CENTER FOR TRUTH, RACIAL HEALING, AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
Working locally and globally to offer opportunities for theological reflection, education, critique, and practice related to justice matters in public policy.
Lo que planeo hacer con mi título es servir en mi iglesia local como pastor asociado y en el futuro como pastor principal. Gracias a Dios por la oportunidad de estudiar en BST.
Carlos Mingeli
Graduado de BST 2021
My theological training at Berkeley School of Theology helped set a moral framework around economic and racial justice that will ensure no worker, family or community is left behind.
Minister Cherri Murphy
DMin Candidate and Faith Rooted Organizer, Economic Justice for Black Oakland
