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Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

Coordinates: 42°59′04″N 85°35′48″W / 42.984327°N 85.596544°W / 42.984327; -85.596544
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Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary
Established1995
PresidentJoel Beeke
Location
2965 Leonard St NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525-5828"
,
 United States

42°59′04″N 85°35′48″W / 42.984327°N 85.596544°W / 42.984327; -85.596544
AffiliationsHeritage Reformed Congregations and the Free Reformed Churches of North America
Websitehttp://www.puritanseminary.org


The Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary (PRTS) is a conservative Calvinist seminary located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.[1][2] The seminary's self-stated distinction among Reformed seminaries in North America is a focus on experiential preaching and teaching.[3] PRTS is the official seminary of the Heritage Reformed Congregations. The publishing house, Reformation Heritage Books, operates within PRTS and has a bookstore on-site.

The front doors of PRTS

History

Classes at PRTS commenced in August, 1995. Students of the Heritage Reformed Congregations and the Free Reformed Churches of North America attend for their official theological training, and students outside of these denominations are accepted on the basis of adherence to the Three Forms of Unity and/or the Westminster Standards and meeting the basic admissions requirements.

PRTS is accredited through the Association of Reformed Theological Seminaries (ARTS), an organization of eight North American seminaries that adhere to either the Three Forms of Unity or the Westminster Standards. In July 2010, it became an associate member of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS).[4]

Teaching Staff

The seminary has a variety of part-time faculty members and four full-time faculty with offices on site: Dr. Joel R. Beeke,[5][6] Dr. Gerald M. Bilkes, Dr. David P. Murray, and Dr. William VanDoodewaard.

  • Joel Beeke is the seminary's founder, President, and Professor of Systematic Theology and Homiletics. Beeke is also a popular Reformed Christian conference speaker throughout the world, as well as a frequent radio interviewee.[7][8][9] He has also authored numerous Christian books and publications.[10][11]
  • Gerald Bilkes is Professor of Old and New Testament.
  • David Murray is Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology.
  • William VanDoodewaard is Associate Professor of Church History.

Distance Learning

PRTS has an actively developed distance learning program. Especially popular are the online courses in the original languages. PRTS uses the inductive method in these courses, a method pioneered by William Sanford LaSor. Students work at their own pace in these classes under the tutelage of Christopher Engelsma, director of distance learning. The PRTS Online Language Center is a wiki written to facilitate language instruction. PRTS also hosts a Community site where recordings of many course lectures can be accessed freely.

Conferences

In August 2009, there was a conference at PRTS about John Calvin.[12] In 2010, a second annual conference was held, titled, "The Beauty and Glory of Christ." The 2011 annual conference was on "The Beauty and Glory of the Holy Spirit."

Programs

PRTS offers three programs:

Footnotes

  1. ^ "Seminary expansion blazes future 'path'", Gary W. Morrison. The Grand Rapids Press, Dec 25, 2004.
  2. ^ "Gezonde bevinding hoort in een Bijbelse preek". Reformatorisch Dagblad (in Dutch). 2008-10-17. Retrieved 19 February 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary
  4. ^ http://www.puritanseminary.org/2010/07/ats-membership.php
  5. ^ de Heer, A. (July 26, 2007). "Puriteinen zijn zo rijk, diep, Bijbels, praktisch ook". Reformatorisch Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 February 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Mans, Theo Borger (March 17, 2007). "Geloven in de praktijk (book review)". RKnieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 February 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "Calvin 500 Tour".
  8. ^ Rauschert, Jeff (October 11, 2008). "Religion Notes". Flint Journal. Retrieved 19 February 2010. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ "The Christian Worldview Radio Program with David Wheaton".
  10. ^ "Library Thing Author Page".
  11. ^ "Amazon.com".
  12. ^ Honey, Charley (July 4, 2009). "Even 500 years after his birth, John Calvin's ideas hold onto us". The Grand Rapids Press. Retrieved 19 February 2010. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
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