Presbyterian Mission Agency rev. dr. serene jones Archives

The future of Black faith and resistance

Posted April 10th, 2024

“This annual lecture continues Dr. Cone’s dynamic legacy of prophetic Black theological and religious thought that pushes hard against the conscience of America,” said the Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, president of Union Theological Seminary in New York City, who held a moment of reverent pause as she asked the audience to consider the legacy of the Rev. Dr. James H. Cone, who had been a professor at Union for 50 years. Cone died in 2018. The event on April 3, held at the seminary’s James Chapel and streamed online, was the fourth annual lecture to be held in his honor.

Union Theological Seminary honors one of its most gifted graduates, the Rev. Dr. Gay Byron

Posted March 15th, 2024

Union Theological Seminary, which conferred three degrees on the late Rev. Dr. Gay Byron, recently held a hybrid event honoring the famed womanist scholar. Watch the 90-minute program, which included a choral music tribute, by clicking here.

Theology program for incarcerated women answers the PC(USA)’s Matthew 25 call

Posted August 9th, 2023

Any self-respecting Christian seminary will teach its students that the Jesus sheep and goat story in Matthew 25 is a mandate to care for the less fortunate in society, including those in prison.

Union Theological Seminary adds caste to its anti-discrimination policy

Posted June 6th, 2023

Union Theological Seminary in New York City recently added caste to its non-discrimination policy, making it the first independent seminary in the nation to do so. In doing so, Union takes a small step towards dismantling pervasive discrimination stemming from caste systems and furthers its commitment to justice, equity and inclusion.

US Senator Raphael Warnock, who earned two degrees from Union Theological Seminary, drops in to chat via Zoom

Posted February 17th, 2023

Union Theological Seminary in New York City honored one of its favorite sons Friday with an hour-long Zoom conversation attended by hundreds of friends and admirers of U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, D-Georgia, who earned a Master of Divinity at Union in 1994 and his doctoral degree there 12 years later. Watch Warnock’s hour-long conversation with the Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, Union’s president, here.

Why do we keep doing these prayers of confession?

Posted May 13th, 2022

Two thoughtful theologians — Dr. Martha Moore-Keish, the J.B. Green Professor of Theology at Columbia Theological Seminary, and the Rev. Dr. David Gambrell, Associate for Worship in the Office of Theology & Worship — put their brains and their hearts on display Thursday during the Presbyterian Association of Musicians’ town hall, “Why do we Keep Doing these Prayers of Confession?”

The Rev. Dr. Donald W. Shriver Jr., president emeritus of Union Theological Seminary, dies at 93

Posted August 7th, 2021

The Rev. Dr. Donald W. Shriver Jr., acclaimed ethicist and president emeritus of Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, died July 28 at 93.