The Graduate Theological Union

Pluralism, secularism, and globalization have become an everyday reality of church life.

Foresight

In the 1960s, PLTS, along with other Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Jews, saw the day coming when pluralism, secularism, and globalization would become everyday realities of church life. In response, PLTS joined with three other seminaries to found the Graduate Theological Union—now a consortium of nine seminaries and eleven centers of distinction and in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley committed to ecumenical and interreligious study

The Consortium that Works

Today the GTU has over 1100 students, and 100 faculty members. The consortium includes Baptists, Buddhists, Roman Catholics, Disciples of Christ, Episcopalians, Jews, Methodists, Muslims, Presbyterians, UCCers, Unitarians, and, of course, Lutherans. The GTU is not a loosely-connected consortium, miles apart and requiring cross-registration. Located in the heart of Berkeley, we publish one catalog with 750 courses annually, and our students register for classes in an open-registration process across all of the GTU member schools and centers along with the University of California.

A Model for Theological Engagement

The GTU is the most extensive and thoroughly integrated ecumenical theological program in the world. It is a model for the way religions and denominations ought to work together: a spirit of collaboration that understands and respects difference. We believe that people become more confident in their faith, not less, by engaging people who see the world differently.

Connection to UC Berkeley

As members of the Graduate Theological Union, PLTS students enjoy the vast resources of the University of California Berkeley. This privileged access includes:

  • Enrollment in U.C. courses across departments
  • Use of the world-renowned U.C. libraries
  • Full use of the campus recreational facilities
  • Attendance at the variety of campus-wide and departmental lectures and academic forums

Visit the GTU website at www.gtu.edu