Graduate Theological Union

08/29/2026

Artificial intelligence is inspiring people to ask questions that extend well beyond its technological capabilities, including a fundamental inquiry into what it means to be human. In Episode 2.8 of Science and Spirituality for the Curious, host Richard Randolph spoke with faculty member Braden Molhoek, director of the GTU’s Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences (CTNS), about the ethical and theological implications of artificial intelligence. Their conversation explores AI through the lens of virtue ethics, human responsibility, emerging technologies, and the changing relationship between humanity and the natural world. Visit https://www.gtu.edu/news/braden-molhoek-s-and-s-podcast to learn more.

08/22/2026

In a new op ed in J. The Jewish News of Northern California, GTU President Uriah Y. Kim asks: what kind of people are we becoming in the age of artificial intelligence? Long before Silicon Valley, the Book of Proverbs imagined Lady Wisdom standing at a crossroads, calling people toward discernment, judgment, and human flourishing. Today, as AI reshapes how we learn, work, and make decisions, that ancient question feels remarkably urgent. Kim opines that AI must be designed not only for optimization and productivity, but also for judgment, discernment, and wisdom—and why higher education and theological institutions have a vital role to play in that conversation. Read the full article here:

Long before Silicon Valley’s AI began asking to guide our lives, the Book of Proverbs imagined another guide for human flourishing.

08/14/2026

Nine schools have joined the GTU’s Theological Schools Recentering & Enhancing Library Integral Services (TRELIS) program. By equipping theological schools with the robust library support required for graduate-level academic research, these seminaries will gain access to a wealth of theological librarian support in reference and instruction, online resources, and comprehensive collections in theology and religion. https://www.gtu.edu/trelis

08/12/2026

The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded a grant to the GTU for developing a documentary directed by esteemed filmmaker Ric Burns about Ralph Albert Blakelock, a previously overlooked painter now thought to be America's van Gogh. Devin Zuber, Associate Professor of American Studies, Religion, and Literature and member of the Core Doctoral Faculty at the GTU, is senior advisor to the project. A specialist in the intersections between religion, literature, and aesthetics in American art and literature, Zuber is uniquely qualified to help shape the film’s narrative. Visit https://www.gtu.edu/blakelock to learn more.

06/17/2026

Still thinking about pursuing a master's in theological studies? With a 93% professional and academia placement rate over the last 3 graduating classes, the GTU prepares students for success. Apply by July 1 to start this fall! Visit https://www.gtu.edu/academics/ma-program for more information.

06/10/2026

President Uriah Kim is producing a new body of work about the vital role higher education and religious leaders must play in the formation of artificial intelligence. “If religious communities and educational institutions stop at denunciation or rejection of AI, they risk leaving formation to the very systems they distrust,” he posits. Learn more in his latest piece “What Does AI Reveal about Creation and Vocation” published today in The Christian Century.

In the biblical imagination, God’s words bring the world into existence by command. Human speech accomplishes something...

06/03/2026

Congratulations to our 2026 graduates! From dissertations exploring contemplative practice, digital religion, and disability theology to capstones in Jewish studies, Islamic studies, chaplaincy, and the arts, this year’s graduates reflect the breadth and depth of intellectual inquiry across the GTU. We are so proud of their accomplishments and can't wait to see what they'll do next!

05/29/2026

Scholars from the GTU are involved in the most current and high-profile discussions about AI. Léocadie Lushombo, Professor of Theological Ethics at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University and GTU Core Doctoral Faculty Member, was among six people Pope Leo XIV invited to help present and interpret his new encyclical on artificial intelligence, two GTU alums were quoted in a May 25 New York Times piece on the topic, and GTU President Uriah Kim has just published a series of essays about how leaders in higher theological education must be involved in shaping this technology.

Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/4e8FY2C

05/08/2026

The Graduate Theological Union has received a $2.5 million anonymous endowment gift to support interreligious innovation and community transformation.

This investment strengthens the GTU Next strategic plan—expanding financial aid, supporting emerging scholars, and advancing a model of theological education rooted in collaboration across traditions.

With this support, the GTU continues to build toward a sustainable future and deepen its role in preparing leaders for pluralistic communities.

Read the story: gtu.edu/news

05/06/2026

Kathryn R. Barush, Bertelsen Professor of Art History and Religion at the GTU and the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University, has received the Art + Christianity Book Award for Imaging Pilgrimage: Art as Embodied Experience.

Awarded annually, the prize recognizes work that advances public understanding of the relationship between faith and art. Barush’s book explores how contemporary artistic practices engage pilgrimage—connecting landscapes, communities, and lived experience across global contexts.

This recognition highlights the GTU’s ongoing contributions to the study of art, religion, and the ways people create meaning through visual culture.

Learn more: gtu.edu/news