Yale Divinity School is that rare place in American society—one where questions and answers that lie between faith and intellect are enthusiastically explored. We are a campus that not only dives into the gray spaces between the black and white that so often characterize public discourse. We thrive in them.

From scholars and researchers to politicians and religious luminaries, we have produced some of the world’s most influential leaders since the School’s inception in 1822 as a distinct unit within Yale University. To date, we have put forward more presidents and deans of colleges, universities, and seminaries, as well as heads of denominations, than any other divinity school or seminary in the United States. Yale Divinity School faculty have been—and continue to be—among the most prominent religion scholars of their time. Our ministers in the pulpit have nurtured and expanded the religious imaginations of the faithful in virtually every corner of the globe.

Just a few steps onto campus are enough to convey a good sense of what we’re about. We are Christian in ethos and tradition, but open to others. We welcome the opportunity to have dialogue with, and to learn from, other faith traditions. And we have accepted the challenge of appropriately and adequately applying biblical principles and theology to critical issues of the day. Our students and faculty regularly engage in conversations around issues such as immigration, climate change, women’s and LGBTQ rights, health care, and racial justice.

The professors push the bounds of student convictions, calling them into a deeper relationship not only with the Word, but also the world. This is an institution where faith and intellectual inquiry go hand in hand, where community is cherished and cultivated, and where the knowledge of God and service to humanity are seen as two sides of a single coin.

Welcome to Yale Divinity School.

Gregory E. Sterling
The Reverend Henry L. Slack Dean, Yale Divinity School
Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament