The University of Saint James and Seminary is a private Orthodox University in the Archdiocese of North America in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It was founded in 2008 by His Eminence Archbishop Melchisdeck Metropolitan of the Palestinian Orthodox Church of America. In 2012, the Seminary was elevated to University status and took the name The University of Saint James and Seminary.
St. James Orthodox Theological Seminary and University is an institution of professional Orthodox Christian theological education, chartered by the Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and affiliated with the Palestinian Orthodox Church of America. Seminarians and Students environment conducive to spiritual growth and academic study, Students can earn a degree in B.A, MA or Ph. D. The Seminary and University nurtures the theological vocations of its students and faculty, who share the unique opportunity of learning and teaching Orthodox theology in the framework of their daily studies and experience of a rich heritage of Palestinian Orthodox spiritual and liturgical tradition.
The primary mission of the Seminary and University lies in providing the necessary theological, liturgical, spiritual and moral foundations for Orthodox men to become, as God so wills, good shepherds of His Holy Orthodox Church. At the same time, however, the Seminary also recognizes that many individuals choose to enroll in a professional theological training program for the fulfillment of needs other than those of ordained ministry. Among these are: preparation for general religious leadership responsibilities in parishes and other settings; advanced theological study; specialized ministry as religious educators or choir directors; personal spiritual enrichment. Therefore, St. James Seminary and University continues to support all honorable reasons for matriculation at the Seminary and participation in class.
