Our Community & Facilities

The Seattle School is an evangelical and progressive institution. The faculty consciously submits to the authority of Scripture and the model of a hermeneutical framework that interprets the Bible in light of its grammatical, historical, literary, and theological contexts. Relational hermeneutics is a full-bodied, soul-engaging, heart-transforming encounter that involves the subjective worldview of the interpreter as much as the process of interpretation. 

We believe in one God, 

the Father, the Almighty, 

maker of heaven and earth, 

of all that is, seen and unseen. 

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, 

the only Son of God, 

eternally begotten of the Father, 

God from God, Light from Light, 

true God from true God, 

begotten, not made, 

of one Being with the Father; 

through him all things were made. 

For us and for our salvation 

he came down from heaven, 

by the power of the Holy Spirit 

he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary 

and was made man. 

For our sake he was crucified 

under Pontius Pilate; 

he suffered death and was buried. 

On the third day he rose again 

in accordance with the Scriptures; 

he ascended into heaven 

and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 

He will come again in glory to judge 

the living and the dead, 

and his kingdom will have no end. 

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, 

the giver of life, 

who proceeds from the Father and the Son, 

With the Father and the Son 

is worshiped and glorified, 

He has spoken through the prophets. 

We believe in one holy catholic 

and apostolic Church. 

We acknowledge one baptism 

for the forgiveness of sins. 

We look for the resurrection of the dead, 

and the life of the world to come. 

Amen.

Matthew 22:37-40

Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it; Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

We confess that the scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are the Word of God. We give thanks for them as a gift from God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, written down by God's servants. We receive them in the tradition of the Christian Church as entirely true and the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct and as the authoritative guide to our identity and vocation, bringing us to the fullness of life in Jesus Christ. 

The mission of The Seattle School is to train people to be competent in the study of text, soul and culture in order to serve God and neighbor through transforming relationships. 

We strive to create a Christian educational community where students will think critically and creatively, engage authentically and relationally, and embody a synthesis of text, soul and culture that moves us outward into the larger community, the church, and the world. Through an integrated and intentional process of formation, students are invited to pursue life-long learning, personal and spiritual growth and effective service that reflects the presence and action of Christ in the world.

Foundational to our worldview is the understanding that God the Creator and Revealer is the source of all knowledge and insight. Through Scripture, the natural world, human history and interpersonal relationships, we come to apprehend and practice truth. Growth in knowing God and others is possible because humans have been made in God’s image, with the capacity to learn and love.

We believe that all truth is God’s truth, whatever its source, though with the Church of all ages, we confess that the scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are the written word of God. We give thanks for them as God’s gift, inspired by the Holy Spirit, transmitted by God’s servants. We receive them as entirely true and the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct and as the authoritative guide to our identity and vocation, bringing us to the fullness of life in the living Word, Jesus Christ.

Education at The Seattle School encourages the holistic development of students, with their unique abilities and giftedness, to love and serve God and others with all their heart, soul and mind. The Seattle School students should be able to think theologically and relationally about contemporary issues, respond practically and effectively to their sense of God’s calling, live lives of holy love, and become transforming influences for God’s kingdom in their diverse cultural settings.

At The Seattle School, students are valued as learners who are integral to our educational and spiritual community. We recognize and celebrate the diversity of our students’ lives: their different gifts, abilities, experiences, cultures, and ways of learning. The Seattle School faculty not only teach, but through their education, expertise, and life-experience, they also serve as mentors, encouragers, and colleagues in life-long learning.

The Seattle School’s mission of becoming competent in the study of text, soul and culture to serve God and neighbor through transforming relationships is expressed through its core themes of formation, integration and sustainability. 

Formation

We seek to form people through a holistic process that encompasses transformational learning methods, cross-disciplinary inquiry, personal and spiritual development, and experiential learning. Graduates are not only trained to be counselors, pastors, theologians, social and cultural entrepreneurs, but also to read text (scripture, literature, personal narratives), soul (self as psychological, social and spiritual), and culture (identity and contexts) in order to equip themselves to serve others in diverse and complex contexts.

Integration 

We practice the exercise of integrating theology and psychology as a means to emphasize scholarship with a goal towards effective service and practice in a complex world. We utilize a pedagogy of collaborative learning activities with multiple disciplines, discourse, mentoring, and capstone experiences to support students in developing a frame for their practice. Students are immersed in various approaches towards learning (experiential, transformational, dialogical, relational, critical reflection, etc.) to support the development of their critical and creative capacity to engage real-world challenges.

Sustainability

Sustainability embodies the prudent and enduring stewardship of human, spiritual, social, intellectual and financial resources. We emphasize personal and relational development in preparation for service to the common good and the social and spiritual revitalization of the Christian Church. Within the institution it includes ongoing and innovative resource development endeavors to sustain a supportive learning, living and working environment for students, alumni, faculty and staff and a commitment to be a sustaining and revitalizing force in local and global communities. A spirituality that advocates self-awareness, interconnectedness and the construction of meaning is sustaining. 

The Seattle School has designed its curriculum for life-long learners. The Master of Arts in Theology & Culture degrees are designed to broaden and enrich the Christian calling to serve God and neighbor via a variety of careers in the arts, community development, and ministry. The Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology degree is a professional counseling curriculum designed to prepare a student for licensure or certification. Although the educational requirements of many states can be met through the M.A. in Counseling Psychology program, it is the responsibility of each student to determine their state’s requirements and plan an educational experience to meet the requirements.

At The Seattle School, we value the diversity of our community, confessing that all people are image bearers of the divine, and that God loves everyone equally. Hospitable language is important because it reflects human dignity while fostering learning environments where difference is welcome, respected, and valued. 

The Seattle School expects members of its community to use inclusive and generous language and avoid the use of demeaning terms or expressions reinforcing dehumanizing attitudes about persons or groups based on age, race, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, and/or religion. We encourage the use of expansive language for both divine and human persons. Faculty, staff, and students should strive to use anecdotes or examples, and bibliographic references that are reflective of the diversity of the human experience.

All syllabi, papers, or other written communications are covered by the terms of this hospitable language policy. For further explanation of the expectations of this policy with regard to student creative work, please see the Artistic Expression Policy in the Student Handbook. For most circumstances, the current editions of the APA Publication Manual and Chicago Manual of Style offer assistance to apply these guidelines.

Please see the Student Handbook for a full explanation of our physical and online campus facilities. 

The Mike & Myra McCoy Library & Learning Center serves a vital educational role at The Seattle School, offering resources for student and faculty research and supporting the curricular and administrative information needs of the school. The library’s collection includes a combined collection of more than 250,000 print and digital books and several hundred physical and streaming audiovisuals. The library catalog can be found on the library’s website. Remote access to the library’s online resources is available for current students, faculty, and staff.

The library subscribes to the premier online databases in the fields of psychology, religion and general studies; including APA PsycINFO, Atla Religion Database, and Academic Search Ultimate. Subscriptions to full-text journal packages such as APA PsycARTICLES and Atla Serials Plus provide students with more than 15,000 titles in full text. Library staff will work to obtain items not available in our collection through interlibrary loan (subject to cost and availability). 

The library maintains a Reserves collection (either print or digital) of the current term’s required books. Priority is given, when available and affordable to digital copies. Links to them are posted to the appropriate class page. Physical copies are intended for in-library use only. In addition, many recommended materials listed on course syllabi will be available in the library, either as physical or digital versions.  

Computer workstations and a photocopier/scanner are available for student use. A wireless network, available throughout the building, allows students to use their own laptops and print to networked printers.  

Library staff is available to provide instruction in the use of the library’s resources, in informal encounters, scheduled on campus or Zoom appointments, and classroom visits.  

The Seattle School seeks to be a community which follows God, in the way of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. In light of this commitment, and to honor the personhood and dignity of others, all students enrolled at The Seattle School assume an obligation to conduct themselves at all times as responsible members of the campus community (both on-campus and online), to respect the personal and property rights of others, and to support the educational mission of The Seattle School. The Seattle School insists that its students demonstrate personal and professional integrity in addition to academic excellence. 

The Seattle School’s administrators, faculty and staff encourage student involvement in decision making. Student participation and input on institutional committees are valued and encouraged at The Seattle School.

While on campus at The Seattle School, or at The Seattle School sponsored events, or interacting with The Seattle School faculty, staff, or fellow students, students are held accountable and expected to conduct themselves in an ethical, professional and civil manner. Unprofessional behavior includes, but is not limited to, hostile or careless uses of profanity or obscenities, physical displays of anger or aggressiveness, threatening gestures or comments, violence or unlawful harassment, insubordination, persistent, or disrespectful arguing, or any other illegal or unethical conduct. Unprofessional behavior or violations of academic integrity may be cause for disciplinary action. 

Please see the Student Handbook for the full policy, including information about the Student Conduct Committee and how to deal with Student Concerns.