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History

The Center was founded as the result of a gathering momentum that took place at Seattle Pacific University between 2005 and 2008.

In response to numerous studies demonstrating the depth of biblical illiteracy and theological inarticulacy among American Christians, former SPU President Philip Eaton established the following as one of SPU’s signature commitments: "SPU will be a place that embraces the Christian story, becoming biblically and theologically literate."

This came just as the Seattle Pacific School of Theology completed an in-depth assessment of its three-course University Foundations sequence, which demonstrated (among other things) that three 10-week courses in theology is really only just enough to leave students wanting to know even more about the content of their Bible and the contours of their faith. And, in the summer of 2006, the School offered intensive theology courses for all SPU faculty, who requested more such offerings.

In the spring of 2007, SPU’s Response magazine devoted an entire issue to the question, "Are We Biblically Illiterate? (Research Says We Are)." This generated an overwhelming outpouring from readers, urging the University to address this problem at the local and national levels. That same quarter President Eaton established a team of School of Theology faculty and staff to propose a program designed to put into action SPU’s signature commitment to biblical and theological education. The Center for Biblical and Theological Education is the result.

The Center is also aimed at bridging the gap between academia and the church.