Hartford International University for Religion and Peace Begins Anew

Hartford Seminary is now Hartford International University for Religion and Peace.  The name change, announced Wednesday, comes as the institution’s emphasis has broadened, particularly in recent years, and against a backdrop of a renewed worldwide interest in building common ground among different peoples and communities of belief.

The conversation around changing the name of Hartford Seminary started decades ago, according to officials. Founded in 1834 as The Theological Institute of Connecticut, the institution was a traditional seminary, training ministers for leadership.

 Over the next 180-plus years, there was an evolution from a focus on ministerial training to interfaith education and scholarship. The Board of Trustees has discussed for decades whether or not to retain the word “seminary” as part of the institution’s name, since it no longer offers a Master of Divinity (the traditional seminary degree) and had a longstanding reputation for interfaith dialogue, particularly around Muslim-Christian relations and more recently Judaism.

In 2019, during an intensive strategic planning process, leadership recognized that the name should reflect the focus on international peacebuilding and interreligious studies, and the process to develop a new name began.  The Board of Trustees adopted a new Strategic Vision in March of 2020 which included plans to launch three new programs beginning in the 2021 Fall semester.

The three new 36-credit programs include a Master of Arts in Interreligious Studies, Master of Arts in Chaplaincy and a Master of Arts in International Peacebuilding, each of which have been accredited by The Association of Theological Studies in the United States and Canada and the New England Commission on Higher Education.

In announcing the name change, four ways were cited that would be beneficial to the institution’s future:   

First, the name Hartford International University for Religion and Peace deepens the mission and more accurately reflects the new strategic plan with renewed focus on peacebuilding, interreligious dialogue, and conflict resolution. The institution plans to expand the range and quality of graduate and certificate programs, executive and professional education, religion research, and global and community partnerships.

Second, the adoption of “international university” in the new name represents a logical next step for the institution and will help to expand the market for potential students both in the United States and overseas.

Third, the term “international university” is synonymous with higher education worldwide, whereas in many cultures, the word “seminary” is equated with an institution that trains Christian clergy. International Muslim and Jewish students may not consider Hartford Seminary as an option simply because of its “seminary” label. This was confirmed in various conversations with and surveys of international students.

Fourth, the institution already operates more as an international university than a seminary, and the name should reflect that. The term “university” is considered to be more academically rigorous. External research conducted with prospective students indicates that students overwhelmingly correlate “international university” with a wide variety of programs and initiatives, more opportunities for global involvement, a better quality of educational experience, prestige and more marketable graduates.

A new logo was created to accompany the name change, designed to evoke a universal response: One of hope, peace and unity.  The ascending dove, is “aspirational and contemporary, confident and hopeful, and it uses bold colors inspired by flags around the world.”