"Congregation of the World": Union Seminary's Rev. Dr. Serene Jones

About this episode

Rev. Dr. Serene Jones discusses the evolution of seminary education and its impact on democracy and activism.

Rev. Dr. Serene Jones served as president of Union Theological Seminary in New York City for 18 years—long enough to see her own daughter graduate from the historic institution. During that time, she has been a strong advocate for integrating activism with theological education, mirroring her own calling and journey. We get Rev. Jones’ insights into how a seminary education has changed in the past two decades, and how today’s students are facing the challenges and realities of 2026 America. Her take on how churches and universities kept our democracy knitted together, and how the moral discourse that came from that has diasppeared, is a powerful warning, and an urgent call to action. More about Rev. Dr. Serene Jones Rev. Dr. Serene Jones has been a Yale professor, President of the American Academy of Religion, and, for the past 18 years, President of the historic Union Theological Seminary in New York City. The institution promises to “prepare its students for committed lives of service to the church, academy, and society,” and Serene Jones is the first woman president in Union Seminary’s 188-year history. This month, Rev. Dr. Jones is stepping down from this important role, but…

People in this episode

Guest: Rev. Dr. Serene Jones

Topics covered

• theological education
• activism
• democracy
• churches
• higher education
• social challenges

Keywords

• theological education
• activism
• democracy
• Union Theological Seminary
• Rev. Dr. Serene Jones
• higher education
• social challenges

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Union Theological Seminary, American Academy of Religion

Places: New York City

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