GTU Celebrates 2014 Commencement

On May 8, fifty-four graduates were honored at the Graduate Theological Union’s 2014 commencement ceremony, held at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary's Chapel of the Cross in Berkeley, California. Thirty-seven graduates received the Master of Arts degree, three the Master of Arts with a concentration in Biblical Languages, and fourteen the Doctor of Philosophy degree. Each of these students completed their programs in Fall 2013 or Spring 2014. 

Courtney Bruntz, Ph.D. in Cultural and Historical Studies of Religion, addressed her fellow graduates, offering reflections on the topic of “Embracing the Strange(r): How the GTU Prepares Us for Today’s World.”

Dr. Marion Grau, Associate Professor of Theology at Church Divinity School of the Pacific, spoke on behalf of the faculty, addressing graduates with a speech entitled, “At the Crossroads: Interpreting the Sacred at the GTU and Beyond.”

Dr. William R. O’Neill, S.J., Associate Professor of Social Ethics at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University and the Graduate Theological Union, was announced as the recipient of the Sarlo Excellence in Teaching Award. The selection committee acknowledged Dr. O’Neill for his embodiment of the values of “interreligious sensitivity and commitment,” “interdisciplinary approach and content in teaching,” “sensitivity to ethnic and cultural diversity,” and “creative and effective classroom pedagogical methods and performance.”