La Verne, California, July 6, 2018
Photo: tahos.org The Antiochian House of Studies (AHOS) has received a Certificate of Associate Membership in the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) in the United States and Canada, reports the site of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.
ATS is an organization of Christian and Jewish seminaries and other graduates schools of theology, with more than 270 member institutions. The ATS Commission on Accrediting provides graduate schools with accreditation.
In receiving the certificate at the ATS Centennial Biennial Meeting in Denver on June 20, AHOS joins the ranks of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.
AHOS initiated the process of accreditation with the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) on September 1, 2017, and the bestowal of the Certificate of Associate Membership marks the first step in a 5-year process towards full membership in the ATS.
“It is our intention to contribute to the theological landscape of this great continent by bearing witness to the Biblical and Patristic ethos of the Orthodox Church,” noted Dr. Christopher Veniamin, Professor of Patristic Theology and Dogmatics, Dean, and Chief Administrative Officer of AHOS.
“As valuable members of AHOS and the Archdiocese, we humbly urge each one of you to help spread the word of this momentous event in the history of the House of Studies, the Antiochian Archdiocese, and indeed of the Orthodox Church in North America and beyond,” Dr. Veniamin added.
According to the AHOS website, AHOS Master’s degrees are granted in partnership with the Saint John of Damascus School of Theology of the University of Balamand in Lebanon, and are internationally accredited by the Commission for Higher Learning of the Republic of Lebanon.
Additionally, the Master of Theology in Pastoral Care & Counseling is professionally accredited as a Level-One Pastoral Counseling Training Center by the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, and also by the Institute for Clinical Pastoral Training (in partnership with the Spiritual Care Association) to independently offer Level One Clinical Pastoral Education.
The AHOS announced the establishment of its Ph.D. program in November 2015.
“The House of Studies is of the conviction that the Ph.D. program in Orthodox Studies will contribute most significantly to fostering a deeper understanding of the critical challenges of our times. This profound enrichment of the Church's intellectual life will enhance the pastoral work of all our clergy and our educators everywhere. Our graduates will ultimately bring invaluable scholarship to all Orthodox Christians, in turn enabling the faithful to bear witness to the Orthodox faith through profound intellectual and critical cultural engagement on all levels,” The Very Rev. Dr. Michel Najim said about the Ph.D. program.
The AHOS Ph.D. program held its first residency at the Antiochian Village in Bolivar, PA in the summer of 2017. The 10-day session was especially notable for the presence of Metropolitan Hierotheos (Vlachos), the bishop of the Orthodox Church of Greece and one of the most respected Orthodox theologians alive today. His Eminence is a faculty member of the Antiochian Orthodox Institute.
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