List of colleges and universities in Pennsylvania
Private , not-for-profit institutions -- Graduate institutions
Table:
Name

Location

Religious Affiliation

Enrollment

Yeshivath Beth Moshe

Scranton (Lackawanna County)

Orthodox Judaism

78

Biblical Theological Seminary

Hatfield (Montgomery County)

Nondenominational Christianity

248

Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS. Cyril and Methodius

Pittsburgh (Allegheny County)

Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church

14

Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary

Upper Gwynedd Township (Montgomery County)

Unaffiliated Baptist

106

Christ the Saviour Seminary

Johnstown (Cambria County)

American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church

13

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

Scranton (Lackawanna County)

Secular

169

Evangelical Seminary

Myerstown (Lebanon County)

Evangelical Congregational Church

153

Lancaster Theological Seminary

Lancaster (Lancaster County)

United Church of Christ

145

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

Erie (Erie County)

Secular

3,029

Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg

Gettysburg (Adams County)

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

168

Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

260

Palmer Theological Seminary

Lower Merion Township (Montgomery County)

American Baptist Churches

330

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

Pittsburgh (Allegheny County)

Presbyterian Church of the USA

305

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Philadelphia

Secular

2,418

Theological Seminary of the Reformed Episcopal Church

Whitpain Township (Montgomery County)

Reformed Episcopal Church

19

Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Pittsburgh (Allegheny County)

Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America

100

Reconstructionist Rabbinical College

Cheltenham Township (Montgomery County)

Reconstructionist Judaism

59

Respect Graduate School

Bethlehem (Lehigh County)

Islam

21

Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary

Radnor Township (Delaware County)

Roman Catholic Church

243

Saint Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary

South Canaan Township (Wayne County)

Orthodox Church in America

94

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Yeshiva Bais Moshe ( also referred to as Yeshivath Beth Moshe , Yeshiva Beth Moshe , Scranton Yeshiva , or Milton Eisner Yeshiva High School ) , is an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish High School and Seminary , a.k.a . a Yeshiva , located in Scranton , Pennsylvania . It was founded in 1965 by its Roshei HaYeshiva ( Deans ) - Rabbi Chaim Bressler and Rabbi Yaakov Schnaidman , disciples of the late Rabbi Aaron Kotler ztl , founder and Rosh HaYeshiva of the world renowned Rabbinical Seminary - Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood , NJ . . Yeshiva Bais Moshe is an all-male school . It comprises a high school and a collegiate-level seminary Beis Midrash . About 80 students between ages 14 and 18 attend the high school , while about 50 students between the ages of 19 and 23 attend the seminary . While some students are from the local Scranton Jewish community , a majority of students come from across the country to study Talmud at the Scranton Yeshiva . It is a well-known institution with an academically high-level of Talmudic study . While Rabbi Schnaidman and Rabbi Bressler are the principal and Rosh Yeshiva of both Seminary and High School , Rabbi Schnaidman focuses more on the Seminary while Rabbi Bressler focuses on the High School .
Scranton is the sixth-largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . It is the county seat and largest city of Lackawanna County in Northeastern Pennsylvania 's Wyoming Valley and hosts a federal court building for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania . With a population of 77,291 , it is the largest city in the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazleton , PA Metropolitan Statistical Area , which has a population of about 570,000 . The city is conventionally divided into 8 districts : North Scranton , Southside , Westside , the Hill Section , Central City , Minooka , East Mountain , and Green Ridge , though these areas do not have legal status . Scranton is the geographic and cultural center of the Lackawanna River valley and Northeastern Pennsylvania , and the largest of the former anthracite coal mining communities in a contiguous quilt-work that also includes Wilkes-Barre , Nanticoke , Pittston , and Carbondale . Scranton was incorporated on February 14 , 1856 , as a borough in Luzerne County and as a city on April 23 , 1866 . It became a major industrial city , a center of mining and railroads , and attracted thousands of new immigrants . It was the site of the Scranton General Strike in 1877 . People in northern Luzerne County sought a new county in 1839 but the Wilkes-Barre area resisted losing its assets . Lackawanna County did not gain independent status until 1878 . Under legislation allowing the issue to be voted by residents of the proposed territory , voters favored the new county by a proportion of 6 to 1 , with Scranton residents providing the major support . The city was designated as the county seat when Lackawanna County was established in 1878 , and a judicial district was authorized in July 1879 .
Orthodox Judaism is a collective term for the traditionalist branches of contemporary Judaism . Theologically , it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah , both Written and Oral , as literally revealed by God on Mount Sinai and faithfully transmitted ever since . Orthodox Judaism therefore advocates a strict observance of Jewish Law , or halakha , which is to be interpreted and determined only according to traditional methods and in adherence to the continuum of received precedent through the ages . It regards the entire halakhic system as ultimately grounded in immutable revelation , essentially beyond external and historical influence . More than any theoretical issue , obeying the dietary , purity , ethical , and other laws of halakha is the hallmark of Orthodoxy . Other key doctrines include belief in a future bodily resurrection of the dead , divine reward and punishment for the righteous and the sinners , the Election of Israel as a people bound by a covenant with God , and an eventual Messianic Age ruled by a salvific Messiah-King who will restore the Temple in Jerusalem . Orthodox Judaism is not a centralized denomination . Relations between its different subgroups are sometimes strained , and the exact limits of Orthodoxy are subject to intense debate . Very roughly , it may be divided between Haredi Judaism ( ultra-Orthodox ) , which is more conservative and reclusive , and Modern Orthodox Judaism , which is relatively open to outer society . Each of those is itself formed of independent streams . They are almost uniformly exclusionist , regarding Orthodoxy as the only authentic form of Judaism and rejecting all competing non-Orthodox philosophies as illegitimate . While adhering to traditional beliefs , the movement is a modern phenomenon .
Missio Seminary is an interdenominational graduate school of theology known for its missional emphasis . Missio is currently located in Hatfield , Pennsylvania ( a suburb of Philadelphia ) , at the former Hatfield High School campus . The seminary was previously known as Biblical Theological Seminary . In May 2018 it announced that it would change its name to Missio Seminary ( effective October 2018 ) and relocate to a new facility in the Logan Square neighborhood of Philadelphia ( in summer 2019 ) . This location later fell through , and in 2019 , the institution announced the signing of a new lease at 421 North 7th Street in Philadelphia on the top floor . This address is the site of Franklin Music Hall , formerly known as the Electric Factory .
Hatfield is a borough in Montgomery County , Pennsylvania , United States . The population was 3,290 at the time of the 2010 census . It is part of the North Penn Valley region that is centered around the borough of Lansdale . The borough is surrounded by Hatfield Township .
The Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS . Cyril and Methodius is a degree-granting school of theology in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , United States which prepares candidates for priestly ministry to the Byzantine Catholic churches of North America . As of 2019 , this includes the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Church , the Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton , the Romanian Catholic Eparchy of St George 's in Canton , and the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Josaphat in Parma It was established by the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh in 1950 on Pittsburgh 's Observatory Hill . In addition to the training of priests , the seminary offers programs in Deacon Formation as well as a Cantor Institute .
Pittsburgh ( /ˈpɪtsbɜːrɡ/ PITS-burg ) is a city in the state of Pennsylvania in the United States , and is the county seat of Allegheny County . A population of about 302,407 ( 2018 ) residents live within the city limits , making it the 66th-largest city in the U.S . The metropolitan population of 2,324,743 is the largest in both the Ohio Valley and Appalachia , the second-largest in Pennsylvania ( behind Philadelphia ) , and the 27th-largest in the U.S. Pittsburgh is located in the southwest of the state , at the confluence of the Allegheny , Monongahela , and Ohio rivers . Pittsburgh is known both as the Steel City for its more than 300 steel-related businesses and as the City of Bridges for its 446 bridges . The city features 30 skyscrapers , two inclined railways , a pre-revolutionary fortification and the Point State Park at the confluence of the rivers . The city developed as a vital link of the Atlantic coast and Midwest , as the mineral-rich Allegheny Mountains made the area coveted by the French and British empires , Virginians , Whiskey Rebels , and Civil War raiders . Aside from steel , Pittsburgh has led in manufacturing of aluminum , glass , shipbuilding , petroleum , foods , sports , transportation , computing , autos , and electronics . For part of the 20th century , Pittsburgh was behind only New York City and Chicago in corporate headquarters employment ; it had the most U.S. stockholders per capita . Deindustrialization in the 1970s and 80s laid off area blue-collar workers as steel and other heavy industries declined , and thousands of downtown white-collar workers also lost jobs when several Pittsburgh-based companies moved out . The population dropped from a peak of 675,000 in 1950 to 370,000 in 1990 . However , this rich industrial history left the area with renowned museums , medical centers , parks , research centers , and a diverse cultural district . After the deindustrialization of the mid-20th century , Pittsburgh has transformed into a hub for the health care , education , and technology industries .
The Byzantine Catholic Metropolia of Pittsburgh ( Latin : Pittsburgensis ritus byzantini ) is part of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church ( whose members are mostly Rusyns from the Carpathian Mountains , but also Ukrainians , Hungarians , Slovaks , and Croats and their descendants ) in the United States . The Metropolia , which is structured as an ecclesiastical province , itself has four components :
The Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary ( CBS ) was an evangelical seminary in the Baptist tradition , located in Lansdale , Pennsylvania , a suburb of Philadelphia . It has 558 alumni and provided master 's and doctoral degrees to clergy candidates across various conservative Baptist denominations . The school was accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education . The school was founded by Dr. Robert Jordan , the minister at the Calvary Baptist Church of Lansdale . In 1979 , just prior to the graduation of the first class , the state of Pennsylvania approved the school for official seminary designation . Initially offering only a Master 's of Divinity degree , a Master 's of Theology program was added in 1985 . In 1986 , the school became a doctoral institute , as it added a Doctor of Divinity program . Two more degrees , which relate to missionary work and religious education , were added in 2004 . In August 2013 , it was announced that Calvary Baptist Seminary would be closing at the end of the upcoming academic year . It graduated its last class of 42 students on May 16 , 2014 . Its building was repurposed as Calvary Baptist Church .
Upper Gwynedd Township ( /ˈɡwɪnɛd/ ) is a township in Montgomery County , Pennsylvania , United States . The population was 15,552 at the 2010 census . North Wales Borough is surrounded by Upper Gwynedd Township on all sides , and many homes and businesses with North Wales addresses are actually in Upper Gwynedd . Many properties with Lansdale addresses are in Upper Gwynedd as well . It is part of the North Penn Valley region that is centered around the borough of Lansdale . Station Square , one of the first new transit oriented developments in the Philadelphia Suburbs , is located in Upper Gwynedd on the border with Lansdale . It is across the street from Pennbrook Station with SEPTA rail service to Philadelphia .
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing believers only ( believer 's baptism , as opposed to infant baptism ) , and doing so by complete immersion ( as opposed to affusion or aspersion ) . Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul competency ( the responsibility and accountability of every person before God ) , sola fide ( salvation by faith alone ) , sola scriptura ( scripture alone as the rule of faith and practice ) and congregationalist church government . Baptists generally recognize two ordinances : baptism and communion . Diverse from their beginning , those identifying as Baptists today differ widely from one another in what they believe , how they worship , their attitudes toward other Christians , and their understanding of what is important in Christian discipleship . Historians trace the earliest Baptist church to 1609 in Amsterdam , Dutch Republic with English Separatist John Smyth as its pastor . In accordance with his reading of the New Testament , he rejected baptism of infants and instituted baptism only of believing adults . Baptist practice spread to England , where the General Baptists considered Christ 's atonement to extend to all people , while the Particular Baptists believed that it extended only to the elect . Thomas Helwys formulated a distinctively Baptist request that the church and the state be kept separate in matters of law , so that individuals might have freedom of religion . Helwys died in prison as a consequence of the religious conflict with English dissenters under King James I . In 1638 , Roger Williams established the first Baptist congregation in the North American colonies . In the 18th and 19th centuries , the First and Second Great Awakening increased church membership in the United States . Baptist missionaries have spread their faith to every continent .
Christ the Saviour Seminary is the seminary for the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of North America ( ACROD ) , a self-governing diocese within the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate . It is located in Johnstown , Pennsylvania .
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County , Pennsylvania , United States , west-southwest of Altoona and 67 miles ( 108 km ) east of Pittsburgh . The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census and estimated to be 19,447 in 2018 . It is the principal city of the Johnstown , Pennsylvania , Metropolitan Statistical Area , which includes Cambria County .
The American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of North America is a diocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate with 78 parishes in the United States and Canada . Though the diocese is directly responsible to the Patriarchate , it is under the spiritual supervision of the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America . The diocese was led by Metropolitan Nicholas Smisko of Amissos ( 1936-2011 ) . The current leader is the Metropolitan of Nyssa , Gregory Tatsis , who was consecrated on November 27 , 2012 .
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine ( GCSOM ) is a private medical school associated with the Geisinger Health System and located in northeastern and north central Pennsylvania . GCSOM offers a community-based model of medical education with four regional campuses - North ( Scranton ) , South ( Wilkes-Barre ) , Central ( Danville ) , and Guthrie ( Sayre ) . It offers a Doctor of Medicine ( MD ) Program and a Master of Biomedical Sciences ( MBS ) Program .
Scranton is the sixth-largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . It is the county seat and largest city of Lackawanna County in Northeastern Pennsylvania 's Wyoming Valley and hosts a federal court building for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania . With a population of 77,291 , it is the largest city in the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazleton , PA Metropolitan Statistical Area , which has a population of about 570,000 . The city is conventionally divided into 8 districts : North Scranton , Southside , Westside , the Hill Section , Central City , Minooka , East Mountain , and Green Ridge , though these areas do not have legal status . Scranton is the geographic and cultural center of the Lackawanna River valley and Northeastern Pennsylvania , and the largest of the former anthracite coal mining communities in a contiguous quilt-work that also includes Wilkes-Barre , Nanticoke , Pittston , and Carbondale . Scranton was incorporated on February 14 , 1856 , as a borough in Luzerne County and as a city on April 23 , 1866 . It became a major industrial city , a center of mining and railroads , and attracted thousands of new immigrants . It was the site of the Scranton General Strike in 1877 . People in northern Luzerne County sought a new county in 1839 but the Wilkes-Barre area resisted losing its assets . Lackawanna County did not gain independent status until 1878 . Under legislation allowing the issue to be voted by residents of the proposed territory , voters favored the new county by a proportion of 6 to 1 , with Scranton residents providing the major support . The city was designated as the county seat when Lackawanna County was established in 1878 , and a judicial district was authorized in July 1879 .
Evangelical Seminary is a graduate school and interdenominational seminary in Myerstown , Pennsylvania .
Myerstown ( Pennsylvania Dutch : Moyerschteddel ) is a borough located in Lebanon County , Pennsylvania , United States . It is part of the Lebanon , PA Metropolitan Statistical Area . The population was 3,062 at the 2010 Census . It is home to over 100 businesses , including a Bayer HealthCare manufacturing plant , Farmer Boy Ag , Stoneridge Towne Centre and Wengers of Myerstown . The Evangelical Seminary is located on South College Street .
The Evangelical Church or Evangelical Association , also known as the Albright Brethren , is a body of American Christians chiefly of German descent , Arminian in doctrine and theology ; in its form of church government , Methodist Episcopal .
Lancaster Theological Seminary is a seminary of the United Church of Christ in Lancaster , Pennsylvania . It was founded in 1825 by members of the German Reformed Church in the United States to provide theological education for prospective clergy and other church leaders .
Lancaster ( /ˈlæŋkɪstər/ LANG-kə-stər ) is a city located in South Central Pennsylvania which serves as the seat of Pennsylvania 's Lancaster County and one of the oldest inland towns in the United States . With a population of 59,322 , it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania 's cities . The Lancaster metropolitan area population is 507,766 , making it the 101st largest metropolitan area in the U.S. and second largest in the South Central Pennsylvania area . The city 's primary industries include healthcare , tourism , public administration , manufacturing , and both professional and semi-professional services . Lancaster hosts more electronic public CCTV outdoor cameras per capita than cities such as Boston or San Francisco , despite controversy among residents . Lancaster was home to James Buchanan , the nation 's 15th president , and to congressman and abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens .
The United Church of Christ ( UCC ) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States , with historical confessional roots in the Congregational , Reformed , and Lutheran traditions , and with approximately 4,882 churches and 824,866 members . The United Church of Christ is a historical continuation of the General Council of Congregational Christian churches founded under the influence of New England Pilgrims and Puritans . Moreover , it also subsumed the third largest Reformed group in the country , the German Reformed . The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC . These two denominations , which were themselves the result of earlier unions , had their roots in Congregational , Lutheran , Evangelical , and Reformed denominations . At the end of 2014 , the UCC 's 5,116 congregations claimed 979,239 members , primarily in the U.S . In 2015 , Pew Research estimated that 0.4 percent , or 1 million adult adherents , of the U.S. population self-identify with the United Church of Christ . The UCC maintains full communion with other mainline Protestant denominations . Many of its congregations choose to practice open communion . The denomination places high emphasis on participation in worldwide interfaith and ecumenical efforts . The national settings of the UCC have historically favored liberal views on social issues , such as civil rights , LGBT rights , women 's rights , and abortion . However , United Church of Christ congregations are independent in matters of doctrine and ministry and may not necessarily support the national body 's theological or moral stances .
The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine ( LECOM ) is a private graduate school of medicine , dentistry , and pharmacy with a main campus in Erie , Pennsylvania , and branch campuses located in Greensburg , Pennsylvania and Bradenton , Florida . Founded in 1992 , LECOM confers degrees in osteopathic medicine ( D.O . ) , pharmacy ( PharmD ) , and dentistry ( DMD ) , as well as master 's degrees in Health Services Administration , Biomedical Sciences , and Medical Education . LECOM operates one of the few accelerated three-year pharmacy programs in the country , and is one of 2 pharmacy schools in the country with a distance education program . With over 2,200 enrolled medical students , the College of Osteopathic Medicine at LECOM is the largest in the United States . LECOM is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education , the American Osteopathic Association 's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation , the Commission on Dental Accreditation , and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education .
Erie ( /ˈɪəri/ ; EER-ee ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County , Pennsylvania , United States . Named for the lake and the Native American Erie people who lived in the area until the mid-17th century , Erie is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania , as well as the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania , with a population of 101,786 at the 2010 census . The estimated population in 2018 had decreased to 96,471 . The Erie metropolitan area , equivalent to all of Erie County , consists of 276,207 residents . The Erie-Meadville , PA Combined Statistical Area has a population of 369,331 , as of the 2010 Census . Erie is halfway between the cities of Buffalo , New York , and Cleveland , Ohio , and due north of Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . Erie 's manufacturing sector remains prominent in the local economy , though healthcare , higher education , technology , service industries , and tourism are emerging as significant economic drivers . Over four million people visit Erie during summer months for recreation at Presque Isle State Park , as well as attractions such as Waldameer Park . Erie is known as the Flagship City because of its status as the home port of Oliver Hazard Perry 's flagship Niagara . Erie won the All-America City Award in 1972 , and in 2012 hosted the Perry 200 , a commemoration , celebrating 200 years of peace between Britain , America and Canada following the War of 1812 and Battle of Lake Erie .
The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg ( Gettysburg Seminary ) was a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ( ELCA ) in Gettysburg , Pennsylvania . It was one of seven ELCA seminaries , one of the three seminaries in the Eastern Cluster of Lutheran Seminaries , and a member institution of the Washington Theological Consortium . Founded in 1826 , it was the oldest continuing Lutheran seminary in the United States until it was merged with the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia to become United Lutheran Seminary on July 1 , 2017 . The Gettysburg Seminary served the church as a pioneer in theological education creating among Lutheran seminaries the first faculty position in Christian Education ( 1926 ) , the first teacher in sociology and psychology ( 1942 ) , and the first in stewardship ( 1989 ) . Gettysburg continued to add to its trail breaking in the American scene by granting tenure to a female professor ( Bertha Paulssen , 1945 ) and graduating ( Elizabeth Platz in 1965 ) the first woman to be ordained by an American Lutheran church body ( ordained in 1970 ) . Gettysburg Seminary was the first Lutheran seminary to admit an African American seminarian , Daniel Alexander Payne , in 1835 . During the battle of Gettysburg , the seminary , on a ridge west of the town , became a focal point of action on the first day of battle , 1 July 1863 . The seminary gave its name to 'Seminary Ridge , ' where the line of battle of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia was formed on 2 and 3 July 1863 .
Gettysburg ( locally /ˈɡɛtɪsbɜːrɡ/ ( listen ) ; non-locally /ˈɡɛtizbɜːrɡ/ ) is a borough and the county seat of Adams County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania . The Battle of Gettysburg ( 1863 ) and President Abraham Lincoln 's Gettysburg Address are named for this town . The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Battlefield in the Gettysburg National Military Park . As of the 2010 census , the borough had a population of 7,620 people .
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ( ELCA ) is a mainline Protestant Lutheran Church headquartered in Chicago , Illinois . The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1 , 1988 , by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies . As of 2018 [ update ] , it has approximately 3.4 million baptized members in 9,091 congregations . In 2015 , Pew Research estimated that 1.4 percent of the U.S. population self-identifies with the ELCA . It is the seventh-largest Christian denomination by reported membership and the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States . The next two largest Lutheran denominations are the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod ( LCMS ) ( with approximately 2.0 million members ) and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod ( WELS ) ( with approximately 350,000 members ) . There are also many smaller Lutheran church bodies in the United States , some of which came into being composed of dissidents following the major 1988 merger . The ELCA belongs to the World Council of Churches , the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA , and the Lutheran World Federation . The ELCA is in full communion with the Episcopal Church , Moravian Church , Presbyterian Church ( USA ) , Reformed Church in America , United Church of Christ , and the United Methodist Church .
The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia ( LTSP ) , also known as the Philadelphia Seminary , was one of eight theological seminaries associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America , the largest Lutheran denomination in North America . It is located on Germantown Avenue in the Mount Airy neighborhood of northwestern Philadelphia . Founded in 1864 , it has its roots in the Pennsylvania Ministerium established in 1748 in Philadelphia by Henry Melchior Muhlenberg . The seminary has an enrollment of 275 graduate students , with 17 full-time professors . Students come from a number of Christian traditions in addition to the ELCA , including Anglican/Episcopal , African Methodist Episcopal , Baptist , Methodist , Church of God in Christ , and Mennonite . In July 2017 , the seminary merged with Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg to become United Lutheran Seminary .
Philadelphia , known colloquially as Philly , is the largest city in the U.S. state and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , and the sixth-most populous U.S. city with a 2018 census-estimated population of 1,584,138 . Since 1854 , the city has had the same geographic boundaries as Philadelphia County , the most populous county in Pennsylvania and the urban core of the eighth-largest U.S. metropolitan statistical area , with over 6 million residents as of 2017 [ update ] . Philadelphia is also the economic and cultural anchor of the greater Delaware Valley , located along the lower Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers , within the Northeast megalopolis . The Delaware Valley 's population of 7.2 million ranks it as the eighth-largest combined statistical area in the United States . Philadelphia is one of the oldest municipalities in the United States . William Penn , an English Quaker , founded the city in 1682 to serve as capital of the Pennsylvania Colony . Philadelphia played an instrumental role in the American Revolution as a meeting place for the Founding Fathers of the United States , who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 at the Second Continental Congress , and the Constitution at the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 . Several other key events occurred in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War including the First Continental Congress , the preservation of the Liberty Bell , the Battle of Germantown , and the Siege of Fort Mifflin . Philadelphia remained the nation 's largest city until being overtaken by New York City in 1790 ; the city was also one of the nation 's capitals during the revolution , serving as temporary U.S. capital while Washington , D.C. was under construction . In the 19th century , Philadelphia became a major industrial center and a railroad hub . The city grew from an influx of European immigrants , most of whom came from Ireland , Italy and Germany - the three largest reported ancestry groups in the city as of 2015 [ update ] . In the early 20th century , Philadelphia became a prime destination for African Americans during the Great Migration after the Civil War , as well as Puerto Ricans .
Palmer Theological Seminary is a multidenominational seminary affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA . United Methodists , Presbyterians , Mennonites , African Methodist Episcopalians , and other Protestant church denominations are represented both on the Palmer faculty and in its student body . It was founded in 1925 as Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary . Its parent institution is Eastern University
Lower Merion Township is a township in Montgomery County , Pennsylvania and part of the Philadelphia Main Line . As of the 2016 U.S. Census , the township had a total population of 58,288 . Lower Merion has the 5th highest per-capita income and the 12th highest median household income in the country with a population of 50,000 or more . The name Merion originates with the county of Merioneth in north Wales . Merioneth is an English-language translation of the Welsh Meirionnydd . Lower Merion , along with Upper Darby , Haverford , Cheltenham together form as the major inner ring suburbs of Philadelphia .
The American Baptist Churches USA ( ABCUSA ) is a Baptist Christian denomination within the United States . The denomination maintains headquarters in Valley Forge , Pennsylvania . The organization is usually considered mainline , although varying theological and mission emphases may be found among its congregations , including modernist , charismatic and evangelical orientations . It traces its history to the First Baptist Church in America ( 1638 ) and the Baptist congregational associations which organized the Triennial Convention in 1814 . From 1907 to 1950 , it was known as the Northern Baptist Convention , and from 1950 to 1972 as the American Baptist Convention . In 2017 , ABCUSA had 1,145,647 members in 5,057 congregations .
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary is a Presbyterian graduate seminary in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . Founded in 1794 , it houses one of the largest theological libraries in the tri-state area .
The Presbyterian Church ( USA ) , abbreviated PC ( USA ) , is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States . A part of the Reformed tradition , it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US , and known for its relatively progressive stance on doctrine . The PC ( USA ) was established by the 1983 merger of the Presbyterian Church in the United States , whose churches were located in the Southern and border states , with the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America , whose congregations could be found in every state . The similarly named Presbyterian Church in America is a separate denomination whose congregations can also trace their history to the various schisms and mergers of Presbyterian churches in the United States . The denomination had 1,352,678 active members and 19,243 ordained ministers in 9,161 congregations at the end of 2018 . This number does not include members who are baptized but who are not confirmed or the inactive members also affiliated . For example , in 2005 , the PC ( USA ) claimed 318,291 baptized , but not confirmed , members and nearly 500,000 inactive members in addition to active members . Its membership has been declining over the past several decades ; the trend has significantly accelerated in recent years , partly due to breakaway congregations . Average denominational worship attendance dropped to 565,467 in 2017 from 748,774 in 2013 . The PC ( USA ) is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States .
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine ( PCOM ) is a private medical school with its main campus in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , and additional locations in Suwanee , Georgia ( PCOM Georgia ) and Moultrie , Georgia ( PCOM South Georgia ) . Founded in 1899 , PCOM is one of the nation 's oldest osteopathic medical schools . PCOM also operates several healthcare centers in Philadelphia and an osteopathic care clinic in Suwanee , Georgia . Additionally , PCOM sponsors residency training programs , which train newly graduated physicians . The Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging , which aims to improve quality of life for elderly individuals , is located on the Philadelphia campus .
The Reformed Episcopal Seminary is a Reformed Episcopal theological seminary in Blue Bell , Pennsylvania . It was founded in 1887 as the first seminary of the Reformed Episcopal Church .
Whitpain Township is a township in Montgomery County , Pennsylvania , United States . Founded in 1701 , it has grown to a total population of 18,875 as of the 2010 census .
The Reformed Episcopal Church ( REC ) is an Anglican church of evangelical Episcopalian heritage . It was founded in 1873 in New York City by George David Cummins , formerly a bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church . The REC is a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America ( ACNA ) , and its four U.S. dioceses are member dioceses of ACNA . REC and ACNA are not members of the Anglican Communion . REC is in communion with the Free Church of England , the Church of Nigeria , and the Anglican Province of America . Due to the death of Royal U. Grote Jr. , the then current Vice President of the Reformed Episcopal Church , Ray Sutton became the Presiding Bishop of the REC . At the 55th General Council of the Reformed Episcopal Church in June 2017 in Dallas , Texas , USA , Sutton was elected to be the Presiding Bishop , and David L. Hicks , Bishop Ordinary of the Diocese of the North East and Mid-Atlantic , was elected as Vice-President , of the Reformed Episcopal Church . As of 2016 , the REC reports 108 parishes and missions in the United States and three in Canada , and also has churches in Croatia , Cuba , Germany , and Serbia . In 2009 , the Reformed Episcopal Church reported 13,600 members .
The Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary ( RPTS ) is a Reformed Presbyterian seminary in Point Breeze , Pennsylvania . RPTS is a ministry of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America and was founded in 1810 , making it the fifth oldest seminary in the United States .
The Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America ( RPCNA ) is a Presbyterian church with congregations and missions throughout the United States , Canada , and Japan . Its beliefs - formulated via membership in the Reformed Presbyterian Church and RP Global Alliance - place it in the conservative wing of the Reformed family of Protestant churches . Below the Bible - which is held as divinely inspired and without error - the church is committed to several subordinate standards , together considered with its constitution : the Westminster Confession of Faith and Larger and Shorter Catechisms , along with its Testimony , Directory for Church Government , the Book of Discipline , and Directory for Worship . Primary doctrinal distinctions which separate the RPCNA from other Reformed and Presbyterian denominations in North America are : its continued adherence to the historical practice of Reformed Christianity , contained in the Westminster Confession of Faith , of practicing exclusive psalmody , and its continuing affirmation of Jesus as mediatorial king , ruling over all nations . Prior to the 1960s , the RPCNA refused to vote or participate in government in the United States due to it not directly acknowledging Christ 's authority over it , and since has continued ( at some times more heavily than others ) , to lobby the federal government to expressly submit to the authority of Jesus Christ in the U.S. Constitution . The RPCNA has a long history , having been a separate denomination in the United States since colonial days . In Scotland ( where the denomination originated ) , Reformed Presbyterians have been a separate branch since the late 17th century , and prior to that , a part of the original Presbyterian Church of Scotland that came out of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century . As its name suggests , the RPCNA is governed through the presbyterian system ( which the church considers to be the only divinely-appointed method of church government ) , with each individual congregation being governed by two or more elders . As with most Presbyterian denominations , the RPCNA is divided into several presbyteries , but unlike several other smaller Presbyterian denominations , the supreme governing body is a single synod , not a general assembly . Each congregation may send one ruling elder delegate ( two for larger congregations ) to its presbytery meeting , as well as to the annual Synod meeting . Each minister ( teaching elder ) , whether serving as the pastor of a congregation or not , is automatically a delegate to his presbytery and to the synod .
The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College ( RRC ) is a Jewish seminary in Wyncote , Pennsylvania . It is the only seminary affiliated with Reconstructionist Judaism . It is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools . RRC has an enrollment of approximately 80 students in rabbinic and other graduate programs . A 2012 restructuring of the Reconstructionist movement 's institutions left RRC as the primary organization of the movement , headed by Rabbi Deborah Waxman . This central organization changed its name to Reconstructing Judaism in January 2018 . - the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College remains part of this organization . She is believed to be the first female rabbi and first lesbian to lead a Jewish congregational union , and the first woman and first lesbian to lead a Jewish seminary .
Cheltenham Township is a home rule township in Montgomery County , Pennsylvania , United States . Cheltenham 's population density ranges from over 10,000 per square mile in rowhouses and high-rise apartments along Cheltenham Avenue to historic neighborhoods in Wyncote and Elkins Park . It is the most densely populated township in Montgomery County . The population was 36,793 at the 2010 U.S. Census , making it the third most populous township in Montgomery County and the 27th most populous municipality in Pennsylvania . It was originally part of Philadelphia County , and it became part of Montgomery County upon that county 's creation in 1784 . Cheltenham is located 5 miles from Center City , Philadelphia and surrounded by the North and Northeast sections of Philadelphia , Abington , Jenkintown , and Springfield . The SEPTA Main Line passes through Cheltenham via 5 regional rail stations , some of which are the busiest in the SEPTA system . Cheltenham is served by the SEPTA City Transit Division and is adjacent to Fern Rock Transportation Center and the Broad Street Line subway which terminates at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex and also the Frankford Transportation Center and the El , which terminates at 69th Street in Upper Darby Township . The northern terminus of Broad Street is in Cheltenham , at its intersection with Cheltenham Avenue ( Pennsylvania Route 309 ) .
Reconstructionist Judaism ( Hebrew : יהדות רקונסטרוקציוניסטית , romanized : yahadút rekonstruktsyonistit or יהדות מתחדשת yahadút mitkhadéshet ) is a modern Jewish movement that views Judaism as a progressively evolving civilization and is based on the conceptions developed by Mordecai Kaplan ( 1881-1983 ) . The movement originated as a semi-organized stream within Conservative Judaism and developed from the late 1920s to 1940s , before it seceded in 1955 and established a rabbinical college in 1967 . There is substantial theological diversity within the movement . Halakha , the collective body of Jewish Law , is considered normative and binding , but is also an evolving process subject to interpretation in every time period . Kaplan believed that Jewish life [ is ] meaningless without Jewish law. , and one of the planks he wrote for The proto-Reconstructionist Society for the Jewish Renascence stated : We accept the halakha , which is rooted in the Talmud , as the norm of Jewish life , availing ourselves , at the same time , of the method implicit therein to interpret and develop the body of Jewish Law in accordance with the actual conditions and spiritual needs of modern life . The movement also emphasizes positive views toward modernity , and has an approach to Jewish custom which aims toward communal decision-making through a process of education and distillation of values from traditional Jewish sources .
Respect Graduate School is a private Islamic graduate school located in Bethlehem , Pennsylvania . The school opened in 2015 and is currently focused on offering a Master of Arts in Islamic Studies ( MAIS ) degree . The MAIS degree program at Respect Graduate School ( RGS ) is unique from others in that it offers two tracks of study for students . For instance , students may choose from either the Academic or the Professional track of the program to complete their study . The academic track of the MAIS program is designed for students who aim to continue their education onto the Ph.D. level in preparation for an academic career . The professional track of the program , on the other hand , is for students who are interested in a wider array of careers such as Islamic ministry , chaplaincy , education , Islamic finance , inter-religious relations , international relations , or journalism . RGS is dedicated to promoting interfaith and intrafaith dialogue and holds regular events open to the public in cooperation with the Lehigh Dialogue Center and Moravian Theological Seminary . RGS also offers a summer program called Al-Mizan Summer Youth Institute that aims to prepare high school aged students for college .
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton counties in the Lehigh Valley region of the eastern portion of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania . As of the 2010 census , the city had a total population of 74,982 , making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania , after Philadelphia , Pittsburgh , Allentown , Erie , Reading , and Scranton . Of this , 55,639 were in Northampton County , and 19,343 were in Lehigh County . Bethlehem lies in the center of the Lehigh Valley , a region of 731 sq mi ( 1,890 km2 ) that is home to more than 800,000 people . Together with Allentown and Easton , the Valley embraces the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton , PA-NJ metropolitan area , including Lehigh , Northampton , and Carbon counties within Pennsylvania , and Warren County in the adjacent state of New Jersey . Smaller than Allentown but larger than Easton , Bethlehem is the Lehigh Valley 's second most populous city . In turn , this metropolitan area comprises Pennsylvania 's third-largest metropolitan area and the state 's largest and most populous contribution to the greater New York City metropolitan area . There are four general sections of the city : central Bethlehem , the south side , the east side , and the west side . Each of these sections blossomed at different times in the city 's development and each contains areas recognized under the National Register of Historic Places . ZIP codes that use the address Bethlehem totaled 116,000 in population in the year 2000 . These ZIP codes include Bethlehem Township and Hanover Township . The Norfolk Southern Railway 's Lehigh Line ( formerly the main line of the Lehigh Valley Railroad ) , runs through Bethlehem heading east to Easton , Pennsylvania and Phillipsburg , New Jersey across the Delaware River .
Islam ( /ˈɪslɑːm/ ; [ note 1 ] Arabic : اَلْإِسْلَامُ , romanized : al-Islām [ alʔɪsˈlaːm ] ( listen ) ) is an Abrahamic , monotheistic religion whose adherents believe that Muhammad is a messenger of God . It is the world 's second-largest religion with over 1.8 billion followers or 24.1% of the world 's population , commonly known as Muslims . Muslims make up a majority of the population in 49 countries . Islam teaches that God is merciful , all-powerful , and unique , and has guided mankind through prophets , revealed scriptures and natural signs . The primary scriptures of Islam are the Quran , believed to be the verbatim word of God , and the teachings and normative examples ( called the sunnah , composed of accounts called hadith ) of Muhammad ( c. 570 - 8 June 632 CE ) . Muslims believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed many times before through prophets including Adam , Abraham , Moses and Jesus . Muslims consider the Quran in its Arabic to be the unaltered and final revelation of God . Like other Abrahamic religions , Islam also teaches a final judgment with the righteous rewarded in paradise and unrighteous punished in hell . Religious concepts and practices include the Five Pillars of Islam , which are obligatory acts of worship , and following Islamic law ( sharia ) , which touches on virtually every aspect of life and society , from banking and welfare to women and the environment . The cities of Mecca , Medina and Jerusalem are home to the three holiest sites in Islam . Aside from the theological narrative , Islam is historically believed to have originated in the early 7th century CE in Mecca , and by the 8th century the Umayyad Caliphate extended from Iberia in the west to the Indus River in the east . The Islamic Golden Age refers to the period traditionally dated from the 8th century to the 13th century , during the Abbasid Caliphate , when much of the historically Muslim world was experiencing a scientific , economic and cultural flourishing .
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary is a Roman Catholic seminary in Wynnewood , Pennsylvania . It is named for Saint Charles Borromeo and it is the seminary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia . The seminary is accredited by both the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada . It consists of four divisions : College , Theology , Graduate School of Theology and Permanent Diaconate . Potential candidates for the priesthood pursue a program which consists of a four-year liberal arts curriculum followed by a four-year curriculum within the professional school of theology . The seminary offers the degrees of Bachelor of Arts , Master of Divinity , and Master of Arts . The current rector is the Most Reverend Timothy C. Senior and the current Vice Rector is Reverend Fr . Joseph Shenosky .
Radnor Township is an upper-class township with home rule status in Delaware County , Pennsylvania , United States . It contains the unincorporated communities of Garrett Hill , Rosemont , St. Davids , Strafford , Villanova and Wayne as well as areas with Bryn Mawr postal addresses ( not within the Bryn Mawr census designated place ) and Newtown Square . As of the 2010 census , the township population was 31,531 . Radnor Township lies along the Main Line , a collection of upper-middle class and upper-class Philadelphia suburbs . Villanova University , Cabrini University , the Valley Forge Military Academy and College and Eastern University are all located within Radnor Township .
The Catholic Church , sometimes referred to as the Roman Catholic Church , is the largest Christian church , with approximately 1.3 billion baptised Catholics worldwide as of 2017 [ update ] . As the world 's oldest and largest continuously functioning international institution , it has played a prominent role in the history and development of Western civilisation . The church is headed by the Bishop of Rome , known as the pope . Its central administration is the Holy See . The Christian beliefs of Catholicism are found in the Nicene Creed . The Catholic Church teaches that it is the One , Holy , Catholic and Apostolic church founded by Jesus Christ in his Great Commission , [ note 1 ] that its bishops are the successors of Christ 's apostles , and that the pope is the successor to Saint Peter upon whom primacy was conferred by Jesus Christ . It maintains that it practises the original Christian faith , reserving infallibility , passed down by sacred tradition . The Latin Church , the twenty-three Eastern Catholic Churches , and institutes such as mendicant orders , enclosed monastic orders and third orders reflect a variety of theological and spiritual emphases in the church . Of its seven sacraments the Eucharist is the principal one , celebrated liturgically in the Mass . The church teaches that through consecration by a priest the sacrificial bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ . The Virgin Mary is venerated in the Catholic Church as Mother of God and Queen of Heaven , honoured in dogmas and devotions . Its teaching includes Divine Mercy , sanctification through faith and evangelisation of the Gospel as well as Catholic social teaching , which emphasises voluntary support for the sick , the poor , and the afflicted through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy .
Saint Tikhon 's Orthodox Theological Seminary is an Orthodox Christian seminary located in South Canaan Township , Wayne County , Pennsylvania . It is one of three seminaries operated by the Orthodox Church in America , the others being St. Vladimir 's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood , Yonkers , New York , and St. Herman 's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Kodiak , Alaska .
South Canaan is a second-class township in Wayne County , Pennsylvania . The township 's population was 1,768 at the time of the 2010 United States Census . South Canaan is home to Saint Tikhon 's Orthodox Theological Seminary and the oldest Orthodox monastery in North America - Saint Tikhon 's Orthodox Monastery ( Russian : Тихоновский монастырь ) . South Canaan is also home to Canaan Christian Academy which was built prior to 1980 . This is the only Christian Academy in Wayne County . The Academy contains four-year-old pre-school through twelfth grade . The student population is 180 students with approximately 56% in the elementary . The school is predominantly a college preparatory school with the emphasis on students doing their best for the Lord .
The Orthodox Church in America ( OCA ) is an Eastern Orthodox Christian church based in North America . The OCA is partly recognized as autocephalous and consists of more than 700 parishes , missions , communities , monasteries and institutions in the United States and Canada . In 2011 , it had an estimated 84,900 members in the United States . The OCA has its origins in a mission established by eight Russian Orthodox monks in Alaska , then part of Russian America , in 1794 . This grew into a full diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church after the United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 . By the late 19th century , the Russian Orthodox Church had grown in other areas of the United States due to the arrival of immigrants from areas of Eastern and Central Europe , many of them formerly of the Eastern Catholic Churches ( Greek Catholics ) , and from the Middle East . These immigrants , regardless of nationality or ethnic background , were united under a single North American diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church . After the Bolshevik Revolution , Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow directed all Russian Orthodox churches outside of Russia to govern themselves autonomously . Orthodox churches in America became a self-governing Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America in 1924 under the leadership of Metropolitan Platon ( Rozhdestvensky ) , popularly called the Metropolia ( from Russian метрополия ) . The Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America was granted autocephaly by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1970 , and renamed the Orthodox Church in America . Its hierarchs are part of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America . Unlike most orthodox jurisdictions in the United States , the OCA does not have an affinity towards any particular foreign nationality , but most OCA members are ethnically Euro-American , and most OCA clergy are those who are born and raised in the United States .