Seminaries are institutions for religious education, training priests, rabbis, and other religious officials. They offer graduate theology programs and may also provide general religious studies. Seminary training has been required for priests since the 1500s, and candidates must demonstrate their commitment to the faith through appropriate behavior.
A seminary is an educational institution dedicated to religious education; the word comes from the Latin semin, which means “seed”. At one time, private schools for women were also referred to as “seminaries,” although that convention has since been dropped. Seminaries around the world train priests, rabbis and other religious officials; Seminary training is required for many religious officiants, along with the approval of a bishop or high church official who will ordain the candidate, accepting him into the priesthood.
Typically, a seminary offers graduate theology programs, and students often live on site. In addition to candidates for the priesthood, seminaries may also offer training to people interested in religious studies in general. It is also not uncommon for people to study at seminaries that offer training in a faith other than their own, to learn more about other faiths and religious traditions. This practice tends to be confined to religious scholars; obviously future priests want to study in seminaries which will qualify them for the priesthood in their own faith.
Theological training has been offered to candidates for the priesthood for thousands of years, but when people hear “seminar,” they usually think specifically of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Seminaries of one form or another have existed since the 4th century CE, with supplemental training from monasteries and other educational institutions, although seminary training was not always required for people who wanted to serve the Church.
For Roman Catholics, seminary training for priests has been required since the 1500s, when the Council of Trent mandated that each diocese establish a seminary for the purpose of offering religious training. Different faiths have their own training requirements; if you are interested in becoming a priest, pastor, minister, rabbi, or some variation thereof, you may want to see a religious professional for guidance.
Coursework in workshops is often demanding and many workshops also have dress and behavior codes for their students. These codes are issued in the knowledge that seminary students want to become religious officiants, and therefore need to demonstrate their commitment to the faith by appropriate behavior. At any time during seminary training, a candidate may decide to quit without penalty, as she has not taken formal vows to commit herself to the priesthood. Once a candidate applies for ordination, however, it becomes more difficult to leave religious life, which is why seminaries encourage candidates to think carefully about their decisions.
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