A history of Dallas Theological Seminary

A history of Dallas Theological Seminary is justified because the school is one of the important physical and spiritual outgrowths of the Fundamentalist-Modernist controversy in American church history. The fact that an independent, nondenominational seminary could be founded by a group of men without official denominational support in a strongly denominational day was in itself a thing of note. The financial policy of the school was of necessity unique. Having no guaranteed institutional support, the school has been financed by unsolicited gifts from voluntary donors. Students from numerous Protestant groups have enrolled despite the absence of the encouragements traditionally offered by theological seminaries. No scholarship funds have been available. No church body could assure students placement upon graduation. They came, drawn by the reputation of the founders and the conservative theological emphasis of the school. The influence of the graduates of the seminary has extended to various parts of the world. According to a recent seminary release, the alumni serve "around the world -- approximately twenty percent in missionary activity at home and abroad, close to fifteen percent in teaching ministry in Bible institutes, colleges and seminaries, about ten percent in youth ministries of various kinds, almost five percent in mass evangelism and the chaplaincies, and approximately half in pastoral service." The purpose of this study is to trace the history of Dallas Theological Seminary -- its founding, its objectives, and its growth. An attempt will be made to relate the seminary in its origins and purpose to the American religious scene, to explain the distinctive features of its theological education, and to trace the nature and extent of its influence through its graduates