Affiliations & Partnerships

Starr King School for the Ministry is rooted in the Unitarian Universalist values of countering oppressions, cultivating multi-religious life and learning, and creating just and sustainable communities.

Starr King School for the Ministry is one of two theological schools in North America with an explicit Unitarian Universalist identity and mission. Starr King has a more than 100-year tradition of educating Unitarian Universalist ministers and progressive religious leaders for spiritual and theological work in society.

Additionally, Starr King houses The Center for Multi-Religious Studies (CMRS), a premier hub for the academic and vocational exploration of multi-religious identity and practice. 

Unitarian Universalism

Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion. Unitarian Universalists do not share a creed, but are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth, as well as a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. The roots of Unitarian Universalism are in liberal Christianity, and Unitarianism originated in Eastern Europe (Poland and Translyvania) and England. Unitarianism has had deep ties to both Judaism and Islam from its very beginnings as a separate religious tradition (see: Children of the Same God by Susan Ritchie). Unitarian Universalists uphold a deep regard for intellectual freedom and inclusive love, and actively seek inspiration in and derive spiritual practices from all major world religions.

Multi-Religious Affiliations

Starr King School for the Ministry houses The Center for Multi-Religious Studies (CMRS), a premier hub for the academic and vocational exploration of multi-religious identity and practice. The first of its kind, the CMRS offers graduate-level courses, research, symposia, and public programs that advance scholarship and dialogue about multi-religious spiritual formation, ritual arts, education, and their interrelated dimensions.