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Learn More Our Faculty Give Apply Apply Search for: Programs Degree Programs Course of Study and Licensing School Our Catalog Admissions Request Information Deadlines & Requirements Financial Aid & Scholarships Tuition & Fees International Applicants Experience The CST Experience Student Life Housing For Such A Time As This Our Faculty Give Students Alumni About Mission & History Human Resources CST Staff Board of Trustees Litigation Updates News CST 한인 뉴스레터 Covid-19 A Progressive Interreligious Theological School For such a time as this The CST Experience Imam Dr. Jihad Saafir developed one of the first organizations of its ... Read more Rev. Dr. Chris Carter is addressing environmental injustices against people of color. ... Read more Rev. Brenda Bos was elected as the first openly lesbian bishop in ... Read more U.S. Air Force Captain Mir M. Ali ministered 24/7 to evacuees during ... Read more Rev. Dr. Nikia Smith Robert empowers churches to imagine a world beyond ... Read more Dr. Kristin Ritzau founded Food ED to help young students understand how ... Read more Nina Fernando envisions an America where people of all backgrounds are treated ... Read more Dr. Mazvita Machinga founded the only registered psychotherapist center in Mutare, Zimbabwe. ... Read more Dr. Woonjoo Baek led his church through conflict and turmoil back to ... Read more Imam Dr. Jihad Saafir MA ‘14, PhD ‘21 Developed an inner city community center Supports people experiencing homelessness Founded a K-8 microschool Did You Know? Imam Dr. Jihad Saafir developed one of the first organizations of its kind in the US. Islah LA is a South Los Angeles community center that offers a food pantry, transitional housing for people experiencing homelessness, and a program that supports, educates, and instills renewed confidence in formerly incarcerated individuals. Jihad serves as the Director of Islah LA and as the Director and Arabic Instructor at Islah Academy, a K-8 microschool he also founded. Islah Academy implements a restorative justice teaching methodology designed specifically as a tool to break the school-to-prison pipeline.” Rev. Dr. Chris Carter MDiv ‘10, PhD ‘16 Inspired by a CST course Researches food inequity and environmental exploitation Has a new book, ’The Spirit of Soul Food’ Did You Know? Rev. Dr. Chris Carter is addressing environmental injustices against people of color. Inspired by taking the CST class Animal Theology and Ethics with Dr. Grace Kao, Dr. Carter teaches that the food we eat, the air we breathe, and the land on which we work suffer from environmental exploitation. In his latest book, The Spirit of Soul Food: Race, Faith, & Food Justice, Dr. Carter asks, What should soul food look like today?” Dr. Carter is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, teaches in the Department of Theology & Religious Studies at the University of San Diego. His research, writing, and activism center on racial justice. Rev. Brenda Bos MDiv ‘11 First openly lesbian bishop in ELCA CST faculty helped her find her voice Values CST’s interreligious commitment Did You Know? Rev. Brenda Bos was elected as the first openly lesbian bishop in the ELCA. Elected as bishop of the Southwest California Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 2021, Rev. Bos sees CST’s world-class faculty as crucial to her spiritual formation, and vocational discernment. She credits them with helping her live into God’s unique call on her life, strengthening her spiritual life, and helping her find her distinctive voice. She is forever grateful” for the way CST’s interreligious and ecumenical commitment sharpened her Lutheran articulation and gave her greater sensitivity to the faith journeys of others.” USAF Capt. Mir M. Ali MDiv ‘15 Joined the Air Force in 1999 One of first CST grads specializing in Interfaith Chaplaincy Guided by Qur’an to serve refugees Did You Know? U.S. Air Force Captain Mir M. Ali ministered 24/7 to evacuees during the U.S. Afghanistan withdrawal. Almost overnight, Mir – the only Muslim Armed Forces chaplain serving with Operation Allies Refuge at Ramstein Air Base and throughout Europe – went from tending to the spiritual needs of a small USAF community to providing hope to thousands of Afghan refugees living in tents. Mir feels connected to refugees culturally, ethnically, and by faith, and noticed their deep gratitude for ministerial support and his ability to communicate in a language that is familiar to them (Urdu/Hindi). Rev. Dr. Nikia Smith Robert PhD ’21 Founded Abolitionist Sanctuary Reshaping ideas of policing and justice CST was the incubator Did You Know? Rev. Dr. Nikia Smith Robert empowers churches to imagine a world beyond policing, prisons, and punishment. Dr. Robert founded Abolitionist Sanctuary, a faith-based coalition united against the moral crisis of mass incarceration and the criminalization of impoverished Black motherhood. While earning a PhD in Religion with a focus on ethics and public policy, CST served an incubator for her ideas. She is grateful for the strong emphasis that CST places on connecting theory with praxis to make a transformative social impact. Dr. Kristin Ritzau PhD ’18 Founder of Food ED Sees potential in every seed planted School garden programs are successful and save money Did You Know? Dr. Kristin Ritzau founded Food ED to help young students understand how the ecosystem works. After noticing that most elementary schools in America serve food to young students without ever teaching them about our ecosystem, Dr. Ritzau founded Food ED, an educational nonprofit that partners with communities and schools in the San Gabriel Valley. Research demonstrates that garden programs in schools are cost effective and cost-saving, improve student and staff productivity and health, and increase civic engagement and critical thinking skills. She is convinced that every seed is a prayer and a miracle. Nina Fernando MA ‘13 Exec. Director of Shoulder to Shoulder campaign Works to end anti-Muslim hatred and violence Always recommends CST Did You Know? Nina Fernando envisions an America where people of all backgrounds are treated with respect and dignity. As Executive Director of the non-profit Shoulder to Shoulder, she helps equip faith leaders to be strategic partners in countering discrimination and violence against Muslims. She has also served as a Faith-rooted Organizer at Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, a LankaCorps Fellow in Sri Lanka, and a OneBeat Fellow. Nina says her MA program at CST offered the opportunity for exploration around critical...