Remembering Distinguished Alumnx Terry Messman, MDiv ’85
Pacific School of Religion mourns the passing of Distinguished Alumnx Terry Messman, MDiv ’85, whose lifelong ministry of peace, justice, and solidarity with unhoused communities embodied the values of faith in action that continue to shape a PSR education. After earning his Master of Divinity from PSR in 1985, Messman dedicated more than four decades…
PSR DMin Student Earns National Recognition in Blessed Solanus Casey Essay Competition
Pacific School of Religion congratulates doctoral student Dr. César A. Cruz on receiving Third Place in the 2025–2026 Blessed Solanus Casey Essay Prize, a national competition recognizing outstanding graduate scholarship on the life, ministry, and contemporary significance of Blessed Solanus Casey. The competition, hosted by the Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph, awards essays…
Pacific School of Religion
Remembers Rev. Dr. Archie Smith Jr.
Pacific School of Religion mourns the passing of the Rev. Dr. Archie Smith Jr., groundbreaking scholar, teacher, pastor, and longtime member of the PSR faculty, whose life and work profoundly shaped generations of students, colleagues, and the fields of pastoral theology, psychology, and counseling. Dr. Smith joined the PSR faculty in 1975 and served until…
Dr. Ish Ruiz Appointed Co-Director of Pacific School of Religion’s
Doctor of Ministry Program
Pacific School of Religion is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Ish Ruiz as Co-Director of PSR’s Doctor of Ministry (DMin) Program. Dr. Ruiz will serve alongside Dr. Jim Lawrence during the 2026–2027 academic year in a period of shared leadership and thoughtful transition, ensuring the continued strength and future growth of one of…
Registration Opens for the 2026 Earl Lecture Series; Featured Speakers and Program Announced
Pacific School of Religion is pleased to announce that tickets are now on sale for this year’s Earl Lecture Series, Faith Beyond Exclusion, taking place September 25-26, 2026, on PSR’s campus in Berkeley, CA. This year’s gathering marks historic milestones, celebrating PSR’s 160th, the Earl Lecture Series’ 125th, the 100th anniversaries of Holbrook Hall &…
Pacific School of Religion Welcomes Three New Staff Members in Summer 2026
Pacific School of Religion is pleased to welcome three new members to its community this summer. Bringing expertise in theology, technology, and development, these new colleagues will support PSR’s mission through teaching, innovation, and community engagement. Dr. Flora X. Tang Visiting Assistant Professor and Louisville Institute Postdoctoral Fellow in Feminist and Ecological Theology Dr. Flora…
Honoring Juneteenth:
A Curated Reading List
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. As we celebrate this historic milestone, we also recognize the ongoing work of justice, liberation, and collective flourishing. Stories have long been a source of strength, memory, and resistance. By passing them…
Pacific School of Religion Celebrates Class of 2026
On Sunday, May 24th Pacific School of Religion celebrated its 159th commencement with the theme, Metanoia: Awakened, Called, & Transformed. The speaker, PSR VP of Academic Affairs, Dean of Faculty, and Professor of Theology and Postcolonial Cultures, Dr. Susan Abraham echoed the theme of Metanoia saying: “I cannot but help think that each one of you (class…
PSR Honors Graduating Students and Faculty Ahead of 159th Commencement Ceremony
As Pacific School of Religion prepares to celebrate its 159th Commencement Ceremony this Sunday, the community gathered in chapel last week to honor graduating students and faculty whose leadership, scholarship, service, and care have shaped life at PSR throughout the academic year. The annual awards celebration recognized students who have embodied PSR’s commitments to justice,…
Dr. EunHye Grace So Featured in GTU Conversation on Moral Imagination and the Economics of Consumption
Dr. EunHye Grace So of Pacific School of Religion participated in this year’s GTU Conversation: Moral Imagination and the Economics of Consumption, an annual interdisciplinary gathering sponsored by the deans of the Graduate Theological Union member schools. The conversation invited scholars from across the GTU to reflect on the question: To what extent does an…