The oldest independent multidenominational seminary in the nation, Union Theological Seminary has fostered and supported a commitment to pluralism and ecumenical Christianity since 1836. Union’s mission derives from a heritage that is at once progressive and evangelistic: to educate leaders for ministry in churches and related organizations, to extend the work of social justice and to enrich the academy through teaching and research. Education at Union is deeply rooted in a critical understanding of the breadth of Christian traditions and is significantly instructed by the insights of other faiths. Union’s work is to make and support connections between these religious traditions and the most profoundly challenging issues of contemporary experience: the realities of suffering and injustice, world religious pluralism, the fragility of the planet and discoveries of modern science.

The “Cornerstones of Sisterhood” initiative, although new, is built from Union’s long-standing commitment to women’s leadership. The overarching goal of the “Cornerstones” initiative is to create a living archive that chronicles the life experience of women leaders in theological education. Union envisions an archive that not only preserves the past, but also empowers contemporary leadership and imagines new possibilities. Union intends the fruits of this gathering and chronicling to be made available to students in theological education as a resource for teaching, a well of inspiration, and as a permanent library presence.