University Institute ISEDET
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A brief summary
The Evangelical High School of Theological Studies or University Institute ISEDET is an ecumenical Center of higher education located in Buenos Aires , Argentina . Its aim is the theological education and the formation of those people devoted to the work of the Church, both in practical training as well as in the field of research. As of the year 2001, its degrees have official value and are recognized by the Ministry of Education of Argentine.
ISEDET offers the following Study Programs:
• Bachelor of Theology, four years of duration, for candidates to the ministry.
• Licence in Theology (equivalent to an M.A.) two additional years to the Bachelor; for candidates to the ministry (each of the Churches of ISEDET determines the required degree level for their ministers).
• Master in Sacred Scriptures, it is a two years plus dissertation postgraduate course.
• Ph.D. in Theology, approximately three additional years to the M.A.
• Pastoral Training Course for lay people. This consists of twelve subjects, each with one session a week for two months, taught by EDUCAB (Open Education Program) in two forms: with on-site attendance and at a distance.
• Course for Leaders of Bible Study Groups. It is similar to the Pastoral Training Course but oriented to the Bible. It is also taught by EDUCAB, in two forms: with on-site attendance and at a distance.
• Theological Education Program (Spanish: PPO) with the Native Peoples of the Argentine Chaco, members of four Evangelical Aboriginal Churches.
Entry requirements, fees and academic calendar
Due to the fact that entry requirements and fees vary according to the different programs offered, such information should be requested through the office of the Academic Secretary ( academica@isedet.edu.ar ). The academic year starts in mid March and ends the second Friday in December. The year is divided in two semesters and there is a winter recess during the month of July. There is housing available in ISEDET for international students.
Our history
ISEDET is the result of a fusion of two prior schools: The Evangelical School of Theology and the Lutheran School of Theology. The origins of the Evangelical School date back to 1884, when in Colonia Valdense , Uruguay , Waldensians and Methodists started together in the training of their local pastors. In 1889 the institution moved to Buenos Aires , to which the Church of the Disciples of Christ first, and then the Presbyterian and Reformed Churches adhered. The Lutheran School of Theology was founded in 1955 and it trained pastors of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church , the Evangelical Church of the River Plate, and other Lutheran Churches of Latin America .
In 1969, the Churches and the boards of directors of both institutions decided to join their efforts and resources, creating one School called Evangelical High School of Theological Studies (ISEDET). The Anglican Church and later the Danish-Argentine Lutheran Church have been added to the participating Churches. In this way ISEDET is supported by the following churches:
Church of the Disciples of Christ in Argentina
Anglican Church (Anglican Diocese of Argentina )
Argentine Evangelical Methodist Church
United Evangelical Lutheran Church
Evangelical Church of the River Plate
Evangelical Waldensian Church of the River Plate
Saint Andrews Presbyterian Church
Reformed Churches in Argentina
Danish-Argentine Lutheran Church.
In ISEDET various eclesial, confessional, and theological traditions live together and are supported by these Churches which identify themselves with the Reformation. These Churches are ecumenically open, each contributing to a milieu of mutual enrichment and critical valorization. The Churches of ISEDET represent almost all the Protestant and historical Evangelical Churches in Latin America that have arrived to this continent by way of missionary efforts and/or with different European immigratory waves.
Acknowledging these traditions and valuing what it has received from them, ISEDET intends to be a space open to creativity, reflection and critical research, and to new forms of theological thinking. In this way ISEDET seeks to respond to the present needs in Latin America , the context in which the institution experiences faith within community life and contributes to the proclamation of the Gospel, serving the universal Church and society, training its people to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ. ISEDET's theological education marks are its ecumenical character, its Protestant identity, its search for contextualization, its commitment to the continual renewal of the Church and its reflection on it.
ISEDET professors and lecturers regularly give courses and workshops outside the institution, so as to train members of the congregations and Churches.
The professors and lecturers of the ISEDET Bible Department elaborate monthly materials for preaching, called Exegetical-Homiletic Studies (Spanish: EEH), based on the Biblical texts of the Triennial Ecumenical Lectionary. These materials are sent by e-mail to an increasing number of ministers, preachers, leaders of Bible Study Groups and to theological Institutions in all Latin America, the U.S. , Spain , Portugal , Holland , Switzerland , Germany , and Equatorial Guinea . Link to EEH
ISEDET's library, the most extensive Protestant library of Latin America , adds some 1000 new volumes every year and receives 850 journals from all over the world. It also has Historical Archives in microfilm which contain sources of Protestantism in the River Plate, a collection of works of the Spanish Reformation (López Library), and several collections given by researchers. The fields represented in the library include 28 percent on Biblical matters, 21 percent on social and human sciences in correlation with Theology, 20 percent on Systematic Theology, 18 percent on Church History, 9 percent on Practical Theology and 4 percent on Music. Its complete catalog may be consulted on ISEDET's Web page. Link to the Library
The Forum of Theology and Gender Studies meets monthly and functions as a study group. It devotes itself to the reading of specific texts, gives conferences, and elaborates materials. Link to the Forum
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