Wesley Theological Seminary

God's call is bold. Your seminary should be, too.

Menu
  • Study
    • What Wesley degree Is right for me?
    • Masters Degrees
      • Masters of Divinity
        • UMC Requirements
      • Masters of Arts
      • Masters of Theological Studies
      • Close
    • Field Education: Practice in Ministry and Mission
    • Student Pastor Program
    • Doctor of Ministry
    • Non-degree
    • Certificate in Children and Youth Ministry & Advocacy (CYMA)
    • National Capital Experiences
    • Faith and Public Life Immersion for Undergraduates
    • Course of Study
    • Resources
      • My Wesley
      • Academic Catalog
      • Course Schedule
      • Library
      • Student Writing Center
      • Office of the Reigstrar
      • Local Churches
      • Close
    • Close
  • Discover
    • Welcome!
    • Admissions
    • Choose a Wesley degree as unique as your call…
    • Visit Us
    • About Us
    • Faculty
      • Faculty Directory
      • Adjunct Faculty
      • From The Dean
      • Department Directory
      • Close
    • Community Life
      • Wesley Safety and Regulatory Information
      • CARES Act Emergency Financial Aid for Students
      • Close
    • Chapel Worship
    • WTS Campus Master Plan
    • Current Openings
    • Community Engagement Institute
    • The Lewis Center
    • The Luce Center
    • Partners Schools and Programs
    • Close
  • Apply
    • Try A Class At Wesley
    • Office of the Registrar
      • Academic Catalog
      • Academic Calendar
      • Close
    • Student Information
      • Course of Study
      • International Students
      • Housing
      • Close
    • Financial Aid
    • Apply Now
    • Close
  • Request Info
  • Alumni
  • Give
  • My Wesley

When Jane Adams (MTS 2016) first came to Wesley to pursue a Master of Theological Studies, she had one main question: Why seek good in the field of politics? That question remained with her as she attended classes on systematic theology, racism, sexism and the role of religion in politics.

“I’ve been involved in politics since I was 17, working on political campaigns, working on policy, working for a congressman here in D.C., but I still felt like there was something missing,” Adams said. “And that was, why seek good when seeking power or control or dominance is so much more politically expedient and rewarded in our country and our political systems. Why should we seek good in what we do?”

Adams found a deeply rooted synergy between religion and politics while at Wesley that began to answer her question. The relationship between her Christian faith and public policy took shape as she explored public theology classes.

“When I came to seminary, I wanted to learn as much as I possibly could about how Christianity and Scripture can inform the way I live my life in the political world,” she said. “When I began to take some of the public theology classes at Wesley, I began to realize that God made me really good at figuring out systems and structures, and pointing to where they lack in providing human dignity to people.” Her coursework at Wesley also highlighted how public policy could be implemented that empowers rather than oppresses the poor and vulnerable.

“Wesley taught me to see through rhetoric and be able to identify how decisions will either help or hurt people,” she said. “My degree at Wesley gave me the skills that I needed to be able to not just stop at ‘there’s a problem,’ but say, ‘what is my role as a Christian in bringing heaven to earth and finding solutions?’”

Adams now searches for those solutions as a domestic policy analyst for Bread for the World, an international non-profit based in Washington, D.C., that seeks to end poverty and hunger in the United States and abroad. Each day she uses what she learned at Wesley to advocate for public policies that protect the dignity of low-income families and says her degree from Wesley is the reason she is good at what she does.

A particularly helpful class for Adams was the National Capital Semester for Seminarians (NCSS), which brings together seminarians throughout the United States to study faith and politics in the nation’s capital for a semester.

“NCSS was a really formative class for me because not only were we engulfed in reading about American politics and religions, but we did site visits and got to see where people were speaking truth to power,” Adams said. “And having the wisdom from Mike McCurry, who is someone who has been entrenched in this for so long and really knows how religion and politics influence one another, was so helpful.”

NCSS was one of the main reasons Adams chose to study at Wesley, along with the seminary’s location at the epicenter of public policy and politics.

“I came to Wesley because they understood, like no other seminary in the United States, the importance of political engagement and how Christian teaching informs politics, and especially the American government,” Adams said. “You can’t really be an effective minister unless you know how your country is affecting the lives of your parishioners. Wesley gets that. I don’t think any other seminary does.”

Editor’s Note: Opportunities to study at Wesley are endless. Join our Doctor of Ministry program in Church Leadership Excellence with a new cohort beginning May 2018. More information and application here. The deadline to apply is Feb. 15, 2018. Interested master’s students can take part in our Center for Public Theology through the Certificate in Faith and Public Life. More information is found here. 

Contact Us
Wesley Theological Seminary
4500 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016
p 202.885.8600
f 202.885.8605
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Apply
Who We Are
Admissions
Academics
News & Events
Wesley Worship
My Wesley
Resources
Alumni
Community Life
Support
Consumer Information

© 2019 Wesley Theological Seminary

Copyright © 2022 · Wesley Theological Seminary on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Read the latest information from Wesley regarding COVID-19 and the reopening of campus