Bryn Athyn College

Last updated
Bryn Athyn College of the New Church
Bryn Athyn College seal.png
Former names
Academy of the New Church College (1877–1997)
MottoBecome a Better You.
Type Private college
Established1877;147 years ago (1877)
Religious affiliation
General Church of the New Jerusalem
President Brian Blair
Academic staff
64
Students330
Location, ,
United States
CampusSuburban, 130 acres (53 ha)
Colors    Red and white
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division III: UEC
ACHA: CSCHC
(ice hockey, DII, M)
MascotLion
Website brynathyn.edu

Bryn Athyn College is a private Christian college in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. It is affiliated with the General Church of the New Jerusalem.

Contents

History

Bryn Athyn College started educating undergraduates after its incorporation under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1877. Then known as the Academy of the New Church, in 1890, the academy established a separate organization, the General Church of the New Jerusalem, a religious body based on the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg. After receiving an endowment from John Pitcairn and others, the Academy of the New Church expanded from a seminary into a high school and a two-year college. In 1914, it became a four-year college, and by 1922, the college was also conferring Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. In 1997, the Academy of the New Church College adopted a new name: Bryn Athyn College of the New Church. [1]

In August 2008, the college opened several new student residence cottages. A new science center and a new admissions and student life building were completed in September 2009.

The current president is the Rev. Eric Carswell. [2]

Campus

The college's original campus and surrounding community of Bryn Athyn were designed in 1893 by Charles Eliot of the firm Olmsted, Olmsted and Eliot. The campus is located in the borough of Bryn Athyn, in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

Much of the college's 130-acre (53 ha) campus is undeveloped open land, and the nearby Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust supplements the natural surroundings with eight miles (13 km) of trails following a creek through woods and fields.

Facilities

Facilities include a performing arts center, a fine arts center, an ice-rink, pavilion, café and social center, as well as historic buildings.

Buildings in the Historic District

The Bryn Athyn Historic District includes:

Glencairn Museum

Glencairn Museum's ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman, medieval Christian, Islamic, Asian, and Native American collections help to inform visitors on the history of religion. The museum was built between 1928 and 1939 as a home for Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn. In 1979, the building was donated to the Academy of the New Church to serve as the school's museum of medieval and religious art. [3]

Bryn Athyn Cathedral

Bryn Athyn Cathedral is the center of the New Church community and serves as a religious center for Bryn Athyn College students. Construction on the Gothic revivalist architecture began in 1913, and carried on until 1928, with work on the stained glass windows and interior decoration continuing into the early 1940s and beyond. [4]

In Bryn Athyn Cathedral there are no right angles or straight lines. The walls of the building are skewed against each other, bowing out in the middle only to return at the opposite wall. [5]

Cairnwood Estate

Cairnwood was designed by the architectural firm Carrère and Hastings and was completed in 1895. It served as the home of John Pitcairn, founder of the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, and his wife Gertrude until 1916, after which it stood vacant for several years. In 1994, the Academy of the New Church renovated the building and it now functions as a cultural and hospitality center serving the college, community, and surrounding area. [6]

Religion

Bryn Athyn College is affiliated with the New Church, a branch of Christianity based on the Bible and the theological writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. The college offers religious courses, a religion major, and worship services.

Education at Bryn Athyn emphasizes the practical application of truth to life and encourages students to connect their spiritual beliefs to both their studies and their daily lives. Student conduct policies are guided by moral principles, with a particular emphasis on acting honestly, respectfully, and charitably and living a life of useful service. [7]

The college's Mission Statement notes that, "Bryn Athyn College of the New Church serves as an intellectual center for all who desire to pursue a higher education in the liberal arts and sciences, enriched and structured by the Old and New Testaments and the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. The purpose of this education is to enhance students' civil, moral, and spiritual lives, as well as to contribute to human spiritual welfare.". [8] [9]

Academics

The college's educational philosophy is grounded in the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg and the benefits of a liberal arts program. The curriculum emphasizes experiential learning. [10]

In the academic year 2020–21, the college had 272 students who were studying across 12 undergraduate programs. The college also enrolled 190 students studying two online courses. [11]

The college operates on a trimester system.

Athletics

Bryn Athyn College teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III. The Lions are a member of the United East Conference (UEC) as of the 2023–24 academic year. They were previously UEC members from 2014 to 2018. Prior to the 2014 season, the college competed as a member of the USCAA. The college specializes in basketball and lacrosse. [12]

In 2020–21, almost 22% of students participated in an athletic team. [13]

Arts

Bryn Athyn College offers both courses and extracurricular arts opportunities in studio arts, theater, and music. Arts courses include drawing and painting, ceramics, metals, photography and art history.

Student life

Bryn Athyn student life is largely student-run. Student Government and the Social Committee plan regular activities both on and off campus.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania</span> Home Rule Municipality in Pennsylvania, United States

Bryn Athyn is a home rule municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It was formerly a borough, and its official name remains "Borough of Bryn Athyn". The population was 1,375 at the 2010 census. It was formed for religious reasons from Moreland Township on February 8, 1916. Bryn Athyn is surrounded by Lower Moreland Township.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryn Mawr College</span> Womens liberal arts college in Pennsylvania, United States

Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Founded as a Quaker institution in 1885, Bryn Mawr is one of the Seven Sister colleges, a group of historically women's colleges in the United States. It is one of 15 Quaker colleges in the United States. The college has an enrollment of about 1,350 undergraduate students and 450 graduate students. It was the first women's college to offer graduate education through a PhD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emanuel Swedenborg</span> 18th-century Swedish scientist, freemason and theologian

Emanuel Swedenborg was a Swedish Christian theologian, scientist, philosopher and mystic. He became best known for his book on the afterlife, Heaven and Hell (1758).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collegiate Gothic</span> Architectural style

Collegiate Gothic is an architectural style subgenre of Gothic Revival architecture, popular in the late-19th and early-20th centuries for college and high school buildings in the United States and Canada, and to a certain extent Europe. A form of historicist architecture, it took its inspiration from English Tudor and Gothic buildings. It has returned in the 21st century in the form of prominent new buildings at schools and universities including Cornell, Princeton, Vanderbilt, Washington University, and Yale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryn Athyn Cathedral</span> Historic church in Pennsylvania, United States

Bryn Athyn Cathedral is the episcopal seat of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, a denomination of Swedenborgianism. The main building is of the Early Gothic style, while the adjoining structures are of a transitional period reflective of a combination of both Gothic and Norman styles. The exterior appearance of the cathedral itself is reminiscent of Gloucester Cathedral in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Church of the New Jerusalem</span>

The General Church of the New Jerusalem is an international church based in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, and based on the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the theological works of Emanuel Swedenborg. The General Church of the New Jerusalem distinguishes itself from other Swedenborgian churches by teaching that the Writings for the New Church are the Heavenly Doctrine revealed by the Lord in His Second Coming and have authority equal to the Old and New Testaments. It is larger, newer, and more conservative than the Swedenborgian Church of North America.

New Church Education is a philosophy of education developed and practiced by the General Church of the New Jerusalem, one of the New Church or Swedenborgian sects. This philosophy is based on some of works of Emanuel Swedenborg, whose theological writings are considered by members of this church to be the revealed Word of God, equal in authority to the Old Testament and the New Testament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The New Church (Swedenborgian)</span> Several historically related Christian denominations influenced by theologian Emanuel Swedenborg

The New Church can refer to any of several historically related Christian denominations that developed under the influence of the theology of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772). The Swedenborgian tradition is considered to be a part of Restorationist Christianity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glencairn Museum</span> Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States

Glencairn is a castle-like mansion in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, that was home to the Pitcairn family for more than 40 years. Now the Glencairn Museum, it contains a collection of about 8,000 artworks, mostly religious in nature, from cultures such as ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, the Roman Empire and medieval Europe, as well as Islamic, Asian, and Native American works. The museum is affiliated with The New Church, and the building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Bryn Athyn College of the New Church Theological School is a seminary specializing in New Church theology and located in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Pitcairn Jr.</span> Scottish-American industrialist

John Pitcairn Jr. was a Scottish-born American industrialist. With just an elementary school education, Pitcairn rose through the ranks of the Pennsylvania railroad industry, and played a significant role in the creation of the modern oil and natural gas industries. He went on to found the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, an early industry innovator which quickly grew into the largest manufacturer of plate glass in the United States, and amassed one of the largest fortunes in the United States at the time.

Raymond Pitcairn, son of PPG Industries founder John Pitcairn, was a lawyer, a businessman, a collector of ancient and medieval art, and an amateur architect. He supervised the building of the Bryn Athyn Cathedral, his own castle-mansion of Glencairn, and the "Zeus of the Catskills" Glen Tonche.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theodore Pitcairn</span>

Theodore Pitcairn the son of PPG Industries founder John Pitcairn, was a clergyman, theologian, philanthropist, and connoisseur of the arts and antiquities.

The Academy of the New Church, Secondary Schools is an accredited, private, 9th through 12th-grade Girls School and Boys School, located in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, United States. The school is affiliated with the General Church of New Jerusalem's educational arm, the Academy of the New Church, along with the Bryn Athyn College of the New Church, the Academy of the New Church Theological School and others. It was established in 1876.

The Lord's New Church Which Is Nova Hierosolyma, usually referred to as the Lord's New Church, is an international, Christian church based on the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the theological writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, which its members view as the Third Testament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryn Athyn School District</span> School district in Pennsylvania

The Bryn Athyn School District is a public school district in Montgomery County. While it is designed to serve residents of the small Philadelphia suburb of Bryn Athyn, it has never contained a school. 90% of students in the affluent and highly religious community attend private schools operated by the General Church of the New Jerusalem, which has its global headquarters in the borough. The remaining students attend Lower Moreland Township School District. The Bryn Athyn School District is one of just four in the state to not operate a high school; Midland Borough School District in Beaver County and Saint Clair Area School District in Schuylkill County have avoided consolidation by continuing primary education only, while Duquesne City School District, which features the lowest test scores in the state, in Allegheny County had its high school closed by state mandate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryn Athyn Historic District</span> Historic district in Pennsylvania, United States

The Bryn Athyn Historic District is a National Historic Landmark District encompassing an important collection of Arts and Crafts movement architecture in Bryn Athyn, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Designated in 2008, it includes three residential properties associated with the Pitcairn family who supported the movement, as well as Bryn Athyn Cathedral, all built by craftsmen employed by the Pitcairns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cairnwood</span> Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States

Cairnwood is a 26,000 square feet (2,400 m2) historic home located adjacent to the Glencairn Museum in Bryn Athyn, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It was designed by the architectural firm of Carrère and Hastings and built in 1895. The surrounding grounds were designed by Olmsted, Olmsted and Eliot. It was built for John Pitcairn, Jr. (1841–1916), President of Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company. It is a 2½-story, Roman brick and limestone French country estate home in the Beaux Arts style. The L-plan house has 28 rooms, plus a chapel in the third story turret. Also on the property are a contributing stable and garden house built contemporary to the main house, and garage complex (1911). A contributing structure is the estate wall. The property is now owned by the Academy of the New Church and serves as a special events facility, specifically hosting weddings, corporate functions, fundraising and social events of all kinds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fetter's Mill Village Historic District</span> Historic district in Pennsylvania, United States

Fetter's Mill Village Historic District is a national historic district located in Bryn Athyn and Lower Moreland Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It encompasses five contributing buildings and three contributing structures. They are a wagon shed / John Conner studio (1751), Alnwick Grove Train Station, Bryn Athyn Train Station / Post Office (1902), farmhouse, stone barn, two iron bridges, and a milk platform. Located in the district is the separately listed Fetter's Mill, built about 1740.

References

  1. "History of the College". Bryn Athyn College. Archived from the original on January 28, 2012. Retrieved 10 Aug 2009.
  2. Bryn Athyn College official website, Retrieved 2023-04-21
  3. "History of the Building". Glencairn Museum. Retrieved 10 Aug 2009.
  4. Bryn Athyn Church official website
  5. "Cultural History". Bryn Athyn Cathedral. Retrieved 10 Aug 2009.
  6. "History of the Building". Cairnwood Estate. Retrieved 10 Aug 2009.
  7. "Values and Spirituality". Bryn Athyn College. Archived from the original on 2009-08-03. Retrieved 10 Aug 2009.
  8. Bryn Athyn College official website
  9. Bryn Athyn College official website
  10. "Academics". Bryn Athyn College. Archived from the original on 2010-01-07. Retrieved 10 Aug 2009.
  11. Best Colleges website, Retrieved 2023-04-21
  12. Bryn Athyn College official sport report for 2021
  13. Best Colleges website, Retrieved 2023-04-21

40°08′05.45″N75°03′35.80″W / 40.1348472°N 75.0599444°W / 40.1348472; -75.0599444