Trinity Southwest University (TSU) is a Christian institution of higher education with a campus in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Principally a theological school that encompasses both the Bible college and theological seminary concepts of Christian education, it offers on-campus and distance education programs leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in Biblical Studies, Theological Studies, Archaeology & Biblical History, Biblical Counseling, Biblical Representational Research, and University Studies. It also fields several institutes to provide students with curricula of additional emphases. TSU does not have educational accreditation.
Most TSU students enroll in distance education. As of 2007 the typical student was an adult between 40 and 49 years old.
History
TSU was founded as Southwest Biblical Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where it provided Bible-based education for local students. Since 2001, TSU has operated as an independent institution of higher education.
Doctrine
TSU is evangelical Christian in its orientation; it calls itself "trans-denominational". The school holds that biblical scripture, specifically "the ancient Hebrew Tanakh and the New Testament", is the "divinely inspired representation of reality given by God to humankind, speaking with absolute authority in all matters upon which it touches".
Affiliations and accreditation status
TSU is not accredited by any accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education. The institution's position is that "any governmental association or oversight ... is inappropriate for a faith-based organization or institution, and constitutes a fundamental violation of church/state separation". Accordingly, students are ineligible for governmental financial assistance. The institution states that it operates in New Mexico under a religious exemption authorized by state law. TSU is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International.
Archaeological investigations
In partnership with the government of Jordan, TSU is engaged in archaeological investigations at Tall el-Hammam, a site in the southern Jordan River valley where investigators have found the remains of a fortified city that was destroyed circa the 18th and 19th centuries BCE. In the late 2000s, TSU archaeologist Steven Collins reported that the site was likely to be the location of the biblical city of Sodom.
Journal
TSU publishes the Biblical Research Bulletin, a journal of research in the areas of Biblical studies, Biblical archaeology, and Biblical geography.
References
External links
- TrinitySouthwest.com (official website)
- TSU-edu.us (official website)
