Equipping New Generations of Scholars

Fuller Seminary’s new David Allan Hubbard Library will be dedicated at a grand opening celebration on May 18. Below, Professor Joel Green and doctoral student Courtney Bacon offer comments on what the opening of a new library at Fuller means to them.

A Place Where Ideas Live
By Joel B. Green, Professor of New Testament Interpretation and Associate Dean for the Center for Advanced Theological Studies

Ideas live in libraries. To walk into a good theological library is to enter into a great cloud of witnesses—voices past and present, the din of faith seeking understanding. What better place to sculpt a theological mind?

The Center for Advanced Theological Studies (“CATS”) at Fuller comprises the PhD and ThM programs in the School of Theology: biblical studies, historical studies, theological studies, ethics and philosophy, theology and culture, practical theology and worship. Most of our 125 students in the CATS program live in the world of texts. They count among their must-have friends rows of bound journals, robust book collections, and space for reflection and creativity. And they will find this new space, the David Allan Hubbard Library, a welcome home for their work among us.

Imagine the ripple effect of these interactions with these books and the conversations they spawn, as our graduates take up their vocations of shaping ever-new generations of students.

I remember when I came to Fuller in January 2007, before I joined the faculty, and saw the early stages of the construction of the Hubbard Library. The thought occurred to me immediately: "What a wonderful place to be! A seminary that honors its former president with a new library and a beloved former president whose legacy could be honored with a library!" Now here's a place for the uniting of the two so often divided, knowledge and vital faith.
 

A Welcoming Place for Students
By Courtney Bacon, PhD Student, School of Theology

I am not a student who normally studies within the confines of a library; however, the new library is so aesthetically pleasing that I love studying there and stay for long hours at a time. The masterful use of windows creates an environment that is sunny and bright. Whether I need to use my computer at a workstation or am reading a book in a comfortable chair and looking out those windows for a break, I can find the right spot for my study needs. I never feel confined in this library!

Besides the amazing design of the new library facility, its collections are vitally important for my PhD coursework and dissertation research. Broadly speaking, the emphasis for my dissertation is on the subject of prayer in the New Testament. The library staff is committed to providing the best collections for the research efforts of students like me—and I have been surprised to find that Fuller often has some rare resources needed for my research. For example, I learned that our library has 68 volumes of the Oxyrhynchus Papyri—a group of Greek and Latin documents, letters, and literary works I need to access. Also, the library's collections are being added to all the time—so as a resource, it will only get better for me as I progress in my dissertation and for the students who come after me.