History

Theological Horizons was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry in 1991. Director Charles Marsh says, “After eight years of graduate study at Harvard and the University of Virginia, I became convinced that theological integrity must become a priority for both the church and the university. I saw that Christian theology must become more engaged in the pressing needs of the church, while at the same time the church must assume a greater responsibility for its members making sacrifices for the purpose of rigorous and faithful theological scholarship.”

Out of their graduate school experiences, Charles and Karen Wright Marsh founded Theological Horizons with the help of friends and board members.

From its beginnings, Theological Horizons developed summer research grants for college students, writing grants for scholars working on books, weekend retreats, Bible studies and church seminars. Horizons pursued these activities as Charles Marsh wrote and taught at Loyola College in Baltimore.

In 2000, Charles received an offer to return to join the faculty at the University of Virginia, in a highly ranked Religious Studies Department, where he also began the Project on Lived Theology. It was the perfect place for Theological Horizons to expand its ministry.

Since moving its center to Charlottesville in 2000, Theological Horizons has expanded its programs to include the endowed Capps Lectures in Christian Theology, the Louise and Richard Goodwin Writing Prize in Theology and an ever growing line-up of national and Charlottesville initiatives.