Columbia Theological Seminary is one of the ten official seminaries of the Presbyterian Church (USA). It is located in Decatur, Georgia.

Columbia Theological Seminary was founded in 1828 in Lexington, Georgia, by several Presbyterian ministers. In 1830, it moved to Columbia, South Carolina. During the years before the American Civil War, Columbia was noted for its role in offering a Christian defense of slavery. The seminary moved to its current location in Decatur, Georgia, in 1928. As of 2005, the seminary enrolled 500 students in five degree programs and maintained a faculty of 36 women and men.

The current degree programs include two basic degrees: the Master of Divinity (the most common degree) which prepares students for ordained ministry, and the Master of Theological Studies which is a more strictly academically-oriented degree. There are also three advanced degrees: the Master of Theology, the

A recent article in Christianity Today stated that Columbia has the third largest endowement of all seminaries in the United States, following only Princeton Theological Seminary and Candler School of Theology at Emory.

Important figures tied to the seminary:

• James Henley Thornwell, former faculty, theological defender of the American Civil War and slavery.
• Peter Marshall, a graduate.
• Walter Brueggemann, Old Testament Professor Emeritus, theologian and writer.
• Shirley Guthrie, Emeritus Professor of Theology, former student of Karl Barth.
• Erskine Clarke, current Professor of American Religious History and acclaimed writer.

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