About The Institute

The Salzburg Institute of Gordon College explores German Christian thought and culture and promotes Christian engagement with some of the most significant developments in the history of European culture, thought, and the arts. German-speaking theologians and philosophers including Martin Luther, Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Schleiermacher, Karl Barth, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Martin Heidegger offer profound visions of the world and have had an undeniable impact on how we think about God and faith today. Equally, the artistic and cultural expressions of Johann Sebastian Bach, Lukas Cranach, Albrecht Dürer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Georg Friedrich Handel, and Gerhard Richter and many other German-speaking artists and musicians have tremendously shaped both the Church and Western culture.

The goal of the Salzburg Institute of Gordon College is to make these traditions accessible to American students as well as an interested public. The Salzburg Institute’s centerpiece is its annual Summer Program held in Salzburg, Austria, which invites undergraduate students to engage in and broaden their understanding of German Christian thought and culture and contribute to the vital discussions about the intersections of the European tradition and the Christian faith.

In addition, the Salzburg Institute of Gordon College serves as host to influential intellectuals and recognized artists and musicians on both sides of the Atlantic. From September to May, the historic Park Street Church in Boston features the Salzburg Institute of Gordon College Lecture Series. The Institute also organizes master classes at Gordon College taught by the Institute’s artist-in-residence, hosts an annual academic symposium in Salzburg, and publishes academic essays in the Symphilologus—The Salzburg Institute of Gordon College Series.

The Salzburg Institute of Gordon College is supported by private donations, the Austrian Cultural Forum New York, the City of Salzburg, and Salzburg Tourism.