Not according to Mignon Fogarty, of the “Grammar Girl” podcast. Apparently most people don’t know how to use the verb “to graduate” correctly.Graduating is not something done by the graduate. It is something done to the graduate. Schools graduate students. The latter graduate from schools. Thus, Westminster Seminary California will graduate about 30 students later this month. Students will graduate from Westminster Seminary California but they will not “graduate Westminster Seminary California,” unless, of course, the state of California gives them power to grant degrees—and then to a corporate entity. Since the California Supreme Court has decided to violate the laws of God and creation by recognizing same sex marriages, perhaps they will also give authority to students to confer degrees, but until then students will not be “graduating seminary” but graduating from” it or being graduated by their alma mater.
R. Scott Clark
R.Scott Clark is the President of the Heidelberg Reformation Association, the author and editor of, and contributor to several books and the author of many articles. He has taught church history and historical theology since 1997 at Westminster Seminary California. He has also taught at Wheaton College, Reformed Theological Seminary, and Concordia University. He has hosted the Heidelblog since 2007.
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