The creation of the Divinity School and its foundation in the Study of Religion can be traced back to William Rainey Harper, the University of Chicago’s first president. A scholar and clergyman, Harper was responsible for moving the Baptist Theological Union Seminary to Hyde Park, where it became the University of Chicago Divinity School.

In its earliest days, the Divinity School’s academic focus was primarily New Testament and Early Christian Literature. While areas of study have greatly multiplied over the last hundred years, the Divinity School’s Bible and History of Christianity Areas remain a strength of the institution.

The Divinity School’s centrality to the University of Chicago is evinced by Swift Hall’s location on the main quadrangle and its status as one of the University’s oldest buildings still in use.

Jerald C. Brauer was Dean of the Divinity School from 1955 to 1970. Dean Brauer was responsible for a number of important developments during his tenure, including the launch of the school’s internal publication Criterion in 1963.

The Divinity School has been the home of numerous influential scholars of religion, from Mircea Eliade, Paul Tillich, and Paul Ricoeur to Saba Mahmood, Jonathan Z. Smith, and Bruce Lincoln.

The Divinity School boasts a rich history of public engagement. Faculty like Martin E. Marty, Franklin I. 'Chris' Gamwell, and Anne Carr applied their expertise to social and political issues throughout their careers. The Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion continues to honor this legacy.

Joseph M. Kitagawa was a faculty member at the Divinity School from 1951–1980 and served as Dean from 1970–1980. He is remembered for the many notable hires he made as dean, which diversified the school's faculty and areas of expertise.

The Divinity School is no stranger to social and political turmoil. Throughout its history, the scholarship of many of its faculty has drawn curiosity and critique from the field of religious studies and the larger public.

The Divinity School’s Masters of Divinity Program is among the best in the nation. Students training for religious leadership and other careers learn together in intimate cohorts, with emphasis on self-reflection and socially-engaged practice.

Housed in the basement of Swift Hall the student run coffee shop, Grounds of Being, (formerly Swift Kick) has served as a “third space” for the Divinity School and broader University community since its founding in the 1960s.