In 2012, after several years of using a logo consisting of a hollow crest and a familiarized name for McMaster Divinity College, it was decided to return to the crest that has long represented the institution. Examination of the crest served as a reminder that the College is historically rooted yet functions as a leading Christian seminary in the 21st century. This led to the modernization of the crest. As a result, the crest received a new look, yet retained all of the noted essential elements.
The cross represents Christian faith and sacrifice. The open book denotes both the open Bible and the discipline of learning. The gold of the cross represents the costliness of redemption, and the blue circle, the eternal heavens. The motto, one of the very few Greek mottos in academic heraldry, was chosen in order to reflect the foundational nature of the Greek New Testament – “In Christ all things Consist” (Col 1:17). The stag and oak tree served as part of the insignia of Senator William McMaster, the Baptist philanthropist who gave monies for the founding of a Christian university, which is now embodied in McMaster Divinity College. Along with the change to the more modern look of the crest, the logo of McMaster Divinity College uses its official name.
