ESR was founded in 1960[2] by Wilmer Cooper, D. Elton Trueblood and others for the training of Quaker ministers.
Then, the Board of Trustees authorized the expansion of the program to include a three-year Bachelor of Divinity degree.
In 1994, Bethany Theological Seminary, affiliated with the Church of the Brethren, relocated to Richmond, Indiana, from Oak Brook, Illinois, and entered into a partnership with Earlham School of Religion.
In fall 2019, ESR launched a jointly offered Master of Arts: Theopoetics and Writing degree with its partner school, Bethany Theological Seminary.
Earlham School of Religion also maintains a number of websites for Quaker research, development, and networking.