UNITED

Associated Press Writer

Newton, Mass. In a mixed marriage of convenience, a Jewish college that has outgrown its building and a Christian school of theology with excess space have agreed to share a campus.

"There's so much in the history of religion and the current reality of religion that is divisive and incendiary, if one can make a statement about two institutions coming from different traditions and developing shared programs, then it's a kind of unique statement," said David Gordis, president of Hebrew College in Brookline.

Hebrew College will move gradually to the campus of the Andover-Newton Theological School in Newton over the next three years.

Other details have to be worked out, but the schools are discussing sharing cafeteria and library facilities and offering joint programs under which, for example, Andover-Newton students could study Hebrew at Hebrew College.

Leg 1 ends here "It is a recognition that the Christian community was initially a Jewish community, and it's also a fresh reminder that Jesus was a Jew," said Ralph Elliott, interim president of Andover- Newton. "Our roots are Jewish, so the more we know about Judaism, the stronger our own roots are going to be."

The 170-year-old Andover- Newton, the oldest Protestant graduate theological school in the country, has extra room because an increasing number of its students are commuters who don't live on the 84-acre Newton campus.

Its 516 students include Baptists, Roman Catholics, Unitarians, Universalists and Presbyterians.

Hebrew College was struggling for survival as recently as 1987, when it was down to only 80 students. Since then, its enrollment has rebounded to 225 students and it has been renting dormitory space from Boston University.

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