05 Library Resources for Renewal Studies – Part A

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. PURPOSE OF PAPER.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a guide to the library resources for historical research in renewal studies. In doing the research for this project, [2] I found that while exhaustive bibliographical studies have been published, [3] little has been written on where to locate the resources for the study of 19th-21st century renewal movements. [4] I would think that scholars could benefit from the publication of a guide to the location of library resources. [5] Beginning students need an overview of the available resources in the field, some of which cannot be located by means of a standard computerized data base search. More advanced students need to ascertain the location of the harder-to-find sources in specialized topics. This paper is designed to address these needs.

In the introduction I will describe the nature of library resources in the age of computer technology, delimit the topic of "renewal movements" and discuss the relevance of renewal studies. In the body of the paper I will identify the location of the major holdings and assess their strengths. The resources are organized in the following order: libraries, archives and research centers, reference works, periodicals, and professional associations. The bibliography consists only of the sources directly consulted in the preparation of this paper. I did not deem it necessary to include every source cited in the footnotes.

1.2. THE NATURE OF LIBRARY RESOURCES.

In the context of today’s technology, a research project customarily begins with the development of a bibliography by means of a database search. For finding primary source material related to the topic of this paper, such as early Pentecostal periodicals, the best databases are those developed by denominationally sponsored Pentecostal archives and research centers, which will be discussed below. [6] The early histories of classical Pentecostalism are a rich source of primary source information. These sources and other primary sources for the study of classical Pentecostalism, the Charismatic Renewal and the Neo-Charismatic Movement can be located by means of a key word search of the catalogues of the libraries, archives and research centers identified below. [7] For finding secondary literature, the two most powerful searching tools are ATLA and WorldCat, both of which have special subdivisions for Religion. To use ATLA or WorldCat, one simply enters a key word, or the name of an author, title or subject, and receives a list of what is available and where it is located. With one click one can download an article in full text format or submit a request for an interlibrary loan or a photocopy of a journal article. Other essential databases for historical research are Historical Abstracts, America: History and Life by ABC-Clio, MARC and REMARC, which contain the books catalogued by the Library of Congress. Dissertation Abstracts is a crucial tool for determining what has been written on a certain topic. [8]

The ease with which a researcher can link up with data bases and access the growing corpus of digitized library resources has reduced the need for students to locate themselves near large research libraries. A considerable amount of research can be carried out by email or the postal service. One can access an archive, library or research center online, place an order for a particular item, and receive it at a reasonable cost via email or the postal service in the form of a photocopy, microform or CD. While the convenience of online resources is great, this has not diminished the ongoing importance of great libraries and archives to certain kinds of research projects. Some manuscripts, collections of rare materials and books will probably never be computerized and will have to be perused by means of the onsite services of a library. In these situations, special rules apply. Materials may not be taken out of the library and are sometimes restricted to special reading rooms. Often the use of ink in any form is strictly forbidden.

1.3. DELIMITING THE TOPIC

At the outset we must reckon with the problem of definition. The idea of "renewal studies" is an elusive concept, just as the term "renewal" is imprecise. These words could pertain to any number of movements concerned with the renewal of this or that. For the sake of this paper, the term "renewal" will be delimited to the Pentecostal-Charismatic-Neocharismatic movements. When we refer to the renewal movements, we are not referring to other Christian renewal movements, such as the Pietist, Evangelical, and Holiness movements. The distinguishing characteristic of the Pentecostal-Charismatic-Neocharismatic renewal movements is a special emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The term "charismatic" comes from the Greek word charismata, which is derived from charis, meaning "grace" or "unmerited favor," conveying the notion of a gift. The Pentecostal-Charismatic-Neocharismatic renewal movements place a high premium on the practice of the spiritual gifts of speaking in tongues, prophecy, healing and exorcism.

1.4. RELEVANCE OF RENEWAL STUDIES.

The field of renewal studies [9] has increased in relevance, due to the explosive growth of the Pentecostal-Charismatic-Neocharismatic movements. Although Pentecostals were once viewed as marginal to mainstream Christianity, the Charismatic Renewal of the 1960’s unleashed a "third force in Christendom," gaining recognition from the media, scholars and politicians. Recently a new wave of Neocharismatic ferment has unleashed a surge of spiritual power throughout the world, stimulating massive church growth. At present, if one accepts the findings of the World Christian Encyclopedia, Pentecostals, Charismatic and Neocharismatic renewal movements have developed into a titanic global phenomenon. [10] They are estimated to number about 523 million people, of which 65 million are Pentecostals, 175 million are Charismatics, and 295 million are Neocharismatics. Pentecostals have proliferated into 740 denominations operating in 225 countries; Charismatics have organized 6,530 denominations in 235 countries; and Neocharismatics have spawned 18,810 denominations in 225 countries. It is an astounding fact that whereas 79 million renewal adherents live in North America, the vast majority of the remainder is located in Latin America (141 million), Asia (134 million), and Africa (126 million). In addition, more than 75% of Neocharismatics are non-white and "indigenous," which Barrett and Johnson define as "without reference to Western Christianity." [11]

Concomitant to the explosive growth of global renewal, there has been a flowering of academic renewal studies. A renaissance of Pentecostal scholarship began to flower in the 1960’s with the appearance of studies on Pentecostalism by academically trained scholars. In retrospect we can see that this was a momentous development, in view of the fact that the approach of Pentecostal pioneers toward history was ambivalent. According to James R. Goff, Jr., "No group has intrinsically denied the historical process any stronger than Pentecostals." [12] Absorbed in the present outpouring of the Spirit and the imminent return of Jesus, the founding generation of Pentecostals gave only passing thought to historical lineage. B. F. Lawrence, the author of the earliest history of the Pentecostal Revival, brazenly asserts, "The Pentecostal movement has no such history; it leaps the intervening years crying, ‘Back to Pentecost.’" [13] However, he also affirms, "We follow in the steps of a goodly company." [14] So to an extent the early Pentecostals did recognize that the Pentecostal Revival had historical antecedents. Frank Bartleman offers proof of this in his telling declaration: "And history repeats itself. Let the Pentecostal people beware! The present world-wide revival was rocked in the cradle of little Wales. It was 'brought up' in India, …becoming full grown in Los Angeles." [15] Others looked deeper into the past than Bartleman and identified precedents in the Protestant Reformation and the Evangelical Revival, claiming Luther and Wesley as forbearers in the history of renewal. [16] Many of the early Pentecostal historians explicitly made reference to Edward Irving, a significant figure in nineteenth-century British millenarianism. [17] Nonetheless, the first generation of Pentecostal historians left the task of verifying these claims with the tools of historical scholarship to their successors.

The Pentecostal historians of the next generation were apologists. Their approach to history served the interests of consolidation and organization. As the original anti-organizational animus of the Pentecostal Revival waned, it was replaced by the growth of Pentecostal institutions, such as denominations, schools, publishing houses and missions agencies. These were important means of consolidating the gains of the Pentecostal Revival. Their success depended upon another essential tool in the organizing process, namely apologetics. Stigmatized by fellow evangelicals, shunned by erstwhile holiness friends and ridiculed in the press, Pentecostals faced the challenge of presenting a reasoned response to their critics. This challenge was taken up by apologists such as Carl Brumback, Charles W. Conn, Frank Ewart, Stanley Frodsham, and William H. Turner. [18]

In articulating a defense of the Pentecostal movement, the apologists turned to history for evidence in support of their cause. They purported to have found evidences of Pentecostal phenomena in the historical record. Writing on behalf of the Oneness Pentecostals, Ewart expressed the prevailing view of all Pentecostals when he claimed that "…the showers in between the early and latter rain in the form of real Pentecostal revivals have dotted the pages of history from the close of the second century until the present time." [19] Turner, a Pentecostal missionary to China for twenty-seven years, who was imprisoned by the Japanese for almost two years during World War II, argued that the message of Pentecostalism "…is not a new doctrine of religious manifestation but has always recurred in the church when people have earnestly sought for the infilling of the Holy Spirit." [20] Writers of this ilk approached history with a polemical slant. As a result, the employment of the historical method was lacking in their historiography. As Goff says, "While the approach used history, it was clearly not historical. No effort was made to connect the various episodes of glossolalia with any kind of historical linkage; more importantly, no problem was seen in the absence of such links." [21]

Pentecostal scholarship was elevated to a new level of historical sophistication by the groundbreaking publications of Klaude Kendrick and John T. Nichol, who utilized the scientific tools of the historical method to probe the origins of Pentecostalism. [22] In 1964 Nils Bloch-Hoell’s The Pentecostal Movement, originally published in Norwegian in 1956, appeared in English translation, providing a comprehensive account of the Pentecostal movement in Europe. Subsequently, Vinson Synan, Walter Hollenweger, Robert M. Anderson, Donald Dayton and Edith Blumhofer offered new and creative approaches to untangling the roots of American Pentecostalism. [23] Bolstered by the visibility of the Charismatic Renewal, the scholarly study of Pentecostalism became academically respectable. This is attested to by the great increase of the number of published works on specialized topics in Pentecostalism, which contributed significantly to the renaissance of Pentecostal scholarship. [24] Among them were Stanley M. Burgess’ trilogy of books on historical pneumatology. [25] According to Augustus Cerillo, the outcome of all this scholarly activity was the construction of a "new" Pentecostal historiography. [26]

The formation of the Society for Pentecostal Studies (SPS) in 1970 was an indication of the direction in which scholarship in the renewal tradition was moving. A momentous decision was made when membership was opened to both Pentecostal and non-Pentecostal scholars. The purpose of the SPS is to provide a forum for the scholars of the renewal movements to present papers, engage in critique and dialogue, and make professional connections. [27] The success of the SPS and other professional associations of renewal scholars demonstrates not only the relevance of renewal studies, but also the need for adequate resources for the growing number of scholars in the field. The library resources at the disposal of students of the 19th-21st century renewal movements are not plentiful. However, these resources are increasing as libraries, archives and research centers expand their services in order to meet the growing needs of scholars doing advanced research on the Pentecostal-Charismatic-Neocharismatic renewal movements. To the matter of locating these resources, we now turn.

2. LOCATING THE RESOURCES.

2.1. LIBRARIES.

In searching for libraries that might have collections pertaining to the study of the renewal movements, I began with the schools listed by Charles Edwin Jones in his biographical studies of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. [28] I sent email messages to the libraries at these schools, asking about their general holdings and special collections in renewal studies. Some have special collections, which will be described below.

2.1.1. Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky.

The special collections in the B. L. Fisher Library contain 44,193 published and unpublished items. Asbury is nationally recognized for its preeminent holdings in the Holiness movement. Those who are doing research on the Holiness background of Pentecostalism will find a treasure of source materials here. Asbury’s Heritage Collection consists of pre-1850 imprints, the Pentecostal Publishing Collection, the Price Healing Collection, and pre-1968 United Methodist Conference Journals, as well as early Conference Journals of related Methodist bodies. Asbury’s Manuscript Collection includes generally unpublished material, documents of the Holiness Movement. Major collections include the papers of Albert Edward Day, Henry Clay Morrison, Hannah Whitall Smith, John Paul, W. W. White, and the records of OMS International and the Christian Holiness Association. The Asbury Seminary Archives is the official repository for all publications, records, papers, documents and other materials of historical value generated by Asbury Theological Seminary and affiliated individuals, past and present. The holdings span the entire history of the Seminary and include extensive photographs and an audio-visual media. [29]

2.1.2. Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Springfield, Missouri.

The AGTS library’s strength is its holdings in Pentecostal-Charismatic movements. According to Professor Gary B. McGee, the seminary library began with the gift of the collection of books housed at the Gospel Publishing House, resources that had been utilized by editors and writers of GPH church school curricula. It contained many books published by GPH and also books on spirituality and prayer by writers within the Higher Life and Pentecostal traditions. The Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center (discussed below) is the chief repository for periodicals, church records, letters, memorabilia, and primary source books. The AGTS and Central Bible College library collections complement it. For that reason, the budget of the AGTS library is freed from having to make more costly acquisition expenditures. [30]

2.1.3. University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England.

The definitive strength of the University of Birmingham is its program for Pentecostal-Charismatic Studies. The University of Birmingham and the former Selly Oak Colleges have promoted the study of the Pentecostal-Charismatic movements as global phenomena for over thirty years. Serious academic study of the renewal movements was initiated by Walter J. Hollenweger, Professor of Mission at the University of Birmingham from 1971 to 1989. The Harold Turner Collection, located at the Selly Oak campus of the University of Birmingham, contains over 27,000 documents on the subjects of "New Religious Movements," "African Initiated Churches," "Pentecostal Movements," and "Analogous Worldwide Movements." It includes manuscripts, printed books and periodicals, as well as documentation, relating to research in Pentecostal and Charismatic studies. Established by one of the pioneers in the study of new religious movements, Dr. Harold W. Turner, this collection features a computerized bibliographic database with extensive references to new religious movements and Pentecostal and Charismatic movements all over the world, and a website providing information on the internet. One can find well-considered statements delimiting the field of renewal studies, as well as excellent reading lists on the webpage of Allan Anderson, coordinator of the Pentecostal-Charismatic Studies at the University of Birmingham’s Graduate Institute for Theology and Religion. [31]

2.1.4. Central Bible College, Springfield, Missouri.

The general college has 100,000 volumes. Librarian Lynn Anderson reports that about 35 years ago, Dr. Jerry Flokstra started an Assemblies of God Collection. Shortly afterward the denominational archive, directed by Wayne Warner, was established at the nearby AG Headquarters, and as a result the CBC collection was never developed significantly. [32]

2.1.5. Regents Theological College, Nantwich, England.

Regents Theological College and School of Ministry are affiliated the Elim Pentecostal Church, which dates back to 1915 when evangelist George Jeffreys started the Elim movement. Keith Warrington, the Director of Postgraduate Studies at Regents, reports that the Elim Library has a good deposit of books relating to Pentecostal-Charismatic issues/personalities and the archives (including magazines, correspondence, etc.) of the Elim Pentecostal Church. [33] On Dr. Warrington’s faculty page on the Regents Theological College website, one can find publications relating to healing, exorcism and suffering, New Testament, Pentecostalism, theological education and the Spirit. In his essay on "Pentecostal Perspectives," Warrington explores the implications of the theological contextualization that has ensued in the wake of massive church growth and mission expansion in contemporary renewal movements. [34]

2.1.6. Evangel University, Springfield, Missouri.

Evangel is an authorized institution of the Assemblies of God. The Klaude Kendrick Library maintains an official college archives. [35] The collection consists of thousands of pictures, old yearbooks and student handbooks, a complete run of the college newspaper, the Lance, oral history tapes and interviews, and various historical and classroom documents, including syllabi and Vision, the alumni publication. The strength of the Evangel archives, for those who are interested in the history of Evangel, is the timeline in pictures, showing various denominational executives and administrators of the college at historic events in the life of the school. Another interesting feature of the archives is the O’Reilly Collection, covering the former World War II O’Reilly Hospital, which became the home to Evangel University in 1954. This collection includes pictures of the military barracks, hospital operating rooms, and wartime activities in the hospital and post chapel. The archivist is Betty Chase.

2.1.7. Faith Bible College, New Zealand.

The library of this small college of 50 students has about 10,000 books. Yen Chan reports that the library has a section on revivals. [36]

2.1.8. Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California.

McAlistar Library holds major library resources for the study of renewal movements, partly because of its excellent collection of renewal titles, but chiefly because the David J. du Plessis Archives is housed at Fuller. This collection consists of the personal papers of David du Plessis (1905-1987). It includes his diaries, travel logs, address books, correspondence, newsletters, manuscripts, photographs and mementos, the bulk of which covers the years 1947-1986. Du Plessis’ correspondence comprises about 3,500 folders, with letters arranged alphabetically by sender and chronologically in each folder. Of the manuscripts there are about 150 by du Plessis and 200 by others, some of whom are prominent figures. Of special interest are du Plessis’ prophecies, that is, interpretations of individuals speaking in tongues. A piece by piece inventory of the contents of collections can be accessed online. [37] The strength of the du Plessis papers lies in the insider’s perspective offered into the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements over the last half of the 20th-century. Du Plessis had a rich network of contacts in Europe, South Africa and America. He was an avid ecumenist. He was one of the founders of the Roman Catholic-Pentecostal Dialogue. Unlike many classical Pentecostals, he urged members of mainline churches to remain in their denominations after experiencing the baptism in the Spirit.

2.1.9. Hartford Seminary, Hartford, Connecticut.

The book catalogue for Hartford Seminary Library has extensive listings in books under the keywords "Pentecostal," "Pentecostalism" and "Charismatic," and some renewal periodicals. The strong point of Harford Seminary Library is the Harford Institute for Religion Research, which provides a fair amount of general information on Pentecostalism. [38]

2.1.10. King’s Seminary, Van Nuys, California.

According to Assistant Librarian Tracey R. Lane, by virtue of its relationship with Jack Hayford, Chancellor of King’s College and Seminary and also president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, the seminary library attempts to collect anything and everything by Hayford. This would be an obvious strength of the King’s Library, which is being considered to host the Hayford Archives as well as the papers of Aimee Semple McPherson, which are presently housed at the Angelus Temple. Kings already has a good collection of McPherson’s publications. [39]

2.1.11. Master’s College and Seminary, Toronto, Canada.

The library of Master’s has a collection of over 45,000 volumes and over 300 periodicals. This institution is affiliated with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Newfoundland and the District of Quebec, Eastern Ontario and Western Ontario Districts of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.

2.1.12. New York Public Library, New York, New York.

The New York Public Library is the home of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, which can be accessed online. [40] It contains the DuPree African-American Pentecostal and Holiness Collection, which was created as a result of Sherry Sherrod DuPree’s research for her Biographical Dictionary of African-American Holiness and Pentecostals, published in 1989. [41] The collection itself can be found in the Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture of the New York Public Library. DuPree traveled throughout the United States to gather primary and secondary source material documenting the history, beliefs, and activities of hundreds of Pentecostal and Holiness denominations, congregations and individuals. The DuPree Collection is arranged in four categories: Denominations and Congregations, Individual Clergy and Evangelists, Subject Files, and Non-Pentecostal Material. The strength of this collection lies in the wealth of primary source materials, including biographical sketches, articles, chapters of books, excerpts from academic theses, sermons, newspaper clippings, newsletters, journals, yearbooks, bulletins, brochures, programs, and denominational records. A detailed inventory of the contents of this collection can be found on the website of the Schomburg Center.

2.1.13. Northwest University, Kirkland, Washington.

The Pentecostal Movement Collection has 804 titles and 862 volumes. Its strength is in early twentieth century works written either by or about Assemblies of God ministers. Leslie Engelson, the Technical Services Librarian at Northwest University, writes, "This collection consists of works that reflect the history of the Pentecostal movement that arose in the early twentieth century in America to which the Assemblies of God traces its foundations as well as works that discuss the charismatic movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s. It incorporates works by or about leaders or other significant people involved in the movement as well as works that describe any part of the movement. Additionally, any works that discuss the Baptism of the Holy Spirit are included." [42]

2.1.14. Regent University Library, Virginia Beach, Virginia.

The recently established Ph.D. program in Renewal Studies at Regent bodes well for the future expansion of the school’s renewal collections. At present the Pentecostal Research Collection with 1166 titles is held in a class showcase. Materials may not be taken out of the building. The Regent Library also holds the Charles F. Parham Papers on microfilm. This collection was procured by Vinson Synan from Pauline Parham, daughter-in-law of Charles F. Parham. [43] It includes news clippings, correspondence, a manuscript by Edith Blumhofer on the Catholic Apostolic Church, bulletins, advertising flyers, sermons, and writings from the early 1900’s into the 1920’s relating to Charles F. Parham and the Apostolic Faith movement. The most valuable portion of the collection is the issues of The Apostolic Faith, the periodical sporadically published by Parham, including some of his important early writings and reports on his revivals. These issues of The Apostolic Faith also feature news reports on current events, both in the sub-culture of early Pentecostalism and the world at large, revealing a telling picture of Parham’s horizon. Events in Palestine and the activities of the Zionist movement receive ample attention. I believe that this collection is referred to as the "Parham Family Scrapbook" by James Goff. [44]

2.1.15. Southern Cross College, Sydney, Australia.

Established in 1948, Southern Cross College is one of Australia’s outstanding Christian tertiary institutions. Located in the geographical heart of Sydney, it has satellite campuses at the Hillsong Church and in Auckland, New Zealand. Southern Cross is the national training institution of the Assemblies of God of Australia. The James Wallace Memorial Library of Southern Cross College was named in honor of a former Principal who is renowned as one of the most respected Bible teachers and expositors of his time. His commitment to the word of God and desire to know and impart truth is a role model for all Southern Cross students to emulate. The James Wallace Memorial Library houses a Pentecostal Heritage Centre, established in 2001 with the aim of collecting, preserving, and encouraging research into the history and impact of Holy Spirit movements in the Christian churches of Australasia.

2.1.16. Tabor College, Sydney, Australia.

On its website Tabor is described as Australia’s premier national multi-denominational charismatic Christian training college. Its mission is "to promote unity and revival, to provide teaching and training for ministry for people of all churches and any nationality, and to be a witness to the majesty of Christ in the whole of life." [45] Tabor has campuses in five states of Australia, with locations in Sydney, Adelaide, Hobart, Melbourne and Perth. It participates in the Australian Libraries Gateway Service, a link to other libraries via the National Library of Australia. A keyword search of the Miranda Campus Library brings up 111 records for "Pentecostal," 240 records for "Charismatic," 374 records for "Renewal," 196 for "Charismatic Renewal," and 217 records for "Spiritual Gifts." As far as I can tell by perusing the titles, the strengths of this collection may be in recent revivals and topics related to the history of the Assemblies of God in Australia and elsewhere.

2.1.16. Vanguard University, Costa Mesa, California.

The Lewis Wilson Institute for Pentecostal Studies organizes conferences and seminars that address the contemporary issues facing the Pentecostal-Charismatic movements. It is dedicated to expanding the archival holdings in the Pentecostal collection which is held in the O. Cope Budge Library, now containing 1,092 items. This collection includes records, periodicals and pictures, although little in the way of primary materials, such as private papers and diaries. Some of the material is from the Southern California District of the Assemblies of God. [46] The Lewis Wilson Institute also awards stipends to visiting scholars, publishes a newsletter, maintains a Pentecostals studies Web page on the Internet, and sponsors a variety of research and teaching activities focusing on the contemporary significance of racial, ethnic and gender inclusiveness in the Pentecostal-Charismatic movements. On the Pentecostal studies webpage, links are provided to other Pentecostal resource sites, denominations, research centers and internet sites for the study of Pentecostalism. From here one can access documents and essays, including three important essays on women’s issues in Pentecostalism. [47]