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Religion: primary sources

America to 1900

Moravian mission records among the North American Indians [microform]
Microfilm 07202
40 reels
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms E99.M9 M672
Material from the Archives of the Moravian Church, whose mission to Native Americans lasted from 1735 to 1900. Consists of letters, diaries, and church registers. Much of the material is in German, but there is also material in English.

Papers of John Ettwein [microform]
Microfilm 07201
8 reels
Printed guide: none
Ettwein was President of the Governing Board of the Moravian Church in America in the Revolutionary War era. Originals in the Archives of the Moravian Church, Bethlehem, Pa

Millerites and Early Adventists
Microfilm 05752
60 reels
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms Z7845.A35M54
This collection consists of books and pamphlets that document the Millerites and early Adventists. It also includes the correspondence of William Miller, a New York farmer, who prophesied that the Second Coming of Christ would occur on October 22, 1844. See http://www.anb.org/articles/08/08-01014.html. The Millerites were the original nucleus of today’s Seventh-Day Adventists and other Adventist churches. Covers c. 1840 to c. 1870.

Microfilm edition of the Winthrop papers
Microfilm 03154
53 reels
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms F4.xG8.
The Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston holds this collection of the American Family Manuscripts. These are private and public papers that come from many sources. The majority of the manuscripts came from the Winthrop family, and include the journal of Governor John Winthrop (1588-1649). See http://www.anb.org/articles/01/01-00996.html.

Sunday School Movement and Its Curriculum in Archives Unbound

From the Congregational Library and Archives, Boston, MA

 

Correspondence relating to the North American colonies, 1701-86 [Society for Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts]
5488.864
28 reels
Printed guide: none
The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel was chartered in 1701 to do missionary work on behalf of the Church of England. This collection consists of records dating from 1702-1737, including three series of letters and papers concerning the Society’s missionary work in North American colonies. The originals are held by the Society for Propagation of the Gospel in London.

Society for Propagation of the Gospel: Journals, 1701-1850 [microform]
RECAP 5488.864.2
14 reels
Printed guide: none
See above. The journal, 1701-1870, records the proceedings of the Society and includes extracts or copies of letters from missionaries in North America, Virginia, the Bahamas, the Leeward and Windward Islands, Canada, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Utah and the Mormons
RECAP 5662.924
12 reels
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms Z7845.M8M45
This collection reproduces books and pamphlets from the second half of the 19th century, on Mormons and Utah. It also includes a number of Mormon periodicals.

Microfilm edition of the American Missionary Association archives
RECAP Microfilm 05360
261 reels
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms Z7817.A45
Microfilm edition of the American Missionary Association archives at the Amistad Research Center. See also American Missionary Association archives as a source for the study of American history, Firestone E175.4.A5 J6 1964. The American Missionary Association began as an abolitionist organization and became an advocate for civil rights and education for African-Americans. Covers 1846-1882. See http://gale.cengage.com/pdf/scguides/americanmissionary/americanmissionary.doc. Also available at Princeton Theological Seminary.

The holdings of Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church Historical Museum in manuscript and print [microform]
RECAP Microfilm 11660
8 reels
Printed guide: none
See http://gale.cengage.com/psm/guides.htm for links to the online guide.

Sunday School Movement and Its Curriculum in Archives Unbound

 

20th century America

Library of American church records
Available through interlibrary loan from the Center for Research Libraries.
"This microfilm set includes yearbooks, annual reports, minutes and other reports from the 19th and 20th centuries, for the following denominations: American Baptist Convention, 1914-1969; Assemblies of God, 1914-1965; Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, 1803-1970; Brethren in Christ Church, 1871-1970; Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ), 1848-1964; Church of Christ, 1906-1963; Congregational Church, 1854-1961; Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1810-1966; General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, 1867-1970."

St. Mark’s Protestant Episcopal Church, Charleston [microform]
Microfiche 1044
38 microfiches
Printed guide: none
The parish records span the time from 1866–1965, and include registers of fiscal matters and tithes, baptisms, confirmation, marriages (including the condition of those entering into marriage: widower, maiden, bachelor, etc) and burials.

Harlan Paul Douglass Collection of religious research reports
Available through interlibrary loan from the Center for Research Libraries.
"The Douglass Collection includes church-related field research reports contributed voluntarily to the National Council of Churches Department of Research by various denominational and ecumenical researchers. This set includes 2,270 documents dealing with social and ecclesiastical conditions of religion in America and including reports, case studies, pamphlets and fugitive papers. Most of the papers date from the period 1950-1970, although there are some earlier materials. The collection is also cited as Social problems and the churches."

FBI file [microform]: Waco
Microfilm 11882
18 reels
Printed guide: none
Transcripts of FBI negotiations with members of the Branch Davidian sect in Waco, Texas, in 1993. See http://gale.cengage.com/pdf/scguides/wacofbi/wacofbi.doc