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The John Gresham Machen Manuscript Collection

 Collection
Identifier: SCM 008

Scope and Content

This collection contains materials by and about J. Gresham Machen, as well as published and unpublished materials on the 1929 reorganization of Princeton Theological Seminary.

Dates

  • 1915-1936

Language of Materials

English

Access:

There are no special restrictions to access of this collection. It may be examined by library patrons under the normal rules and conditions of Special Collections.

Preferred Citation

The following is the acceptable citation for publication: The John Gresham Machen Manuscript Collection. Special Collections, Princeton Theological Seminary Library.

Chronology

1881 July 28
Born, Baltimore, Maryland
1901
B.A., Johns Hopkins University
1904
M.A., Princeton University
1905
B.D., Princeton Theological Seminary
1905-1906
Student, Gottingen and Marburg Universities
1906-1914
Instructor, New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary
1914-1929
Assistant Professor, New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary
1918-1919
Y.M.C.A. war service, French Army
1929-1937
Professor, New Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary
1937 January 1
Died, Bismark, North Dakota

Biographical Information

J. Gresham Machen also received honorary doctorates from Hampden-Sidney College (1921) and Wheaton College (1928). He was the author of several books, including The Origin of Paul's Religion, Christianity and Liberalism, New Testament Greek for Beginners, What is Faith?, The Virgin Birth of Christ, The Christian View of Man, Christian Faith in the Modern World, and Brief Bible History. The majority of these currently remain in print. There are also numerous anthologies of his writings, including God Transcendent, Education, Christianity and the State, Galatians, and New Testament Introduction. Several biographical treatments have been published on Dr. Machen's life. Most noteworthy are works by Ned Stonehouse (1955), Paul Woolley (1977), and D. G. Hart (1994).

Extent

2.1 Linear Feet (5 Boxes)

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in six series: Published Writings, Correspondence, Published References to Machen, Machen's Trial (1934-1935), Reorganization Controversy (1923-1929) Printed Items, and Reorganization Controversy (1923-1929) Unpublished Items. Files have been arranged chronologically.

Related Material

See also the following materials in Special Collections:

The Board of Directors of Princeton Theological Seminary Records

The James Oscar Boyd Manuscript Collection

The Robert E. Speer Manuscript Collection

The Charles Rosenbury Erdman Manuscript Collection

The Alexander Napier MacLeod Manuscript Collection

The Joseph Ross Stevenson Manuscript Collection

The H. Clare Welker Manuscript Collection

See also the following oral histories in the PTS Audio Cassette Collection:

Oswald Allis (tape #0514)

Muriel Jennings (tapes #0339-0342)

Allan A. MacRae (tapes #0314,0323-0324,0467)

Carl McIntire (tapes #0310,0404)

Edwin Rian (tapes #0331-0334)

Related Materials

See also the John Gresham Machen Papers, in the Archives of Montgomery Library at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, Pa.

Processing Information:

The papers currently organized as the Machen Collection were gathered from a number of sources, the origins of which are unknown in many cases. Some items were maintained in "Cabinet C" in the Old Lenox Library of Princeton Seminary. Paul Martin, a protagonist in the reorganization conflict, had also donated his correspondence and papers relative to Dr. Machen. Another set of papers was donated to the Seminary many years ago by Judge Huston Dixon, consisting of his correspondence and documents relating to the legality of reorganizing the Seminary. All of these items were stored in sealed bundles. These and other papers were gathered in 1993 and stored together in a large box designated "Machen Controversy." They remained unorganized and were not made accessible to library patrons. In April of 1996 the collection was organized, with revisions made in July 1997. At that time several photocopies of relevant items from other manuscripts collections and from files in the Archives' office were added to the collection.

Title
The John Gresham Machen Manuscript Collection
Status
Completed
Author
Raymond D. Cannata
Date
6/16/08
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Princeton Theological Seminary. Library. Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Princeton Theological Seminary
Wright Library
25 Library Place
Princeton NJ 08540 USA