Roots of the Russian Pentecostal Movement in Berkeley

Earlier this month Vladimir Franchuk, a Ukranian Christian historian,  the author of this book on the Russian Pentecostal movement and John (Ivan) E. Voronaev (or Varonaeff), visited the library to review some of the early 20th century Baptist publications in our collection. Last year marked the 90th anniversary of the Pentecostal movement in Russia. He donated a copy of the book and signed it as follows:

"This is just a very simple book about the great man of God, the first Pentecostal missionary in Russia,  who emigrated from Russia to the USA, who lived in San Francisco, who studied in the Baptist Seminary in Berkeley, who was a pastor in Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, who went to Soviet Russia in 1920, who started the Pentecostal movement in the former USSR, and became the martyr in Siberia in 1932."

Varonaeff, a graduate of Berkeley Divinity School (now American Baptist Seminary of the West) in 1913, later  became a Pentecostal minister in New York.  He returned to Russia and founded the Pentecostal movement there. He was arrested in 1930 for his ministry and died in a Siberian prison camp in 1932.

Franchuk, along with his wife and entourage, continued on their pilgrimage to the Potrero Hill area in San Francisco, Voronaev's home, and most likely the Russian Baptist Church location,  is listed as 1109 Wisconsin, according to the San Francisco Baptist Association Annual Publication for 1913.

This was our first contact with Franchuk, pictured below with his wife. Previously,  Dony K. Donev has also been in contact with us and  in pursuit of the story behind Voronaev. Helped by Franchuk's research, last year he published, The Life and Ministry of Rev. Ivan Voronaev (English). 

The Elephants in God's Living Room: Clergy Abuse and Clericalism, Volume 1: Theoretical Issues

Ruth Krall, retired Professor of Religion, Nursing and Psychology at Goshen College, just sent us a hard copy of the first volume of her work on clergy abuse: The Elephants in God's Living Room: Clergy Abuse and Clericalism, Volume 1: Theoretical Issues. The book can be viewed online on her website.

Krall has studied and worked in the area of sexual violence for over 30 years. While she is a part of the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition, her book focuses on the issues that developed since 1984 in the Roman Catholic communion. She began donating her papers and manuscript collection to the GTU archives in 2004. Related collections in the archives include Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence Collection, 1977-1992 and two interviews featuring James A. Donahue, GTU President, on the sex abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States during April 2002.

Stephen De Staebler, Memorial Exhibits and Retrospectives

Stephen de Staebler in his studio, October 1992. Below, with Jane Dillenberger. From the slide collection of Jane Dillenberger.

Stephen de Staebler (1933-2011), one of the artists associated with Graduate Theological Union since at least 1978, has had one memorial exhibit this year and a larger one that is currently beautifully displayed at the de Young Museum in San Francisco.

The first one featured bronze sculptures from his last works and was on display at the Dolby Chadwick Gallery, San Francisco, which went through January 28.

The larger retrospective, Matter + Spirit: The Sculpture of Stephen De Staebler, is on display at the de Young Museum, San Francisco, January 14 -April 22, 2012. One room shows scale models of his work, figures and other sculptures and an impressive wall of masks. A second display area is peopled with his ceramic statues,

A panel discussion on De Staebler's work is set for Saturday, February 25, at 1 pm, in the Koret Auditorium at the museum. Moderated by John Handley, a doctoral candidate at the GTU, the panel includes Timothy Anglin Burgard, Ednah Root Curator in Charge of American Art for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Nancy M. Servis, Executive Director of the Richmond Art Center; and John Toki, a noted Bay Area sculptor and former assistant to Stephen De Staebler. for more information see www.deyoung.famsf.org.

Jane Newhall (1913 - 2011)

Jane Newhall, around 1990

Jane Newhall passed away in late July at her summer home in West Tisbury on Martha's Vineyard. A San Francisco resident, she was known for many benevolent acts, including establishing the endowment that funds the Newhall Fellows at GTU. She began serving on the Board of Trustees in 1968, was named a Life Trustee in 1995 and a Trustee Emerita in 1999.

Each year the Graduate Theological Union recognizes a group of doctoral students as Newhall Scholars, providing the opportunity to work collaboratively with core faculty to develop and teach new courses, lead research, and expand the boundaries of innovative scholarship. Hundreds of students at GTU have benefited from her endowment.

This photograph is from the GTU Photograph Collection. For a more personal perspective of her life, see her obituary in the Vineyard Gazette.

Earth Day 2011

On some afternoons, there appears to be far more children from day care on the Pacific School of Religion campus than students in divinity school. This Earth Day post is for the parents and the children. (Please click on the image for a full spread.)

"We give thanks for the earth and its creatures and are grateful from A to Z."

From Gary Kowalski, Earth Day: An Alphabet Book. Boston: Skinner House Books, 2009. Design and illustrations by Rocco Baviera. These two pages are shared, courtesy Gary Kowalski.

Thanks to some wonderful donors, we have several alphabet books and a number of prayer books for children in our graduate theological library.

Gary Kowalski's book is a simple yet exquisite reminder of the wonders that we need to respect and steward.

A number of our archival collections document the struggles for intelligent stewardship of nature within religious traditions. These include the Starhawk Collection, Dody H. Donnelly Collection, and Albert Cohen Campus Ministry, Social Justice and the Environment Collection. We also manage the Thomas Starr King Collection. King, among many gifts, was one of the most eloquent of nature writers in the 19th century.

Space for Faiths

Space for Faiths: Stephen De Staebler's Winged Figure is contained in the most recent issue of arts: Arts in Religious and Theological Studies. One of the last major projects of the late Professor Doug Adams, the work is a collection of invited essays on the sculpture that was placed at the center of the GTU library.

The project was completed by Diane Apostolos-Cappadona. The Center for the Arts, Religion and Education (CARE) provided financial support for the publication (it's over a hundred pages).

Originally, the atrium of the library was empty. Richard Peters, the architect who completed the building, had considered at one point a "pendant piece" to hang down in the atrium and play on the theme of light. In 1978, unsolicited, De Staebler had prepared a site plan model to be incorporated at the entrance of the library. This was not realized. He remained in close contact with Jane Dillenberger and Adams. In early 1993, De Staebler felt that the piece he was working on was for the library. He offered to donate the sculpture to the library. The GTU board accepted after a vigorous discussion. Adams with CARE arranged to cover the $60,000 cost of the installation: the sculpture sits on a 24 foot bronze covered plinth with an additional six feet embedded in the bedrock below.

The dedication of the Winged Figure took place on September 18, 1993, at the 30th anniversary of the GTU and the inauguration of the fifth president, Glenn R. Bucher. Doug Adams closed the ceremony with these words:

Stephen De Staebler's sculpture embodies incompleteness (one leg, a partical torso, one arm...) an incompleteness which allows us to remember that we are incomplete. Such rememberance evokes empathy for others. Let our experience of this sculpture WINGED FIGURE increase our empathy for others.

His sculpture does not detail the head for he has learned that we too easily focus on the head and neglect the body. His sculpture draws our attention to our connection to the earth. Let this scuplture increase our care for the body and the earth.

Stephen's work is frontal and evokes a commitment akin to conversation at a dinner table where we face others at length in contrast to cocktail part chatter where we stand at oblique angles to others and avoid engagement. Let this sculpture increase our commitment with others.

The concave wing provides space and suggests a transformation into an as yet unknown form. There is room for our new thoughts and the different thoughts of
others who may dream new dreams. Let this sculpture increase our thoughts and faiths and hopes and dreams unseen.

Amen.

To see the essays, please view the issue in our current periodicals. For more information on Doug Adams, see the finding aid for his collection and request access to his archives at the library. Archives and Special Collections are open from 8:30 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday.

Stephen De Staebler installing the Winged Figure, one of the images referenced in Jane Dillenberger's article.

Ecumenism: Catholic Inclusion in the GTU

The Spring 2010 issue of U.S. Catholic Historian explores ecumenism in the 20th century. Bishop John S. Cummins, second Bishop of the Diocese of Oakland (1962-1971) contributes a wonderful article on the Catholic involvement with the Graduate Theological Union, "Bishop Floyd L. Begin's Bold and Steady Service in the Development of the Graduate Theological Union: A Personal Reflection."

This article and others in the issue not only provide an excellent supporting reference to our Oral History of the GTU Collection but also to the Robert McAfee Brown Exhibit (October 1 through January 15) that is being installed in the library this week.

Jesuit Gustave Weigel and Presbyterian Robert McAfee Brown, 1964

Brown (1920-2001) is remembered as one of the Protestants that the Catholics could turn to for ecumenical support. He wrote with Gustave Weigel (1906-64), An American dialogue : a Protestant looks at Catholicism and a Catholic looks at Protestantism (1960). These and other articles and talks in part discuss differences and common ground as well as address the issue of John F. Kennedy, a Catholic, running for president.

For more information, see the Spring 2010 U.S. Catholic Historian in the library. For more information on Brown, visit the exhibit in the library starting next week, view the finding aid or view the online exhibit.