Disciples of Christ Historical Society

John Caldwell

 The Cannon-Benoit Intern for 2010 is John Caldwell, a student at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland.  John is majoring in both History and French, and has been spending the last couple of weeks at the Historical Society learning basic archival practices by doing them.

John’s main project has been the arrangement and description of the personal papers of 19th-early 20th century preacher Daniel Sommer.  Sommer (1850-1940) was an important figure in the second generation of the Stone-Campbell group of preachers and editors.  He is remembered today as a leader of the conservative group that eventually left the Christian Church to form the Churches of Christ.  The split between the two churches became official with the completion of the 1906 U.S. Religious Census that named the Churches of Christ for the first time.

Among John’s other activities during his internship has been learning to do research in archives in order to respond to patrons’ questions on congregations, ministers, and other information on Stone-Campbell heritage. 

John is a fine young scholar and has done wonderful work while at the Society.  We trust he has benefitted from spending time with the Society’s staff and rich collections.

The Cannon-Benoit Internship, established and funded in 2002 by Weldon Cannon and Patricia Benoit of Temple, Texas, provides students of Stone-Campbell heritage with an opportunity to come to the Society and learn more about its mission and work while completing a project that is vital to Stone-Campbell history.  For more information please contact the Society at mail@discipleshistory.org.

Sara Harwell       6/17/2010

Time is running out to sign up for the tour ‘A Journey to Sites of the Great British Hymns,’ June 14-25, 2010, sponsored by Lipscomb University and led by Dr. John Parker, Lipscomb professor and author of ‘Abide With Me: A Photographic Journey Through Great British Hymns.

Tour participants will visit the sites where these beautiful hymns were composed: ‘Amazing Grace’ – ‘Rock of Ages’ – ‘Abide With Me’ – ‘ Joy to the World’ – ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’ – ‘When I Survey the Wondrous Cross’ – ‘Take My Life and Let It Be’ – ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ – ‘Blest Be the Tie.’ Providing a once-in-a-lifetime experience, Ray Walker of the Jordanaires will be on hand to lead the group in singing these beloved songs.

The deadline is Monday, May 10, so don’t miss this great opportunity. More information and photos can be viewed on Lipscomb’s website at: http://alumni.lipscomb.edu/s/724/index.aspx?sid=724&gid=1&pgid=252&cid=1409&ecid=1409&crid=0&calpgid=13&calcid=957.

Contact: Amy Hamar, Office of Alumni & Parent Relations, Lipscomb University, 800-333-4358 x6216 or amy.hamar@lipscomb.edu.

As followers of 19th-century Disciples minister George Darsie tweets know, Bro. Darsie has been sharing entries from his 1884 diary since mid-August.  For the new year, he is moving ahead almost a decade to 1893.  He is still the faithful minister for the Christian Church in Frankfort, Kentucky, he is still married to Coranelle, and, in many ways, life continues much as before. 

But 1893 was a momentous year in America, and, though people and communities were more isolated in those days, George Darsie was a man engaged with public affairs as well as spiritual ones.  1893 brought the worst economic depression the nation was to experience until the 1930s.  In addition, Chicago opened the spectacular ‘White City’ — officially the World’s Columbian Exposition, celebrating (a year late) the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s voyage to the New World. 

Popularly known as the Chicago World’s Fair, the Exposition played host to the annual meeting of the American Historical Association at which historian Frederick Jackson Turner presented ‘The Significanace of the Frontier in American History,’ in which he boldly set his thesis both that the frontier had shaped the American character and that the frontier era was over.  Turner’s ‘frontier thesis’ is still discussed and debated in graduate seminars across the country. 

The World Parliament of Religions also held its first meeting at the Chicago World’s Fair.  An 18-day event, the parliament drew scholars and clergy from all over the world and from all the world’s known religious traditions in an effort to increase understanding and tolerance.  Said Dr. Alexander Kohut of New York: ‘The scions of many creeds are convened at Chicago’s succoring parliament of religions, aglow with enthusiasm, imbued with the courage of expiring fear, electrified with the absorbing anticipation of dawning light.  The hour has struck.’

 It should be interesting to discover the extent to which these events are reflected in George Darsie’s diary.  We know that his diary for 1893 will reveal the life and routines of a preacher of his day, absorbed with matters great and small, always devoted to his ministry in late 19th-century Frankfort, Kentucky.

More 1893 Milestones:

 Thomas Edison opened the first motion picture studio in West Orange, New Jersey.

 The Duryea brothers drove the first gasoline-powered motorcar in America in Springfield, Massachusetts.

 Rudolf Diesel received a patent for the diesel engine.

 Mahatma Gandhi committed his first act of civil disobedience in India.

Sara Harwell     1/28/2010

When we think of a 19th century Christmas we generally are reminded of the convergence of writings and events that influenced or even established so many of the traditions and customs we still practice today – 

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (readings of which were recently given by his great great grandson Gerald Charles Dickens at Park Avenue Christian Church in New York) —  

Clement Moore’s ‘A Night Before Christmas’ –

Prince Albert introducing the Christmas tree to Queen Victoria’s court from his native Germany. 

Even Washington Irving’s comic essays ‘Christmas Eve’ and ‘Christmas Day’ – both very popular in their day if not as well remembered now — were influential in how Victorians came to perceive a ‘traditional’ Christmas with Irving’s colorful descriptions of coach rides through the English countryside, decorating, games, parties, church services, Christmas dinner, and cozy chats by the fireside of an ancient English manor.  Such evocative descriptions led British and Americans both to emulate these inviting scenes and customs.

Such holiday practices were not lost on Disciples minister George Darsie of First Christian Church in 1884 Frankfort, Kentucky. His diary entries — now being entered as tweets at  www.twitter.com/GeorgeDarsie — reveal his knowledge and embrace of 19th century popular customs: riding his horse Charley out to the country to find a Christmas tree for his Sunday School class, shopping for toys and candy in Louisville, ice skating, reading Dickens by the fire, and more.  At the same time, his usual routines and duties remained in place: preparing sermons, preaching funerals, visiting the sick, and treating his dog for mange. Celebrate Christmas with Brother Darsie on Twitter and experience the rich, full life of a Disciples minister over a century ago.

From Disciples of Christ Historical Society — have a peaceful happy holiday season.

Sara Harwell          12/23/2009

On Thursday and Friday, November 5-6, the DCHS Board of Trustees met at the Thomas W. Phillips Memorial Archives.  In committee and plenary sessions, individually and collectively, they offered leadership and wisdom for the fulfillment of the Society’s misssion. 

Among the highlights of this years meeting were: 

◊  A presentation by Christian Board of Publication/Chalice Press president Cyrus N. White on the challenges and prospects facing religious publishing in the 21^st century.

◊  A delicious dinner at Lipscomb University Center for Spiritual Formation at Longview, a splendid antebellum mansion in South Nashville, accompanied by a presentation by Dr. Carl McKelvey on the Center’s ministry.

◊  A wonderful performance by guitarist Josh Philpott, son of DCHS Curator Elaine Philpott.

◊  A presentation and hands-on activity featuring several of the Society’s artifacts selected by Director of Research Services Mac Ice for the occasion (pictured above and below).

Many thanks to our dedicated Board for helping us keep our promise.

Sara Harwell       11/18/2009

I saw an old slogan for AT&T today…The System is the Solution. In other words, once you have the correct system in place, hitting on all cylinders, then everything works to order.

Wonder if that’s what AC had in mind when he named it The Christian System? Faith, the correct way to relate to God, forms a “machine” where all parts are pinging and, then, everything about our lives works to order.

I know one thing for sure…if AC had stayed around a few more years, he would have been working the phone from sun-up til sundown.

GTC 11/14/09