Christian Unity Foundation records, 1907 -- 1921

Summary Information

Abstract

This collection contains minutes, a constitution, by-laws, reports, treasurers accounts, member lists, correspondence, and pamphlets of an Episcopal organization founded in 1910 to support Christian unity through research and conferences.

At a Glance

Bib ID:
10522085 View CLIO record
Creator(s):
Christian Unity Foundation
Repository:
Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary
Physical Description:
2 linear feet (2 linear feet; 1 oversize box)
Language(s):
English .
Access:

This collection may contain some restricted material. Restrictions related to specific material are listed in the detailed contents list.

Onsite storage.

Description

Scope and Contents

This collection contains minutes, a constitution, by-laws, reports, treasurers accounts, member lists, correspondence, and pamphlets of an Episcopal organization founded in 1910 to support Christian unity through research and conferences.

  • Christian Unity Foundation records, 1907 -- 1921

    This series contains minutes, a constitution, by-laws, reports, treasurers accounts, member lists, correspondence, and pamphlets of an Episcopal organization founded in 1910 to support Christian unity through research and conferences.

Burke Library record group:

William Adams Brown Ecumenical Library Archives

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in one chronological series.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access

This collection may contain some restricted material. Restrictions related to specific material are listed in the detailed contents list.

Onsite storage.

Conditions Governing Use

Some material in this collection may be protected by copyright and other rights. Information concerning copyright, fair use, and reproduction requests can be consulted at Columbia's Copyright Advisory Office.

Preferred Citation

Item description, WAB: Christian Unity Foundation records, 1907-1921, box #, folder #, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.

Custodial History

The papers are part of the William Adams Brown Ecumenical Library Archives, which was founded in 1945 by the Union Theological Seminary Board of Directors.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The exact provenance of this collection is unknown.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary

Processing Information

Loose scrapbook pages with affixed materials were placed into Mylar envelopes. Metal clips and staples were removed from materials and folded items were flattened. Materials were placed in new acid-free folders and boxes. Acidic items were separated from one another by interleaving with acid-free paper as needed. The finding aid was created by Kristen Leigh Southworth and Brigette C. Kamsler in 2013 with the support of the Henry Luce Foundation, and edited by Leah Edelman in 2021.

Revision Description

2021-11-05 PDF converted to EAD and description updated by Leah Edelman.

Biographical / Historical

The Christian Unity Foundation was incorporated in 1910 by twelve clergymen and twelve laymen of the Episcopal Church: Rev. William Croswell Doane (Bishop of Albany); Rev. Frederick Courtney (Bishop of Nova Scotia); Rev. Boyd Vincent (Bishop of Southern Ohio); Rev. Charles Palmerston Anderson (Bishop of Chicago); Rev. David H. Greer (Bishop of New York); Rev. Edwin Stevens Lines, (Bishop of Newark); Rev. Canon George William Douglas; Rev. Canon Robert Ellis Jones; Rev. Reese F. Alsop; Rev. H. R. Gummey, Jr.; Rev. Rockland Homans; Rev. Arthur Lowndes; Rear Admiral Caspar F. Goodrich (United States Navy), Colonel Charles William Larned (United States Army); Chief Justice J. H. Stiness; Robert Fulton Cutting, John M. Glenn, Francis C. Huntington, George Gordon King; William Fellowes Morgan; George Wharton Pepper; Lawson Purdy; Charles G. Saunders; William Jay Schieffelin. Reverend Arthur Lowndes served as secretary of the Foundation. Its offices were located at 143 East 37th Street, New York City. The objective of the Foundation was to promote Christian unity in the United States and abroad through research and conferences. The organization sought to gather and disseminate accurate information relative to the faith and works of all Christian denominations, as well as to highlight the problem of divisions within the church and to suggest practical ways for denominations to work together as one body of Christ. In 1921, the Foundation published a book entitled The Problem of Christian Unity. The fact that all of the founding members of the Christian Unity Foundation were Episcopalian led many to suspect that the real aim of the foundation was to bring other denominations into the fold of the Episcopal Church. The organization responded by assuring the public that this was not their aim, and that they would proceed with their mission slowly and with "quietness, gentleness, and humility." However they expressed the belief that "the only way to attain large unity is to start with a small number of men who perfectly agree."

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Name
Christian Unity Foundation CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Subject
Ecumenical movement -- History -- Sources CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID