Henry William Rankin papers, 1897 -- 1958

Summary Information

Abstract

Henry William Rankin was a librarian at the Northfield Mount Hermon School, a theologian, philosopher, and author of a series of works on theology and biblical exegesis. This collection contains Rankin's correspondence, including correspondence with David Baines Griffiths related to "The Bible and the Universe," as well as correspondence with other friends and colleagues and later correspondence related to the Rankin archive.

At a Glance

Arrangement

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in one series in rough chronological order.

• Henry William Rankin papers, 1897 -- 1958

Description

Scope and Contents

This collection contains Rankin's correspondence, including two bound volumes of correspondence between Rankin and David Baines Griffiths, which Rankin titled "The Bible and the Universe." Letters include analyses and reflections on the relationship between theology and science, and discussions of biblical exegesis. Also included is correspondence between Rankin and friends and colleagues, as well as later correspondence related to the Rankin archive between doctoral students and faculty at Union.

• Henry William Rankin papers, 1897 -- 1958

  This series contains Rankin's correspondence, including two bound volumes of correspondence between Rankin and David Baines Griffiths, which Rankin titled "The Bible and the Universe." Letters include analyses and reflections on the relationship between theology and science, and discussions of biblical exegesis. Also included is correspondence between Rankin and friends and colleagues, as well as later correspondence related to the Rankin archive between doctoral students and faculty at Union.

Burke Library record group:

Union Theological Seminary Archives: UTS 1, papers of faculty and students

Using the Collection

Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

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, UTS1: Henry William Rankin Papers, 1897-1958, box #, folder #, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.

Related Materials

Henry William Rankin Manuscript Collection, SCM271, Princeton Theological Seminary. Library. Special Collections Repository.

Rankin Family Papers, 1842-1935, RG176, Presbyterian Historical Society, 425 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516 USA.

Henry William Rankin letters from William and Henry James, 1895-1921, hou01648, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library.

Custodial History

The Henry William Rankin Papers are part of the Union Theological Seminary Archives, which comprises institutional and administrative records of the Seminary, combined with the papers of many organizations, scholars, pastors, laypersons, and others connected with the school. The materials in this collection were part of a large group of unprocessed material that was organized in 2018 with the support of the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary

Processing Information

Material was cataloged by Lynn A. Grove on 1988-07-13. All folded items were flattened. Materials were removed from previous folders and placed in new acid-free folders and boxes. The finding aid was created by Kevin Windhauser and Rebecca Nieto in 2018 with the support of the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, and edited by Leah Edelman in 2020.

Revision Description

2020-12-14 PDF converted to EAD and description updated by Leah Edelman.

Subject Headings

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

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Subject

History / Biographical Note

Biographical / Historical

Henry William Rankin was born in 1851 in China to Presbyterian missionary parents. Raised in China, Rankin there made the acquaintance of the missionary and theologian John Livingston Nevius, whose work on demonic possession Rankin would later see through publication. In the United States, Rankin became librarian at Northfield Mount Hermon School, a position he held for most of his adult life. While there, Rankin composed numerous articles on theology, religious studies, and cultural studies, although he is perhaps best remembered for his correspondence with American psychologist and theologian William James. Beginning in the late 19th century, Rankin provided James with a series of texts of theology, psychology, and metaphysics (including the work of Nevius), and James acknowledged Rankin's contribution in the preface to Varieties of Religious Experience. Henry William Rankin lived the last years of his life in East Northfield, Massachusetts, and died in 1937.