Lutheran World Federation records, 1946 -- 1967

Summary Information

Abstract

The Lutheran World Federation is an international organization of Lutheran Congregations and serves as the highest governing body for member churches. The collection contains documents from the second and third Lutheran World Federation Assemblies in 1952 and 1957, yearly runs of the News Bulletin of the Lutheran World Federation from 1946 to 1950, press releases made by the Lutheran World Federation, and the Newsletter of the 3rd Assembly.

At a Glance

Bib ID:
4492703 View CLIO record
Creator(s):
Lutheran World Federation. Assembly (3rd : 1957 : Minneapolis, Minn.). Committee on Arrangements
Repository:
Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary
Physical Description:
1 linear feet (1 linear foot; 2 boxes)
Language(s):
English , German , Norwegian .
Access:

This collection is open for research.

Onsite storage.

Description

Scope and Contents

This collection contains documents from the second and third Lutheran World Federation Assemblies in 1952 and 1957 (with five distinct themes or subtopics: "The Freedom we Have in Christ;" "The Unity of the Church in Christ;" "The Freedom to Reform the Church;" "Free for Service in the World;" and "Free and United in Hope."), yearly runs of the News Bulletin of the Lutheran World Federation from 1946 to 1950, press releases made by the Lutheran World Federation, and the Newsletter of the 3rd Assembly.

  • Lutheran World Federation records, 1946 -- 1967

    This series contains documents from the second and third Lutheran World Federation Assemblies in 1952 and 1957 (with five distinct themes or subtopics: "The Freedom we Have in Christ;" "The Unity of the Church in Christ;" "The Freedom to Reform the Church;" "Free for Service in the World;" and "Free and United in Hope"), yearly runs of the News Bulletin of the Lutheran World Federation from 1946 to 1950, press releases made by the Lutheran World Federation, and the Newsletter of the 3rd Assembly.

Burke Library record group:

William Adams Brown Ecumenical Library Archives

Arrangement

This collection is organized in one unarranged series.

Using the Collection

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, WAB: Lutheran World Federation records, 1946 - 1967, 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

Some material cataloged by Lynn A. Grove on 1988-08-08. 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. Any items in an advanced state of deterioration were placed in Mylar envelopes. The finding aid was created by Elizabeth Beller in 2013 with the support of the Henry Luce Foundation, and edited by Leah Edelman in 2021.

Revision Description

2010-12-13 XML instance created by Elizabeth Beller.

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

2021-11-09 EAD spot checked and corrected and description updated by Leah Edelman.

Biographical / Historical

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) was founded in the aftermath of World War II in 1947. Based upon the interwar movement of international Lutheran cooperation as evidenced through the Lutheran World Convention, the LWF was a loose grouping of Lutheran churches from Norway, Germany, and the United States of America as well as smaller groupings of Lutheran churches worldwide. The founding principles of the federation were employed not only because of doctrinal importance but the great need for help and aid in war torn Europe and elsewhere internationally. The four founding tenants of LWF were help and aid for the needy; common initiatives in mission; joint efforts in theology; and common response to ecumenical challenges. The LWF assemblies, begun in 1947, are the highest order of decision making within the organization. The 1957 Assembly which was located in Minneapolis, Minnesota was the first such assembly held in the United States of America. According to the Lutheran World Federation Assembly website, 145 international delegates gathered, many from Germany and Scandinavia. As the decade between the founding of the LWF and the meeting of the 3rd Lutheran World Federation passed, the composition of the LWF continued to shift and change. The 3rd Assembly witnessed an increase in the influence of Latin America upon the LWF as greater numbers of Latin American Churches were joining. The 3rd Assembly also noticeably felt the absence of members from states located behind the iron curtain as the tensions of the Cold War between the United States and Russia heightened.

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.

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Subject
Christian union CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Lutheran Church -- Societies, etc CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID