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1 PAUL R. DEKAR COLLECTION AR 840 Prepared by: Matt Bailey Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives July, 2009 Updated February, 2012 2 Paul R. Dekar Collection AR 840 Summary Main Entry: Paul R. Dekar Collection Date Span: 1659 – 2007 Abstract: Paul Dekar, Baptist minister, peacemaker, and professor, was the Centenary Professor of World Christianity at McMastery Divinity College and Niswonger Professor of Evangelism and Missions at Memphis Theological Seminary. The collection includes material on Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, Baptist World Alliance, Canadian Council of Churches, Fellowship of Reconciliation, and the Scott Mission. The materials relate to human rights, the Middle East, peacemaking, and reconciliation. Size: 17 linear ft. (34 boxes) Collection #: AR 840 Biographical Sketch Professor, chaplain, editor, and advocate for Baptist peacemaking, Paul R. Dekar was born on February 8, 1944, in San Francisco, California. He holds dual citizenship with both the United States and Canada. Dekar was educated at the University of California-Berkeley (B.A. in Political Science, 1965), Colgate Rochester Divinity School (M.Div., 1971), and the University of Chicago (M.A. in History of Christianity, 1973). In 1978, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago with a focus on the History of Christianity. His thesis was “Crossing Religious Frontiers: Christianity and the Transformation of the Bulu (Cameroon) Society 1892 – 1925.” From 1976 – 1994, Dekar served as Centenary Professor of World Christianity at McMaster Divinity College. From 1995 – 2008, he served as the Niswonger Professor of Evangelism and Missions at Memphis Theological Seminary. From 1999 – 2008, he was an adjunct professor at the University of Memphis. Dekar is an ordained pastor with the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec. From 1967 – 1970, Dekar worked for the United States Department of State, with postings in Washington, D.C. and Cameroon. He then served two years as Assistant to the Chaplain at the University of Rochester. From 1973 – 1975, he was Assistant to the Editors of Church History. Before beginning at McMaster, he served two years as an instructor of religion at Central Michigan University (1975 – 1976). From 1991 – 1992, he was the acting director of the Center for Peace Studies at McMastery University. 3 Dekar has dedicated his more than 30-year career to the cause of peacemaking. Along with teaching peace studies, he has offered immersion courses in Bolivia, Cameroon, India, Trinidad, and Arctic Canada. Dekar has served on a variety of boards including Amnesty International, Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, and the Baptist World Alliance Commission on Freedom and Justice. Dekar has authored The Renewal We Seek (1982), Crossing Barriers in World Mission (1983), For the Healing of the Nations (1993), Holy Boldness: Practices of an Evangelistic Lifestyle (2004), Creating the Beloved Community: A History of the Fellowship of Reconciliation in the United States (2005), and Community of Transfiguration: Journey of a New Monastic Community (2008). He has published more than 50 papers. Dekar married Nancy Rose in 1967. They have had two sons, Nathaniel Paul ( December 27, 1971) and Matthew Paul (April 16, 1979). Scope and Content Note The Paul Dekar Collection contains 17 linear feet of material in 34 document boxes. The material spans the years 1659 to 2007 and documents the research and teaching career of Baptist peacemaker, professor, and pastor, Paul R. Dekar. The collection richly documents the social gospel and religious liberty movements in twentieth century Baptist life and includes materials on Baptist Peacemakers, Baptist World Alliance, Canadian Council of Churches, and the Fellowship of Reconciliation. The collection includes subject files on racism, human rights, peacemaking, religious liberty, and evangelism, and contains several files on the Middle East, including material on the Iraq War and nuclear weapons. Dekar’s course outlines, photographs, publications, and sermons enrich the collection. Dekar’s correspondence includes letters to Harold Ford, Jr., Bill Frist, Denton Lotz, John McCain, and Ken Sehested. Topics covered in the correspondence files include material on African Christianity, Christian history, church and culture, economic justice, evangelism, the Holy Land, Martin Luther King, myth and meaning, and immersion in Cameroon and Bolivia. Dekar compiled a significant number of biographical files (labeled “People” in the folder listing below) on Baptists involved in the social gospel and religious liberty movements. Files include materials on John Bunyan, Isabel Crawford, Joseph Martin Dawson, Harry Emerson Fosdick, Billy Graham, Helen Barrett Montgomery, Lottie Moon, Joanna P. Moore, Reinhold Niebuhr, Walter Rauschenbusch, John H. Rushbrooke, Albert Schweitzer, Francis Wayland, and Roger Williams. The collection is arranged alphabetically by folder title. Paul Dekar donated the collection to the SBHLA in 2002. Four books written and/or edited by Paul Dekar can be found in the SBHLA library. Arrangement Arranged alphabetically by folder title 4 Provenance Donated by Paul Dekar to the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives in 2002. Preferred Citation Paul R. Dekar Collection, Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee Access Restrictions None Subject Terms Dekar, Paul, 1944 – Bunyan, John, 1928 – 1688 Crawford, Isabel, 1865 – 1961 Dawson, Joseph Martin, 1879 – 1973 Fosdick, Harry Emerson, 1878 – 1969 Graham, Billy, 1918 – Montgomery, Helen Barrett, 1861 – 1934 Moon, Lottie, 1840 – 1912 Moore, Joanna P., 1832 – 1916 Niebuhr, Reinhold, 1892 – 1971 Rauschenbusch, Walter, 1861 – 1918 Rushbrooke, John H., 1870 – 1947 Schweitzer, Albert, 1875 – 1965 Wayland, Francis, 1796 – 1865 Williams, Roger, 1604(?) – 1683 King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929 – 1968 Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America Baptist World Alliance Canadian Council of Churches Fellowship of Reconciliation Baptists – Sermons Sermons, English Religion and Peace War – Religious aspects Iraq War, 2003 – Religious aspects – Christianity Jewish – Arab relations Christianity and culture – United States Nuclear warfare – Religious aspects – Christianity Race relations – Religious aspects – Christianity – History – 20th century Human rights – Religious aspects – Baptists Liberty – Religious aspects – Christianity Gun control – United States Peace – Religious aspects - Baptists 5 Related Materials Dekar, Paul. For the healing of the nations : Baptist peacemakers, 1993 Dekar, Paul. Myth : Baptists are not peacemakers, 2003 Dekar, Paul. Building a culture of peace : Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, the first seventy years, 2010 Container List Box 1 1.1 African – Americans – Resource Material, 1839 – 1992 1.2 American Baptist Fellowship – Visit to Thailand, 1999 1.3 American Baptists – Dahlberg Peace Award – Robert A. Hingson, 1977, 1969 – 1979 1.4 American Baptists – Peace Issues, 1823 – 1987 1.5 American Baptists – Related Schools 1.6 American Baptists – The Ridge Runner – Shell Ridge Community Church – Walnut Creek, California, 2003 1.7 American Red Cross – Care in Cambodia 1.8 American Red Cross – Crossections – Landmines, 1999 1.9 American Red Cross – Helping People Worldwide, 1998 1.10 American Red Cross – Landmine Forum 1.11 American Red Cross – The Promise of Humanity – Landmines, 1999 1.12 Baptist Pacifism (Articles and Notes), 1790 – 1989 1.13 Baptist Pacifist Fellowship (England), 1914 – 1944 1.14 Baptist Peace Conference (8th), 1988 1.15 Baptist Peace Conference (12th), 1992 1.16 Baptist Peace Fellowship – Membership, 1956 1.17 Baptist Peace Fellowship – Newsletter, 1985 – 1990 1.18 Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America – Conference Papers, 1987 1.19 Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America – Meeting Information, 1984 – 1996 1.20 Baptist Peace Fellowship of Ontario and Quebec, 1981 – 1992 Box 2 2.1 Baptist Peacemakers, 1838 – 1990 2.2 Baptist Peacemakers – Beginnings, 1981 – 1987 2.3 Baptist Peacemakers – Bell, Charles R., Jr., 1985 2.4 Baptist Peacemakers – Bolles, Lucius, 1979 2.5 Baptist Peacemakers – Douglas, Tommy, 1983 – 1989 2.6 Baptist Peacemakers – Liele, George, Lott Carey, and David George, 1791 – 1980 2.7 Baptist Peacemakers – Poteat, Edwin McNeill, Jr., 1979 2.8 Baptist Peacemakers – Resource Material, 1906 – 1991 2.9 Baptist Peacemakers – Slaves and Slavery, 1807 – 1989 2.10 Baptist Peacemakers – Thurman, Howard 2.11 Baptist Peacemakers – Taylor, Joseph Judson, 1920 – 1985 2.12 Baptist Peacemakers – Ward, William, 1991 2.13 Baptist Peacemakers – Women, 1891 – 1990 6 2.14 Baptist Pen Pals for Peace, 1989 2.15 Baptist World Alliance – 17th Congress – Bookmark, 1995 2.16 Baptist World Alliance, 1991 – 1995 2.17 Baptist World Alliance – 2001 General Council Meeting, 2001 Box 3 3.1 Baptist World Alliance – Agenda for Freedom and Justice Committee Meetings 3.2 Baptist World Alliance – Atlanta Declaration, 1999 3.3 Baptist World Alliance – Baptist World Aid – Bookmark 3.4 Baptist World Alliance – Baptist – Mennonite Theological Conversations, 1989 – 1992 3.5 Baptist World Alliance – Baptists Against Racism, 1993 3.6 Baptist World Alliance – BWA News, 2001 3.7 Baptist World Alliance – Campaign Against Religions in Bulgaria, 1993 3.8 Baptist World Alliance – Fundraising 3.9 Baptist World Alliance – Human Rights Commission, 1990 – 1995 3.10 Baptist World Alliance – Human Rights Commission, 1994 3.11 Baptist World Alliance – Human Rights Commission, 1999 3.12 Baptist