Inventory to the John Albert Broadus Papers MSS
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Inventory to the John Albert Broadus Papers MSS. 922.6173 .B78c Prepared by: David Hoard, Archives Assistant, and Jason Fowler, Archives and Special Collections Librarian April 2005 (rev. May 2005) Archives and Special Collections James P. Boyce Centennial Library The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 2825 Lexington Road Louisville, Kentucky 40280 502-897-4573 [email protected] I. Biographical Sketch John Albert Broadus was born in Culpeper County, Virginia on January 24, 1827 to Major Edmund and Nancy (Simms) Broadus. He was the youngest of four children. He received much of his early education at home from his parents and tutors, including his uncle, Albert G. Simms. Broadus' intellectual acumen was evident in an example from his early life. One day he returned home from Mr. Simms' school along with his belongings. His father feared that something had gone wrong and asked for an explanation. Broadus informed his father that Mr. Simms had no further use for him. Unable to get any more information from the young man, Edmund Broadus visited Mr. Simms to inquire what may have happened. Mr. Simms, while laughing, told him, "John had learned all that he could teach him." At the age of sixteen Broadus surrendered his life to Christ during a revival meeting at Mount Poney Baptist Church. While Broadus was under conviction, a friend quoted John 6:37, "all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out," and repeated the phrase, "in no wise cast out," several times. With this word, God moved in Broadus' heart to bring him to Christ and from this point forward, he began to grow in the Christian faith. From 1844 to 1846, Broadus continued his education by teaching in a small school and engaging in disciplined independent study, which included the study of Greek. In 1846, upon entering the University of Virginia, Broadus considered becoming a preacher but opted instead for the study of medicine. In August of that year, before he entered his University studies, his vocational plans completely changed. At an associational meeting, God called Broadus to be a minister through the preaching of S. M. Poindexter. Convicted by God's Spirit and word, Broadus sought out his pastor and told him, "I must try to be a preacher." In the fall of 1846, he entered the University of Virginia as he had planned, and he eventually earned the M.A. degree in 1850. The following year he taught in a private school in Fluvanna County, Virginia, preached in several small churches, and diligently studied church history, theology, and the Bible. Two very important events occurred during this year as well. The first was his ordination on August 12, 1850. The second, on November 13, 1850 was his marriage to Maria Harrison, the daughter of Gessner Harrison, professor of ancient languages at the University of Virginia. In 1851 Broadus accepted the post as tutor in Latin and Greek at the University of Virginia as well as the pastorate position at Charlottesville Baptist Church. However, after one year he resigned his position at the University in order to give full devotion to his pastorate. He did this with the exception of two years when he was given a leave of absence to serve as chaplain at the University of Virginia. In 1858 he was asked to become a member of the faculty of the new Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. At first he declined the offer because of his love of preaching and pastoral work. However, after months of struggle over the decision, he agreed to become a member of the first faculty when the seminary opened in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1859. He served for the next thirty-six years as professor of New Testament Interpretation and Homiletics. In 1861 the Civil War caused the Seminary to close its doors. During this time Broadus preached in small churches and spent some time as chaplain in Lee's army in northern Virginia. Although the Seminary reopened fully in 1865, it was a difficult time for the fledgling institution as it struggled for its existence. It remained open largely because of the efforts of Broadus and James Petigru Boyce. During one faculty discussion over the direction of the seminary, Broadus revealed his passion and commitment to the institution by urging, "Suppose we quietly agree that the Seminary may die, but we'll die first." Throughout the course of his teaching career, Broadus excelled as a writer, publishing numerous pamphlets, tracks, and articles on a variety of subjects. He also produced a number of books in the fields of homiletics and New Testament. In 1870 he published On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, a classic in the field of homiletics. He also wrote Lectures on the History of Preaching (1876), Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (1886), Sermons and Addresses (1886), Jesus of Nazareth (1890), Memoir of James Petigru Boyce (1893), and Harmony of the Gospels (1893). Broadus' national recognition as a pastor and teacher also garnered for him numerous offers for many influential pastorates and professorships. In 1889, he gave the Lyman Beecher Lectures on Preaching at Yale University, and was, at the time, the only Southern Baptist to ever be accorded this honor. After the death of his colleague James Petigru Boyce in 1888, Broadus became the President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. During his presidential tenure, he established a periodical at the seminary entitled, The Seminary Magazine. Broadus served as president of the institution until his death on March 16, 1895. He was buried in Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. Broadus dedicated his life to teaching Southern Baptist ministers, how to have a passion for biblical, doctrinal, and vibrant preaching in order to bring glory to the name of Christ. II. Scope and Content Note The John Albert Broadus Papers comprises 21.5 linear feet and totals 26,423 items. It consists mainly of chronologically arranged file folders of correspondence that Broadus received between the years 1844-1895, various manuscript notebooks, and a number of sermon manuscripts. The collection documents Broadus' career as a pastor, chaplain, writer, professor and seminary president. It will be most useful to researchers studying the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; the Southern Baptist Convention; nineteenth century southern religion; southern life before, during, and after the Civil War, New Testament, and homiletics. Correspondents of note include Andrew Broaddus, Edward Bright, W. T. Brantly, James P. Boyce, C.C. Bitting, T. P. Bell, W. C. Bayless, Henry W. Battle, George A. Anderson, C. C. Brown, Joseph Emerson Brown, Rufus Burleson, J. L. Burrows, B. H. Carroll, James M. Carroll, W. Owen Carver, Chambliss, J.A. Christian, John T. Clopton, Samuel C. Colgate, Samuel Cutting, Robert Lewis Dabney, Edward C. Dargan, A. C. Dixon, George B. Eager, T. T. Eaton, J. M. Frost, J. C. Furman, J. B. Gambrell, C. S. Gardner, J. R. Graves, William R. Harper, J. C. Hiden, Alvah Hovey, J. B. Jeter, Carter Helm Jones, J. William Jones, William Warren Landrum, William C. Lindsay, D. G. Lyon, Basil Manly Jr., E. Y. Mullins, Albert H. Newman, G. W. Norton, J. M. Pendleton, A. M. Poindexter, John N. Prestridge, George W. Riggan, B. F. Riley, John D. Rockefeller, John R. Sampey, Philip Schaff, John Stout, Augustus H. Strong, James B. Taylor, William D. Thomas, Crawford H. Toy, H. Allan Tupper Jr., Benjamin B. Warfield, William H. Whitsitt, and William Williams. Little information remains regarding the original order of the collection. The order of the collection shows some evidence of having been disturbed by A. T. Robertson, Broadus' son in law, while he was writing his biography of Broadus. For example, a number of physical copies of letters from the Broadus Papers that were used in the biography are pinned to the original manuscript of the biography in the Robertson Papers. It appears that the seminary received the Broadus Papers from his the Robertson family. From 2000 until 2005, the archives re-housed, re- foldered, and created an item-calendar of the Broadus Papers. III. Select Published Works Broadus, John Albert. Advantages of the Study of the Bible by Books: With Illustrations. Louisville: Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1881. _______. The Apostle Paul as a Preacher: A Sermon Preached at the University of Virginia, May 31, 1857. Richmond: C.H. Wynne, 1857. _______. A Catechism of Bible Teaching. Nashville: Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1892. _______. Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1886. _______. The Duty of Baptist to Teach Their Distinctive Views. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1881. _______. Essay on the Best Mode of Preparing and Delivering Sermons. Religious Herald, December 14, 1854. _______. Sermons and Addresses. Baltimore: H. M. Wharton, 1886. _______. A Harmony of the Gospels in the Revised Version: With Some New Features. 4th ed. New York: A.C. Armstrong, 1894. _______. Immersion Essential to Christian Baptism. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1892. _______. Jesus of Nazareth: I. His Personal Character. II. His Ethical Teachings. III. His Supernatural Works. New York: A.C. Armstrong, 1890. _______. Lectures on the History of Preaching. New York: A.C. Armstrong, 1891. _______. Memoir of James Petigru Boyce, D.D., L.L.D., Late President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY. Nashville, Tennessee: Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1927. _______. Syllabus as to Hymnology. Louisville, KY: Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1892. _______. A Treatise on the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons. Philadelphia: Smith, English, 1870. Stanfield, Vernon Latrelle, ed. Favorite Sermons of John A.