Collections
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Periodicals
- Exhibits Online
- Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection
- English Religious History Collections
- English and American Hymnody and Psalmody Collection
- Wesleyana Collection
- Reverend Gordon Taylor Collection of Church Histories
- North European Theological Dissertations
- Thomas Merton Collection
- Sub-Saharan African Collections
- Digital Image Archive
- Sermon Collections
- Digital Collections
- The Alonzo L. McDonald Lecture Materials
- Suggest a Purchase
Online Exhibits
“Living Hope”: The Testimony of African American Spirituals and Hymns (2000)
This exhibit features items from the library's Hymnody Collections that explore African American religious traditions. Items include pamphlet-style spirituals, hymnals of African American denominations including the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the National Baptist Convention, and African American hymnals created during the last 25 years of the 20th century by The United Methodist Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Episcopal Church.
"Through the Front Doors: Methodist Women's Journey Toward Ordination"
Pitts Theology Library's exhibit, "Through the Front Doors: Methodist Women's Journey Toward Ordination" commemorates the 50th anniversary of women's full ordination in the United Methodist Church by featuring items in the library collection that help tell their stories.
Sacred Harp (2006)
This exhibit features items from the library's Hymnody Collections that focus on the a capella singing style commonly called "Sacred Harp", as well as materials from the Raymond Hamrick archival collection. Materials include hymnals, letters, and photographs.
Singing Faith: A Tercentenary Celebration of Charles Wesley (2007)
In celebration of the 300th anniversary of Charles Wesley's birth, this exhibit displays writings of father Samuel, Sr., mother Susanna, and older brother Samuel, Jr., as well as featuring writing and conference minutes in which Charles collaborated with his brother John. Other featured materials include Charles's sermons, poems, and hymns. The final sections of the exhibit display contemporary hymnals of many denominations which have included Charles Wesley's singing theology into their corporate song, as well as research publications that attest to Charles's lasting influence. Items featured include those from the library's Wesleyana Collection as well as its Hymnody Collection.
The African Orthodox Church (January 2009)
This exhibit features materials from the records of the African Orthodox Church that are housed at the library. It discusses the churches that developed independently in the United States and South Africa, as well as the eventual uniting of these churches. The exhibit discusses in some detail the roles of Daniel William Alexander, the first Bishop of the denomination in South Africa, and George Alexander McGuire, who became the first Primate of the African Orthodox Church. Photographs, letters, and church documents are included.
Haggadah: Why is this night different from all other nights? (April 2009)
Materials for this exhibit are featured in the library's Richard K. Goldstein and the Rabbi David Geffen Collections of Haggadoth. Most of the materials were published in the United States or Israel, but Portuguese, German, Romanian, Russian, and Spanish Haggadoth are also included. The exhibit also includes well-known Haggadoth such as a reproduction of the fourteenth-century Sarajevo Haggadah and the twentieth century San Diego Women's Haggadah, along with a selection of materials for children.
Sacred Harp (January 2010)
This exhibit features items from the Hymnody Collections that focus on Sacred Harp singing. It duplicates some material from the 2006 exhibit above, but also includes additional hymnals and archival materials not featured in the earlier exhibit.
Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke: The First Methodist Bishops
This exhibit features items from the lives of Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke. Some features include the will of Francis Asbury and documents from the General Conference of 1784.