Overview
Papers of Unitarian minister David B. Parke, including sermons, correpspondence, worship materials, records related to churches served, and biographical information. The papers span 1945-2005.
Dates
- Creation: 1945-2005.
- Creation: 1957
- Creation: 1976
- Creation: 1946-1980
- Creation: 1947-1979
- Creation: 1946-1983
- Creation: 1944-1950
- Creation: 1955-1960
- Creation: 1959-1965
- Creation: 1964-1971
- Creation: 1972-1974
- Creation: 1973-1980
- Creation: 1971-1981
- Creation: 1960-1980
- Creation: 1948-1983
- Creation: 1946-2003
Access
There are no restrictions on access to this collection.
Extent
35 boxesThis collection is divided into 15 series: Series I consists of biographical information, such as correspondence, resumes, and journals. Series II is sermons, 1946-2003, arranged chronologically. Series III contains worship materials, such as orders of service and hymns. Series IV is comprised of books, essays, papers, and poetry, arranged chronologically. Series V contains material relating to American Unitarian Youth, such as newsclippings and correspondence. Series VI consists of papers relating to the Unitarian Church of Peterborough, New Hampshire, such as reports and correspondence. Series VII is St. Lawrence Theological School material, such as correspondence and papers. Series VIII contains papers relating to the Unitarian Church of Germantown, Pennsylvania, including reports and correspondence. Series IX consists of material relating to the Unitarian Universalist Church, Reading, Massachusetts, such as correspondence. Series X is comprised of material relating to the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Cape Cod, Brewster, Massachusetts, such as reports, correspondence, and internship evaluations. Series XI consists of Kairos, an independent quarterly of liberal religion. Series XII is subject files, arranged alphabetically by subject. Series XIII is political and social concerns, also arranged alphabetically by subject. Series XIV contains special correspondence, arranged alphabetically by correspondent. Finally, series XV is general correspondence, arranged chronologically.
Note: The contents of boxes 32-35 are listed after box 20.
Biographical / Historical
David Boynton Parke (1928-) was born in Buffalo, New York. He received an AB from Antioch College in 1952, a BD from Meadville Seminary in 1955, and a PhD from Boston University in 1965. Ordained a Unitarian minister in 1956, he served congregations in Peterborough, New Hampshire (1955-1960); Germantown, Pennsylvania (1964-1971); and Reading (1972-1974) and Brewster, Massachusetts (1973-1980). Parke was a professor at the Theological School of St. Lawrence University; the founder and first president of Monadnock Community College in New Hampshire in 1958; the founder and editor of Kairos, an independent quarterly of liberal religion from 1975 to 1983; and the general editor/editor-in-chief of Unitarian Universalist World. He is the author of The Epic of Unitarianism: Original Writings From the History of Liberal Religion (1957) and co-author, along with Max Kapp, of 120 Years: An Account of the Theological School of St. Lawrence University, 1856-1976 (1976).
Arrangement
Organized into the following series:
- Series I. Biographical information
- Series II. Sermons, 1946-1980
- Series III. Worship materials, 1947-1979
- Series IV. Books, essays, papers, and poetry, 1946-1983
- Series V. American Unitarian Youth, 1944-1950
- Series VI. Unitarian Church of Peterborough, New Hampshire, 1955-1960
- Series VII. St. Lawrence Theological School, 1959-1965
- Series VIII. The Unitarian Church of Germantown, Pennsylvania, 1964-1971
- Series IX. The Unitarian Universalist Church, Reading, Massachusetts, 1972-1974
- Series X. First Unitarian Universalist Society of Cape Cod, Brewster, Massachusetts, 1973-1980
- Series XI. Kairos, 1971-1981
- Series XII. Subject files
- Series XIII. Political and social concerns, 1960-1980
- Series XIV. Special correspondence
- Series XV. General correspondence, 1948-1983
Acquisition Information
Gift of David B. Parke, 1986 and 2004.
- Title
- Parke, David B. Papers, 1945-2005: A Finding Aid.
- Author
- Andover-Harvard Theological Library
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- div00543
Repository Details
Part of the Harvard Divinity School Library, Harvard University Repository
Special Collections at Harvard Divinity School Library preserves and makes accessible primary source materials documenting the history of religion and theology, with particular historical emphasis on American liberal religious traditions. Though the historical strengths of the collections have been in the field of Christianity, other religious traditions are increasingly reflected, in step with Harvard Divinity School's evolving focus on global religious studies. Known as Andover-Harvard Theological Library since 1911, it was renamed the Harvard Divinity School Library in 2021.
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