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The Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library
John L. Brasher Papers, Box 67. Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library. Duke University.

Religion - U.S. and Great Britain

The Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collection Library’s holdings of religious materials are quite diverse, representing many traditions and genres. The most extensive distinctive feature is material in American and British Methodism, with particular depth in Wesleyana. Also includes strong manuscript and printed holdings of English and American Anglican/Episcopal materials, collections relating to Baptist and African-American churches, and Judaica. There are also significant holdings in English, Anglo-American, and German hymnody and significant and representative Biblical editions from all periods and in many languages, as well as smaller holdings of liturgical and devotional medieval and Renaissance manuscripts.

Representative Collections

Collection Guides / Finding Aids

There is a special subject pathfinder on Religious Materials in the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library. In addition, all of the materials within this subject area can be found by conducting author, title, or subject searches in the Duke Library online catalog, especially in the Advanced searching area by limiting location to “Special Collections” or through searching the Special Collections Library’s database of encoded finding aids.

Collection Policies

English and American Methodist materials, including papers of Methodist leaders and theologians, especially those centrally involved in contemporary controversies, and rare and unique Wesleyana. Printed materials relating to other existing areas of strength are acquired widely but more selectively. The Bingham Center also collects on religion and gender, especially documentation of controversies involving feminist and other women’s issues in American churches. The Franklin Collection is also collecting missionary materials in cooperation with the Divinity Library

Contact Information

For general information about finding materials in the library's collections and how you can use them, requesting permission to reproduce, or other information as well as reference questions about the holdings in this area:

E-mail: special-collections@duke.edu
Phone: (919) 660-5822
FAX: (919) 660-5934

If you are getting in touch via e-mail, please be sure to include your return e-mail address in the body of the message, since it sometimes gets stripped from the header in transit. Also, if you expect a response, make sure to include a phone or fax number or postal address where we can reach you, since sometimes it is difficult or impossible to respond via e-mail. Thank you!