Remembering Theological Education at the Graduate Theological Union in the 1960s Oral History, 1993-1995

Summary

Creators:

Kibler III, Ray F.

Abstract:

This extensive oral history includes interviews from 79 scholars who discuss the founding of the Graduate Theological Union and issues in theological education before, after and during the 1960s. The interviews were conducted in 1993-94 by Ray F. Kibler III, a Lutheran minister and archivist, who obtained funding from the Lilly Endowment to conduct the project.

Extent:

2 linear feet (4 boxes) 84 transcripts, 84 sets of casettes and some images

Language:

Languages represented in the collection: English

Preferred citation:

[Transcript], Remembering Theological Education at the Graduate Theological Union in the 1960s Oral History , GTU 98-5-01. Graduate Theological Union Archives, Berkeley, CA.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains the audio recording of the interviews on cassette tapes, an unedited and edited transcript of each interview, some supporting documents on or from some of the interviewees, and the oral history release forms. Eighty-four professors, trustees and staff were interviewed.

Biographical / historical:

Ray F. Kibler III conducted a series of interviews in 1993 and 1994 to examine theological education, primarily at the Graduate Theological Union, in the 1960s. The project was sponsored by Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS), for the GTU, and funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc.

The Graduate Theological Union (GTU) began in Berkeley as a partnership of four schools in 1962 and evolved into a consortium of six Protestant and three Roman Catholic schools, along with Orthodox, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist and other centers of learning. The core schools included American Baptist Seminary of the West (ABSW), Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP, Episcopal), Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (DSPT), Franciscan School of Theology (FST), Jesuit School of Theology of Berkeley (JSTB, now Santa Clara University), Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS), Pacific School of Religion (PSR, non-denominational), San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS, Presbyterian) and Starr King School for the Ministry (SKSM, Unitarian Universalist).

In his proposal Kibler wrote: "Why record their testimonies now? Two dozen years have passed since 1968. Some older faculty are still living in retirement, a few on their deathbeds. But when they die, their testimonies will die with them. A couple have said to me that, years later, they now are ready to tell their stories. My experience indeed in conducting oral interviews has been that thoughtful older persons are both pleased and honored to give away what they know in the hope of being a help to others who want to listen to them. Some other faculty, young teachers 24 years ago, have experienced the space of sufficient time since to interpret now what went on and what they thought and did then. They too are ready to talk." (see full proposal at http://cdm15837.contentdm.oclc.org/)

Kibler earned the following degrees: BMus, California State University-Long Beach; MDiv, Luther Theological Seminary; MTh, Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary; DMin, School of Theology at Claremont; PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary. He volunteered as director of the Region 2 Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America at Pacific Lutheran Theological School, 1988-93. He has taught at Lutheran Bible Institute at Irvine. He served several congregations in Southern California and as a member of the Southern California Ecumenical Council.

Acquisition information:

Ray F. Kibler III provided the following: 1998-99, release forms, hard copies of transcripts and cassettes; 2012, Word file.

Arrangement:

The materials are separated by type: transcripts in alphabetical order by last name in three boxes and audio cassettes in one box.

Physical location:

1/A/1

Rules or conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Related resources

Additional collection guides:

GTU 90-5-03, Graduate Theological Union Oral History, from a class on oral history conducted at the Pacific School of Religion by Barbara Brown Zikmund and Charles McCoy in the Spring 1988; GTU 97-12-02, Harland E. Hogue oral history collection.

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Theological seminaries--California--Berkeley.
Theology--History--20th century.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research. Some restrictions are in place. In nearly all cases, the edited transcript can be accessed. In roughly half the interviews, the unedited audio is also available. Five of the 84 interviews are currently unavailable due to restrictions: Keith R. Bridston, Victor R. Gold, Edward C. Hobbs, William E. Lesher and Herman C. Waetjen.

Terms of access:

Copyright 2012 by Graduate Theological Union. These transcripts are provided for individual Research Purposes Only. For all other uses, including publication, reproduction and quotation beyond fair use, permission must be obtained in writing from: Graduate Theological Union Archives, 2400 Ridge Road, Berkeley, CA 94709 (archives@gtu.edu).

Preferred citation:

[Transcript], Remembering Theological Education at the Graduate Theological Union in the 1960s Oral History , GTU 98-5-01. Graduate Theological Union Archives, Berkeley, CA.

Location of this collection:

Graduate Theological Union

2400 Ridge Road

Berkeley, CA 94709, US

Contact:

(510) 649-2523/2501

archives@gtu.edu

Website