BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Congregational Library & Archives - ECPv6.17.5//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Congregational Library & Archives
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://congregationallibrary.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Congregational Library & Archives
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20240310T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20241103T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20250309T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20251102T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250718T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250718T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T123330Z
CREATED:20260209T140054Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T123330Z
UID:9142-1752831000-1752847200@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:The Archives Edit: A Workshop in Arranging Your Church’s Archive
DESCRIPTION:One of the core principles of archival theory is arrangement\, the process by which archivists create physical and intellectual order out of a collection. Led by the CLA’s archivists\, Zachary Bodnar and Billy McCarthy\, this workshop introduced participants to the concepts of physically and intellectually arranging a church’s archive through a combination of instruction\, demonstration\, and hands-on activities. \nWhile intellectual and physical arrangement are separate tasks with different outcomes\, they are inextricably linked together and form the backbone of archival processing and accessibility. Physical arrangement is the process of safely housing\, labeling\, and ordering physical materials\, while intellectual arrangement is the process of creating an inventory that maintains connections among objects and logically orders them into a hierarchical list. \nThe workshop was designed for those tasked with keeping\, preserving\, and making accessible a church’s valuable records. Zachary and Billy discussed core archival principles in detail and give examples of how those concepts may be applied to church records collections of all shapes and sizes. Topics covered included how to arrange a collection of seemingly disparate materials into useful broad categories\, how to identify relationships among various items in your collection\, and how to identify or recreate a collection’s original order. \nParticipants left the workshop with an understanding of the principles of arrangement and concrete next steps for how they may apply those principles to their own collections. \nThis program was part of our Church Stewardship Initiative (CSI). Find the videos of past virtual workshops and free resources on our CSI webpage. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nZachary Bodnar graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science from Simmons University\, with a concentration in archives management\, in 2018. Prior to his work at the CLA\, Zachary worked at the Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden archive\, the Vassar College Special Collections\, the Harvard Law School Library\, and the Harvard Botany Libraries. Zachary joined the CLA as an Archives Assistant in 2017\, helping to prepare materials for digitization through the New England’s Hidden Histories program. In 2018\, he took on the title of Archivist. His professional interests include metadata collection and management\, digital archiving\, audio/visual preservation\, and archives management. \nBilly McCarthy graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) at Simmons University with a concentration in Archival Management. He started working at the CLA through a graduate internship and was hired full-time as an Archivist in 2018. Billy is the Head of Reader Services\, helping the CLA’s visitors with reference requests and facilitating in-person research. Billy also serves as the collection manager for the archives\, working with CLA’s offsite vendor to protect and maintain the organization’s archival records. Some of his professional interests include increasing access\, collection management\, processing of complex materials\, and facilitating research.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/archives-edit-25
LOCATION:Congregational Library & Archives\, 14 Beacon Street\, Boston\, MA\, 02108\, United States
CATEGORIES:Archives,CSI
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ArchivesEdit25Carousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250715T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250715T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T125622Z
CREATED:20260228T124749Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T125622Z
UID:13266-1752584400-1752588000@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Researching the Revolution Using New England’s Hidden Histories
DESCRIPTION:This was the third of five class sessions. \nIn summer 2025\, the CLA presented a new way to explore the American Revolution at its 250th anniversary. In a five-week online class hosted on Zoom\, participants learned about the history of Congregationalists in the American Revolution and conduct research into a related project of their choosing with expert guidance from the instructors. The class used the CLA’s two new exhibitions\, Religion of Revolution and Sacred Rebellion\, along with the New England’s Hidden Histories digital archive to examine the relationship between Congregationalism and the creation of the United States. \nThe class was led by Dr. Kyle Roberts (CLA Executive Director) and Dr. Tricia Peone (NEHH Project Director). Course topics included an introduction to researching with church records on a digital platform\, overviews of the American Revolution and Congregational history\, uncovering the histories of marginalized New Englanders\, and information about how to craft a research project. \nEach week participants discussed and interpret primary source documents and learn about religious life during the Revolutionary era. The course concluded with participants sharing a small research project of their own design. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nDr. Kyle Roberts was appointed the Executive Director of the Congregational Library & Archives in 2022. He received his BA in American Studies from Williams College and his PhD in History from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to coming to the CLA\, he was Associate Director of Library & Museum Programming at the American Philosophical Society and Associate Professor of Public History and New Media and Director of the Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities at Loyola University Chicago. \nA scholar of Atlantic World religion\, print\, and library history\, he is the author of Evangelical Gotham: Religion and the Making of New York City\, 1783-1860 (Chicago\, 2016)\, the co-editor\, with Stephen Schloesser\, of Crossings and Dwellings: Restored Jesuits\, Women Religious\, American Experience 1814-2014 (Brill\, 2017) and\, with Mark Towsey\, of Before the Public Library: Reading\, Community\, and Identity in the Atlantic World\, 1650-1850 (Brill\, 2017). \nKyle is an accomplished public historian and digital humanist whose collaborative projects include the Jesuit Libraries Provenance Project\, the Maryland Loyalism Project\, and Dissenting Academies Online: Virtual Library System. In addition to being the consultant for numerous digital and public history projects\, he sits on the executive committees of the American Catholic Historical Association\, the New England Historical Association\, the Urban History Association He is on the editorial and advisory boards for American Catholic Studies\, Early American Studies\, and portal. \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/researching-revolution-3
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Class,NEHH,Revolutionary Stories
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ResearchingRevolutionCarousel400_1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250711T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250711T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T123545Z
CREATED:20260209T135658Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T123545Z
UID:9140-1752228000-1752242400@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Voices from the Past: Working with Records from the New England’s Hidden Histories Project
DESCRIPTION:A small group of church historians\, family history researchers\, and individuals interested in early New England Congregational history (1620-1820) and what it can reveal about the past came together for this in-person workshop on finding and interpreting church records at the Congregational Library & Archives. \nParticipants learned how to use the New England’s Hidden Histories digital archive and other resources at the CLA; what different types of records are created by churches; how to use church records to research family history; how to find marginalized voices in church records; and how to connect information from church records to other historical resources. \nThe workshop was led by Dr. Tricia Peone\, New England’s Hidden Histories Project Director. New England’s Hidden Histories is a digital project of the Congregational Library & Archives that digitizes\, transcribes\, and provides access to early New England Congregational church records. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/voices-past-25
LOCATION:Congregational Library & Archives\, 14 Beacon Street\, Boston\, MA\, 02108\, United States
CATEGORIES:NEHH
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/VoicesPastCarousel25-400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250710T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250710T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T130803Z
CREATED:20260228T130719Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T130803Z
UID:13303-1752152400-1752156000@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Church Stewardship Initiative Summer Camp
DESCRIPTION:This was the third of five class sessions. \nThe Congregational Library & Archives was excited to host our first annual CSI Summer Camp in 2025. \nArchivists Zachary Bodnar and Billy McCarthy led attendees through the steps needed to successfully begin archiving their church’s important records and valuable memories. This multi-session online program\, hosted on Zoom\, provided guidance and instruction on the archival process\, keeping in mind attendees’ specific collections and locations. \nOver the course of five sessions\, Zachary and Billy provided hands-on and in-depth instruction about how to begin tackling the seemingly mountainous task of properly archiving a church’s collection. Between sessions\, there were exercises to complete at attendees’ own pace that reinforced lessons and set them up for the next session. Sessions included time for instructions\, group discussions\, and Q&A. Sessions were focused on the following four topics: gathering your collection\, identifying materials\, organizing records\, and crafting finding aids. \nThis program was part of our Church Stewardship Initiative (CSI). Find the videos of past workshops and free resources on our CSI webpage. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nZachary Bodnar graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science from Simmons University\, with a concentration in archives management\, in 2018. Prior to his work at the CLA\, Zachary worked at the Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden archive\, the Vassar College Special Collections\, the Harvard Law School Library\, and the Harvard Botany Libraries. Zachary joined the CLA as an Archives Assistant in 2017\, helping to prepare materials for digitization through the New England’s Hidden Histories program. In 2018\, he took on the title of Archivist. His professional interests include metadata collection and management\, digital archiving\, audio/visual preservation\, and archives management. \nBilly McCarthy graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) at Simmons University with a concentration in Archival Management. He started working at the CLA through a graduate internship and was hired full-time as an Archivist in 2018. Billy is the Head of Reader Services\, helping the CLA’s visitors with reference requests and facilitating in-person research. Billy also serves as the collection manager for the archives\, working with CLA’s offsite vendor to protect and maintain the organization’s archival records. Some of his professional interests include increasing access\, collection management\, processing of complex materials\, and facilitating research.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/csi-summer-camp-3
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Archives,Class,CSI
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CSISummerCampCarousel400_0.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250708T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250708T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T125721Z
CREATED:20260228T124554Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T125721Z
UID:13257-1751979600-1751983200@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Researching the Revolution Using New England’s Hidden Histories
DESCRIPTION:This was the second of five class sessions. \nIn summer 2025\, the CLA presented a new way to explore the American Revolution at its 250th anniversary. In a five-week online class hosted on Zoom\, participants learned about the history of Congregationalists in the American Revolution and conduct research into a related project of their choosing with expert guidance from the instructors. The class used the CLA’s two new exhibitions\, Religion of Revolution and Sacred Rebellion\, along with the New England’s Hidden Histories digital archive to examine the relationship between Congregationalism and the creation of the United States. \nThe class was led by Dr. Kyle Roberts (CLA Executive Director) and Dr. Tricia Peone (NEHH Project Director). Course topics included an introduction to researching with church records on a digital platform\, overviews of the American Revolution and Congregational history\, uncovering the histories of marginalized New Englanders\, and information about how to craft a research project. \nEach week participants discussed and interpret primary source documents and learn about religious life during the Revolutionary era. The course concluded with participants sharing a small research project of their own design. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nDr. Kyle Roberts was appointed the Executive Director of the Congregational Library & Archives in 2022. He received his BA in American Studies from Williams College and his PhD in History from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to coming to the CLA\, he was Associate Director of Library & Museum Programming at the American Philosophical Society and Associate Professor of Public History and New Media and Director of the Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities at Loyola University Chicago. \nA scholar of Atlantic World religion\, print\, and library history\, he is the author of Evangelical Gotham: Religion and the Making of New York City\, 1783-1860 (Chicago\, 2016)\, the co-editor\, with Stephen Schloesser\, of Crossings and Dwellings: Restored Jesuits\, Women Religious\, American Experience 1814-2014 (Brill\, 2017) and\, with Mark Towsey\, of Before the Public Library: Reading\, Community\, and Identity in the Atlantic World\, 1650-1850 (Brill\, 2017). \nKyle is an accomplished public historian and digital humanist whose collaborative projects include the Jesuit Libraries Provenance Project\, the Maryland Loyalism Project\, and Dissenting Academies Online: Virtual Library System. In addition to being the consultant for numerous digital and public history projects\, he sits on the executive committees of the American Catholic Historical Association\, the New England Historical Association\, the Urban History Association He is on the editorial and advisory boards for American Catholic Studies\, Early American Studies\, and portal. \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/researching-revolution-2
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Class,NEHH,Revolutionary Stories
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ResearchingRevolutionCarousel400_1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250701T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250701T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T125658Z
CREATED:20260209T135515Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T125658Z
UID:9129-1751374800-1751378400@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Researching the Revolution Using New England’s Hidden Histories
DESCRIPTION:This was the first of five class sessions. \nIn summer 2025\, the CLA presented a new way to explore the American Revolution at its 250th anniversary. In a five-week online class hosted on Zoom\, participants learned about the history of Congregationalists in the American Revolution and conduct research into a related project of their choosing with expert guidance from the instructors. The class used the CLA’s two new exhibitions\, Religion of Revolution and Sacred Rebellion\, along with the New England’s Hidden Histories digital archive to examine the relationship between Congregationalism and the creation of the United States. \nThe class was led by Dr. Kyle Roberts (CLA Executive Director) and Dr. Tricia Peone (NEHH Project Director). Course topics included an introduction to researching with church records on a digital platform\, overviews of the American Revolution and Congregational history\, uncovering the histories of marginalized New Englanders\, and information about how to craft a research project. \nEach week participants discussed and interpret primary source documents and learn about religious life during the Revolutionary era. The course concluded with participants sharing a small research project of their own design. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nDr. Kyle Roberts was appointed the Executive Director of the Congregational Library & Archives in 2022. He received his BA in American Studies from Williams College and his PhD in History from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to coming to the CLA\, he was Associate Director of Library & Museum Programming at the American Philosophical Society and Associate Professor of Public History and New Media and Director of the Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities at Loyola University Chicago. \nA scholar of Atlantic World religion\, print\, and library history\, he is the author of Evangelical Gotham: Religion and the Making of New York City\, 1783-1860 (Chicago\, 2016)\, the co-editor\, with Stephen Schloesser\, of Crossings and Dwellings: Restored Jesuits\, Women Religious\, American Experience 1814-2014 (Brill\, 2017) and\, with Mark Towsey\, of Before the Public Library: Reading\, Community\, and Identity in the Atlantic World\, 1650-1850 (Brill\, 2017). \nKyle is an accomplished public historian and digital humanist whose collaborative projects include the Jesuit Libraries Provenance Project\, the Maryland Loyalism Project\, and Dissenting Academies Online: Virtual Library System. In addition to being the consultant for numerous digital and public history projects\, he sits on the executive committees of the American Catholic Historical Association\, the New England Historical Association\, the Urban History Association He is on the editorial and advisory boards for American Catholic Studies\, Early American Studies\, and portal. \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/researching-revolution
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Class,NEHH,Revolutionary Stories
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ResearchingRevolutionCarousel400_0.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250626T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250626T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T130853Z
CREATED:20260228T130529Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T130853Z
UID:13297-1750942800-1750946400@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Church Stewardship Initiative Summer Camp
DESCRIPTION:This was the second of five class sessions. \nThe Congregational Library & Archives was excited to host our first annual CSI Summer Camp in 2025. \nArchivists Zachary Bodnar and Billy McCarthy led attendees through the steps needed to successfully begin archiving their church’s important records and valuable memories. This multi-session online program\, hosted on Zoom\, provided guidance and instruction on the archival process\, keeping in mind attendees’ specific collections and locations. \nOver the course of five sessions\, Zachary and Billy provided hands-on and in-depth instruction about how to begin tackling the seemingly mountainous task of properly archiving a church’s collection. Between sessions\, there were exercises to complete at attendees’ own pace that reinforced lessons and set them up for the next session. Sessions included time for instructions\, group discussions\, and Q&A. Sessions were focused on the following four topics: gathering your collection\, identifying materials\, organizing records\, and crafting finding aids. \nThis program was part of our Church Stewardship Initiative (CSI). Find the videos of past workshops and free resources on our CSI webpage. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nZachary Bodnar graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science from Simmons University\, with a concentration in archives management\, in 2018. Prior to his work at the CLA\, Zachary worked at the Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden archive\, the Vassar College Special Collections\, the Harvard Law School Library\, and the Harvard Botany Libraries. Zachary joined the CLA as an Archives Assistant in 2017\, helping to prepare materials for digitization through the New England’s Hidden Histories program. In 2018\, he took on the title of Archivist. His professional interests include metadata collection and management\, digital archiving\, audio/visual preservation\, and archives management. \nBilly McCarthy graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) at Simmons University with a concentration in Archival Management. He started working at the CLA through a graduate internship and was hired full-time as an Archivist in 2018. Billy is the Head of Reader Services\, helping the CLA’s visitors with reference requests and facilitating in-person research. Billy also serves as the collection manager for the archives\, working with CLA’s offsite vendor to protect and maintain the organization’s archival records. Some of his professional interests include increasing access\, collection management\, processing of complex materials\, and facilitating research.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/csi-summer-camp-2
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Archives,Class,CSI
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CSISummerCampCarousel400_0.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250619T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250619T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T132841Z
CREATED:20260209T134945Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T132841Z
UID:9118-1750338000-1750341600@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Insensible of Boundaries: Studies in Mary Ann Shadd Cary
DESCRIPTION:Our 2025 Juneteenth Lecture focused on Mary Ann Shadd Cary (1823–1893) the trailblazing Black feminist\, activist\, journalist\, and educator whose achievements can be traced across Canada and the United States. \nBorn in a border state in the antebellum era\, Shadd Cary taught in schools in New York\, New Jersey\, and Pennsylvania before becoming a strong advocate for immigration to Canada in her early adulthood. Once she moved to Ontario in the mid-1850s\, she dove headfirst into early Black Canadian debates. She fought to integrate schools in the States and Canada and became\, as the editor of the Provincial Freeman\, the first Black woman to edit a newspaper in North America. \nDespite her achievements and impact on Black life in North America\, Shadd Cary is a relatively little-known figure outside of the continent. Insensible of Boundaries is the first collection of essays published on this thinker. Kristin Moriah discussed what went into creating this pathbreaking volume on this important figure. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Kristin Moriah is an Associate Professor of African American Literary Studies at Queen’s University in Kingston\, Ontario. She is the editor of Insensible of Boundaries: Studies in Mary Ann Shadd Cary\, the first collection of scholarly essays about radical Black feminist editor and activist Mary Ann Shadd Cary. Her work has been supported by fellowships from the Social Sciences and Research Council of Canada\, the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia\, and the Harry Ransom Center. Her work has appeared in American Quarterly\, TDR\, PAJ\, Early American Literature\, Theatre Research in Canada\, Performance Matters\, and Sounding Out.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/insensible-boundaries
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Book Talks,Diverse Voices,Women's Voices
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/InsensibleBoundariesCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250612T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250612T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T130305Z
CREATED:20260209T135310Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T130305Z
UID:9124-1749733200-1749736800@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Church Stewardship Initiative Summer Camp
DESCRIPTION:This was the first of five class sessions. \nThe Congregational Library & Archives was excited to host our first annual CSI Summer Camp in 2025. \nArchivists Zachary Bodnar and Billy McCarthy led attendees through the steps needed to successfully begin archiving their church’s important records and valuable memories. This multi-session online program\, hosted on Zoom\, provided guidance and instruction on the archival process\, keeping in mind attendees’ specific collections and locations. \nOver the course of five sessions\, Zachary and Billy provided hands-on and in-depth instruction about how to begin tackling the seemingly mountainous task of properly archiving a church’s collection. Between sessions\, there were exercises to complete at attendees’ own pace that reinforced lessons and set them up for the next session. Sessions included time for instructions\, group discussions\, and Q&A. Sessions were focused on the following four topics: gathering your collection\, identifying materials\, organizing records\, and crafting finding aids. \nThis program was part of our Church Stewardship Initiative (CSI). Find the videos of past workshops and free resources on our CSI webpage. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nZachary Bodnar graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science from Simmons University\, with a concentration in archives management\, in 2018. Prior to his work at the CLA\, Zachary worked at the Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden archive\, the Vassar College Special Collections\, the Harvard Law School Library\, and the Harvard Botany Libraries. Zachary joined the CLA as an Archives Assistant in 2017\, helping to prepare materials for digitization through the New England’s Hidden Histories program. In 2018\, he took on the title of Archivist. His professional interests include metadata collection and management\, digital archiving\, audio/visual preservation\, and archives management. \nBilly McCarthy graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) at Simmons University with a concentration in Archival Management. He started working at the CLA through a graduate internship and was hired full-time as an Archivist in 2018. Billy is the Head of Reader Services\, helping the CLA’s visitors with reference requests and facilitating in-person research. Billy also serves as the collection manager for the archives\, working with CLA’s offsite vendor to protect and maintain the organization’s archival records. Some of his professional interests include increasing access\, collection management\, processing of complex materials\, and facilitating research.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/csi-summer-camp
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Archives,Class,CSI
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/CSISummerCampCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250609T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250609T130000
DTSTAMP:20260228T132600Z
CREATED:20260209T134701Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T132600Z
UID:9116-1749470400-1749474000@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Library Behind the Scenes: The Print Inventory Project
DESCRIPTION:Do you have a list of every book on your shelves? What if your shelves were full of books collected over 170 years that had not always been well documented? Would you know how to find the books you wanted\, or would you even know what you were looking for? \nIn this hybrid lunch and learn program\, Collection Accessibility Project Specialist Téa Belog discussed her work on the inventory of the CLA’s print collection\, which is part of a two-year initiative launched in January 2025 under the guidance of Librarian Meaghan Wright to complete an inventory for the entire print collection. \nAs the CLA looks to reconcile its catalog records with what is actually on the shelf\, Téa discussed her work reviewing every print item to identify gaps\, determine the number of uncatalogued books\, and assess longstanding issues and organizational inconsistencies. She also shared how her work on this project will offer a more complete and thorough understanding of the CLA’s collections and facilitate easier access for future researchers. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nTéa Belog is an MLIS student at Simmons University. Her love of history\, books\, and organization coalesces into her current project at the Congregational Library & Archives as she tackles years of uncatalogued books.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/library-behind-scenes
LOCATION:Hybrid
CATEGORIES:CLA History,Lunch & Learn
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/June25LLCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250607T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250607T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T135636Z
CREATED:20260228T135636Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T135636Z
UID:13342-1749301200-1749304800@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Sacred Rebellion Curator's Tour
DESCRIPTION:This special tour of the CLA’s new in-person exhibition was hosted by New England’s Hidden Histories Project Director and Sacred Rebellion curator\, Dr. Tricia Peone. \nThe exhibition featured many treasures from the CLA’s collections: sermons\, books\, poems\, songs\, and letters created by Massachusetts Congregationalists during and after the American Revolution. These objects reveal how Congregationalists understood their moral obligations to each other and debated questions of liberty and loyalty. \nAttendees viewed the exhibition with the curator\, learned more about the objects on display\, and gained a deeper understanding of the stories behind the exhibition. The discussion also explored the unfinished business of the Revolution and the meaning of its legacy today. \nEmail any questions to programs@14beacon.org. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science. \n  \n\n \nFunded by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/sacred-rebellion-curators-tours-2
LOCATION:Congregational Library & Archives\, 14 Beacon Street\, Boston\, MA\, 02108\, United States
CATEGORIES:Revolutionary Stories,Sacred Rebellion,Tour
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/SRCuratorCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250604T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250604T140000
DTSTAMP:20260302T171120Z
CREATED:20260209T134526Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260302T171120Z
UID:9114-1749042000-1749045600@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Archives and Church Legacy: Safeguarding Your Church's Mission and Memories
DESCRIPTION:ACCESS VIDEO TRANSCRIPT + RESOURCES\nChristian churches have been going through cycles of planting\, growth\, realignment or merger\, and completing ministries for the past two thousand years. When a church makes the difficult decision to close\, the records of that church are a vital resource for completing its ministry and an important way in which its mission and memory can live on after the church has closed. The legacy process involves many moving parts\, and too often archiving the church’s records is de-prioritized or seen as an overwhelming task that gets put off to the end. \nThis virtual workshop with the CLA’s archivists\, Zachary Bodnar and Billy McCarthy explained the importance of a church’s records to the legacy process\, how to use the church’s records to create a legacy workbook\, and finally\, how to go about finding and working with an archive to maintain a church’s records going forward. \nThe workshop was specifically designed as a resource for pastors guiding their congregations in implementing a legacy process\, administrative staff who have been tasked with facilitating the work of bringing an institution to completion\, members of the congregation’s legacy committee\, and church historians and other interested members of the community concerned about safeguarding the memory and mission of the church. \nThis program was part of our Church Stewardship Initiative (CSI). Find the videos of past workshops and free resources on our CSI webpage. \n  \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nZachary Bodnar graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science from Simmons University\, with a concentration in archives management\, in 2018. Prior to his work at the CLA\, Zachary worked at the Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden archive\, the Vassar College Special Collections\, the Harvard Law School Library\, and the Harvard Botany Libraries. Zachary joined the CLA as an Archives Assistant in 2017\, helping to prepare materials for digitization through the New England’s Hidden Histories program. In 2018\, he took on the title of Archivist. His professional interests include metadata collection and management\, digital archiving\, audio/visual preservation\, and archives management. \nBilly McCarthy graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) at Simmons University with a concentration in Archival Management. He started working at the CLA through a graduate internship and was hired full-time as an Archivist in 2018. Billy is the Head of Reader Services\, helping the CLA’s visitors with reference requests and facilitating in-person research. Billy also serves as the collection manager for the archives\, working with CLA’s offsite vendor to protect and maintain the organization’s archival records. Some of his professional interests include increasing access\, collection management\, processing of complex materials\, and facilitating research.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/archives-legacy-process
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Archives,CSI
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ArchivesLegacy400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250603T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250603T190000
DTSTAMP:20260228T131928Z
CREATED:20260209T164624Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T131928Z
UID:9469-1748973600-1748977200@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Sacred Rebellion Virtual Exhibition Tour
DESCRIPTION:Back by popular demand\, this encore virtual tour of the Congregational Library & Archives’ new in-person exhibition\, Sacred Rebellion\, was hosted by Executive Director Dr. Kyle Roberts and New England’s Hidden Histories Project Director and Sacred Rebellion curator Dr. Tricia Peone. \nBy the time the American Revolution began\, many Congregationalists had embraced a theological justification for war and revolution. They believed that God favored them and that their cause was a morally justified\, sacred rebellion. Through sermons\, books\, poems\, songs\, and letters\, Congregationalists shared their stories\, reflected on their moral obligations to each other\, and debated questions of liberty and loyalty. But consensus was elusive\, and implementation proved difficult and unsatisfactory to many\, especially those on the margins. \nThe interactive tour was hosted on Zoom\, with registration limited to a small group of attendees. Participants viewed Revolutionary-era treasures from the collections; heard stories about how Congregationalists experienced the period leading up to\, during\, and immediately following the war; had opportunities to ask questions; and reflected on what this pivotal event means 250 years later. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nDr. Kyle Roberts was appointed the Executive Director of the Congregational Library & Archives in 2022. He received his BA in American Studies from Williams College and his PhD in History from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to coming to the CLA\, he was Associate Director of Library & Museum Programming at the American Philosophical Society and Associate Professor of Public History and New Media and Director of the Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities at Loyola University Chicago. \nA scholar of Atlantic World religion\, print\, and library history\, he is the author of Evangelical Gotham: Religion and the Making of New York City\, 1783-1860 (Chicago\, 2016)\, the co-editor\, with Stephen Schloesser\, of Crossings and Dwellings: Restored Jesuits\, Women Religious\, American Experience 1814-2014 (Brill\, 2017) and\, with Mark Towsey\, of Before the Public Library: Reading\, Community\, and Identity in the Atlantic World\, 1650-1850 (Brill\, 2017). \nKyle is an accomplished public historian and digital humanist whose collaborative projects include the Jesuit Libraries Provenance Project\, the Maryland Loyalism Project\, and Dissenting Academies Online: Virtual Library System. In addition to being the consultant for numerous digital and public history projects\, he sits on the executive committees of the American Catholic Historical Association\, the New England Historical Association\, the Urban History Association He is on the editorial and advisory boards for American Catholic Studies\, Early American Studies\, and portal. \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/sacred-rebellion-virtual-exhibition-tour2
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Revolutionary Stories,Sacred Rebellion,Tour
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/SRVirtualTour2Carousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250529T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250529T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T141336Z
CREATED:20260209T134219Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T141336Z
UID:9110-1748523600-1748527200@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Sacred Rebellion: Behind the Scenes with the Curator
DESCRIPTION:This program took a look behind the scenes of the CLA’s new in-person exhibition\, Sacred Rebellion: Congregationalists in Revolutionary Massachusetts\, with curator Dr. Tricia Peone. \nBy the time the American Revolution began\, many Congregationalists had embraced a theological justification for war and revolution. They believed that God favored them and that their cause was a morally justified\, sacred rebellion. Through sermons\, books\, poems\, songs\, and letters\, Congregationalists shared their stories\, reflected on their moral obligations to each other\, and debated questions of liberty and loyalty. But consensus was elusive\, and implementation proved difficult and unsatisfactory to many\, especially those on the margins. \nAttendees learned more about what went into the creation of this exhibition (including the design of a new gallery for public exhibitions at the CLA)\, the themes which animated its arrangement\, how it contributes to our understanding of the American Revolution 250 years later\, and some of Dr. Peone’s favorite stories behind the objects on display. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/sacred-rebellion-behind-scenes
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Revolutionary Stories,Sacred Rebellion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SR-BTSCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250514T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250514T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T141113Z
CREATED:20260209T134007Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T141113Z
UID:9107-1747227600-1747231200@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Religion in the Lands That Became America: A Virtual Book Talk with Thomas Tweed
DESCRIPTION:This virtual book talk with University of Notre Dame historian Dr. Thomas Tweed\, celebrated the release of his book\, Religion in the Lands That Became America\, which provides a sweeping retelling of American religious history\, showing how religion has enhanced and hindered human flourishing from the Ice Age to the Information Age. \nUntil now\, the standard narrative of American religious history has begun with English settlers in Jamestown or Plymouth and remained predominantly Protestant and Atlantic. Driven by his strong sense of the historical and moral shortcomings of the usual story\, Tweed offers a very different narrative in this ambitious new history. He begins the story much earlier—11\,000 years ago—at a rock shelter in present-day Texas and follows Indigenous Peoples\, African Americans\, transnational migrants\, and people of many faiths as they transform the landscape and confront the big lifeway transitions\, from foraging to farming and from factories to fiber optics. \nSetting aside the familiar narrative themes\, Tweed highlights sustainability\, showing how religion both promoted and inhibited individual\, communal\, and environmental flourishing during three sustainability crises: the medieval Cornfield Crisis\, which destabilized Indigenous ceremonial centers; the Colonial Crisis\, which began with the displacement of Indigenous Peoples and the enslavement of Africans; and the Industrial Crisis\, which brought social inequity and environmental degradation. The unresolved Colonial and Industrial Crises continue to haunt the nation\, Tweed suggests\, but he recovers historical sources of hope as he retells the rich story of America’s religious past. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Thomas Tweed\, a historian of religion\, is the Harold and Martha Welch Professor of American Studies and professor of history at the University of Notre Dame. A past president of the American Academy of Religion\, he is author or editor of nine books\, including Retelling US Religious History (California)\, Asian Religions in America: A Documentary History (Oxford)\, Crossing and Dwelling: A Theory of Religion (Harvard)\, Religion: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford)\, and\, most recently\, Religion in the Lands That Became America: A New History (Yale).
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/religion-lands-became-america
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Book Talks
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/LandsBecameAmericaCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250512T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250512T130000
DTSTAMP:20260228T140834Z
CREATED:20260209T133823Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T140834Z
UID:9100-1747051200-1747054800@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Processing in Practice: A Hybrid Lunch & Learn with CLA Interns
DESCRIPTION:In this hybrid lunch and learn program\, our spring archives interns from Simmons University discussed their experiences processing CLA collections during the spring 2025 semester. \nRebecca Arabian discussed processing her first collections as a Library and Information Science student\, which include the St. Mark’s Social Center in Roxbury and the Leyden Congregational Church in Brookline. She shared how holding\, examining\, and reorganizing these materials has given her a new way of engaging with the past. \nOlivia Murphy shared how experiential learning at the CLA has enabled her to learn ArchivesSpace and employ DACS to process two separate collections: the Salem and Mariner’s Church records\, a small Boston church\, and the Diversity Club records\, a club for the women who worked at 14 Beacon Street. \nRebecca and Olivia’s presentations also provided glimpses into some of the unique materials they discovered while processing these collections during the spring semester. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nRebecca Arabian is an MLIS student at Simmons University. She has enjoyed working with local church records this semester\, which have provided her with wonderful views into the rich history of the Boston area. \nOlivia Murphy is an MLIS student at Simmons University. She is an avid lover of history\, books\, and Boston\, and has been grateful for the opportunity to work at the Congregational Library & Archives this semester.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/processing-in-practice
LOCATION:Hybrid
CATEGORIES:Archives,Lunch & Learn
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/May25LLCarousel400_0.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250506T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250506T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T140535Z
CREATED:20260209T133643Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T140535Z
UID:9098-1746536400-1746540000@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:The Wars of the Lord: A Virtual Book Talk with Matthew J. Tuininga
DESCRIPTION:Over several decades beginning in 1620\, tens of thousands of devout English colonists known as puritans came to America. They believed that bringing Christianity to the Natives would liberate them from darkness. Daniel Gookin\, Massachusetts’ missionary superintendent\, called such efforts a “war of the Lord\,” a war in which Christ would deliver captive souls from Satan’s bondage. \nWhen puritan soldiers slaughtered hundreds of Indigenous men\, women\, and children at Fort Mystic in 1637\, during the Pequot War\, they believed they were doing God’s will. The same was true during King Philip’s War\, perhaps the bloodiest war in American history. The puritan clergyman Increase Mather described this conflict\, too\, as a “war of the Lord\,” a war in which God was judging the enemies of his people. \nIn his new book\, The Wars of the Lord\, Matthew J. Tuininga argues that these two “wars” are inextricably linked. Puritan Christianity\, he shows\, shaped both the spiritual and military conquests of New England from beginning to end. It is not only that the people who did these things happened to be Christians; it is that Christianity was the framework they used to guide\, interpret\, and defend every major act of peace or war. They made sincere efforts to treat Natives according to Christian principles of love and justice as they understood them\, and their sustained missionary efforts demonstrate how serious they were about saving Native souls. Yet they appealed to Christianity just as confidently when they subjugated\, enslaved\, or killed Native peoples in the name of justice. A mission they saw as spiritual\, peaceful\, benevolent\, and just devolved into a military conquest that was virtually genocidal. \nAttendees heard the story of how this happened from the perspective of those who lived it\, both colonists and Native Americans. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Matthew J. Tuininga is Professor of Christian Ethics and the History of Christianity at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids\, MI\, where he has taught since 2015. He is the author of Calvin’s Political Theology and the Public Engagement of the Church: Christ’s Two Kingdoms (2017).
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/wars-of-the-lord
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Book Talks,Congregational Story
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/WarsLordCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250502T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250502T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T133305Z
CREATED:20260209T133315Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T133305Z
UID:9093-1746190800-1746194400@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Sacred Rebellion Curator's Tour
DESCRIPTION:This special tour of the CLA’s new in-person exhibition was hosted by New England’s Hidden Histories Project Director and Sacred Rebellion curator\, Dr. Tricia Peone. \nThe exhibition featured many treasures from the CLA’s collections: sermons\, books\, poems\, songs\, and letters created by Massachusetts Congregationalists during and after the American Revolution. These objects reveal how Congregationalists understood their moral obligations to each other and debated questions of liberty and loyalty. \nAttendees viewed the exhibition with the curator\, learned more about the objects on display\, and gained a deeper understanding of the stories behind the exhibition. The discussion also explored the unfinished business of the Revolution and the meaning of its legacy today. \nEmail any questions to programs@14beacon.org. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science. \n  \n\n \nFunded by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/sacred-rebellion-curators-tours
LOCATION:Congregational Library & Archives\, 14 Beacon Street\, Boston\, MA\, 02108\, United States
CATEGORIES:Revolutionary Stories,Sacred Rebellion,Tour
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/SRCuratorCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250430T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250430T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T144051Z
CREATED:20260209T132902Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T144051Z
UID:9089-1746018000-1746021600@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Calling Holy War in Boston: A Virtual Talk with Thomas Lecaque
DESCRIPTION:It is easy to act like crusading is a medieval phenomenon that we evolve past—after all\, when we picture the Crusades\, we see knights in shining armor dying in the dry heat on their way to Jerusalem\, an activity that surely we gave up before we began the process of colonizing America. And yet\, the Crusades officially last until 1798\, when Napoleon takes Malta\, and Benjamin Franklin—whose baptismal records are at the Congregational Library & Archives—was ten when the last individual crusade was called. \nEven more shocking\, crusading does not remain a Catholic endeavor. For all that puritan preachers decry the Crusades as a “Rhomish bastard\,” they use the rhetoric of apocalyptic holy war against their Catholic foes to the North (the French) across almost a century of imperial conflicts. \nIn this talk\, CLA Research Fellow Dr. Thomas Lecaque looked at the ways that rhetoric of holy war spills across sermons\, diaries\, letters\, and marginal notations in books\, and forms an important and little studied aspect of the way European wars are translated onto the American frontier. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Thomas Lecaque is Associate Professor of History at Grand View University in Des Moines\, Iowa\, where he teaches medieval world history\, vast early American history\, and game studies. A recipient of the American Congregational Association – Boston Athenaeum Fellowship and the New England Regional Fellowship Consortium\, he is currently working on a book project entitled “Holy War Rhetoric in Colonial America\, 1680-1765.”
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/calling-holy-war-boston
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:CLA Research Fellows,Congregational Story
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/HolyWarCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250428T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250428T130000
DTSTAMP:20260228T143346Z
CREATED:20260209T132721Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T143346Z
UID:9081-1745841600-1745845200@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Making Local Church History Collections Accessible: A Hybrid Lunch & Learn with CLA Interns
DESCRIPTION:In this hybrid lunch and learn program\, three library interns discussed their work in the spring 2025 semester to make the CLA’s church history collections more visible and accessible. \nIsabella Rodrigues and Sarah Ortel discussed their experiences cataloguing church history files: collections of printed and ephemeral works created by or about churches. These collections represent over 800 individual churches from across the country. They come from donations over the past several years and add nearly 400 churches to the online catalogue which were not previously represented. \nHattie Tauson reflected on her work researching and developing a workplan for making the CLA’s church collections easier to navigate and use. She shared her experience soliciting user feedback at the start of the project\, diving into data\, and designing an interactive visualization of CLA holdings. \nThese joint projects made available hidden collections and increased visibility of known collections to improve the ability of researchers to find and use the CLA’s collections of church history. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nSarah Ortel is a senior at Boston University pursing a bachelor’s degree in history with a concentration in American history. During the spring semester\, she worked as a cataloguing intern at the Congregational Library & Archives\, and opportunity that has allowed her to apply her passion for accessible history and provided her with valuable practical experience that she will carry into future ventures. \nIsabella Rodrigues is an MLIS student with an archival concentration at Simmons University. During the spring 2025 semester\, she worked as a Cataloguing Intern at the Congregational Library & Archives. She got her start in archives and libraries by volunteering to organize the basement collections of the local heritage museum in her hometown of New Bedford\, MA and has been sifting through boxes ever since. \nHattie Tauson is a master’s student at Northeastern University pursuing a degree in public history and a certificate in digital humanities. She is the Mapping Local History Collections Intern at the Congregational Library & Archives for the spring 2025 semester\, which has allowed her to combine her love of American history and making history accessible to all.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/local-church-history-accessible
LOCATION:Hybrid
CATEGORIES:Archives,Lunch & Learn
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Apr25LLCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250424T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250424T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T143829Z
CREATED:20260209T132434Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T143829Z
UID:9076-1745499600-1745503200@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Sacred Rebellion Virtual Exhibition Tour
DESCRIPTION:This special virtual tour of the Congregational Library & Archives’ new in-person exhibition\, Sacred Rebellion\, was hosted by Executive Director Dr. Kyle Roberts and New England’s Hidden Histories Project Director and Sacred Rebellion curator Dr. Tricia Peone. \nBy the time the American Revolution began\, many Congregationalists had embraced a theological justification for war and revolution. They believed that God favored them and that their cause was a morally justified\, sacred rebellion. Through sermons\, books\, poems\, songs\, and letters\, Congregationalists shared their stories\, reflected on their moral obligations to each other\, and debated questions of liberty and loyalty. But consensus was elusive\, and implementation proved difficult and unsatisfactory to many\, especially those on the margins. \nThe interactive tour was hosted on Zoom\, with registration limited to a small group of attendees. Participants viewed Revolutionary-era treasures from the collections; heard stories about how Congregationalists experienced the period leading up to\, during\, and immediately following the war; and had opportunities to ask questions; and reflect on what this pivotal event means 250 years later. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nDr. Kyle Roberts was appointed the Executive Director of the Congregational Library & Archives in 2022. He received his BA in American Studies from Williams College and his PhD in History from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to coming to the CLA\, he was Associate Director of Library & Museum Programming at the American Philosophical Society and Associate Professor of Public History and New Media and Director of the Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities at Loyola University Chicago. \nA scholar of Atlantic World religion\, print\, and library history\, he is the author of Evangelical Gotham: Religion and the Making of New York City\, 1783-1860 (Chicago\, 2016)\, the co-editor\, with Stephen Schloesser\, of Crossings and Dwellings: Restored Jesuits\, Women Religious\, American Experience 1814-2014 (Brill\, 2017) and\, with Mark Towsey\, of Before the Public Library: Reading\, Community\, and Identity in the Atlantic World\, 1650-1850 (Brill\, 2017). \nKyle is an accomplished public historian and digital humanist whose collaborative projects include the Jesuit Libraries Provenance Project\, the Maryland Loyalism Project\, and Dissenting Academies Online: Virtual Library System. In addition to being the consultant for numerous digital and public history projects\, he sits on the executive committees of the American Catholic Historical Association\, the New England Historical Association\, the Urban History Association He is on the editorial and advisory boards for American Catholic Studies\, Early American Studies\, and portal. \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science. \n  \n\n \nFunded by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/sacred-rebellion-virtual-tour
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Revolutionary Stories,Sacred Rebellion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SRVirtualTourCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250423T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250423T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T143106Z
CREATED:20260209T132234Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T143106Z
UID:9074-1745413200-1745416800@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:The People's Music: Religious and Political Songs of Revolutionary New England
DESCRIPTION:This program\, featuring Stephen Marini\, Elisabeth Luce Moore Professor of Christian Studies at Wellesley College and singing master of Norumbega Harmony\, focused on the fascinating musical culture of Revolutionary New England. \nAttendees discovered the world of singing masters hired by 18th-century Congregational parishes to teach music to their members; the English tradition of parish music they initially conveyed; and the development of these masters into publishing composers like William Billings of Boston (1746-1800)\, Revolutionary America’s premier creator of sacred and political choral music. \nThe talk also included examples and recordings of this repertoire of Revolutionary-era sacred and secular music. \n  \nThis event was part of our Religion of Revolution lecture series\, sponsored by New England’s Hidden Histories. \nThe Congregational Library & Archives newest digital exhibition\, Religion of Revolution: Congregational Voices on Liberty\, is free to visit anytime at https://congregationallibrary.quartexcollections.com/online-exhibits/revolution. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Stephen A. Marini is Elisabeth Luce Moore Professor of Christian Studies at Wellesley College. He is an expert both on the history of religion in Early America and on American sacred music\, having written books in both fields\, including Radical Sects of Revolutionary New England (Harvard\, 1982)\, Sacred Song in America (Illinois\, 2003)\, and The Cashway Psalmody: Transatlantic Religion and Music in Colonial Carolina (Illinois\, 2020). In addition\, he is the founder and singing-master of Norumbega Harmony (1976)\, a choral ensemble specializing in the New England Singing-School music that is the subject of today’s program.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/peoples-music
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Congregationalists and the Arts,Religion of Revolution,Revolutionary Stories
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/PeopleMusicCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250416T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250416T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T142822Z
CREATED:20260209T132054Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T142822Z
UID:9069-1744808400-1744812000@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Lower than the Angels: A History of Sex and Christianity
DESCRIPTION:Few matters produce more public interest and public anxiety than sex and religion. Much of the political contention and division in societies across the world centers on sexual topics\, and one-third of the global population is Christian in background or outlook. The issue goes to the heart of present-day religion. \nIn Lower than the Angels\, Diarmaid MacCulloch seeks to calm fears and encourage understanding through telling a three-thousand-year-long tale of Christians encountering sex\, gender\, and the family. The message of Lower than the Angels is simple\, necessary\, and timely: to pay attention to the complexity and contradictions in the history of Christianity. The reader can decide from the story told here whether there is a single Christian theology of sex\, or many contending voices in a symphony that is not at all complete. \nThis program offered attendees a chance to learn more about an epic of ordinary and extraordinary Christians trying to make sense of themselves and of humanity’s deepest desires\, fears\, and hopes. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nRev. Prof. Diarmaid MacCulloch is Emeritus Professor of the History of the Church\, Oxford University\, and Fellow of St Cross College and of Campion Hall. His Thomas Cranmer: A Life first appeared in 1996\, winning inter alia the Whitbread Biography Prize. His History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years (accompanied by the BBC TV series A History of Christianity) won the 2010 Cundill Prize; his Thomas Cromwell: A Life was published in 2018. His BBC TV series of 2015\, Sex and the Church\, was a foretaste of Lower than the Angels: A History of Sex and Christianity (2024). He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/lower-than-the-angels
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Book Talks
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/LowerAngelsCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250404T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250404T190000
DTSTAMP:20260228T142612Z
CREATED:20260209T131821Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T142612Z
UID:9067-1743787800-1743793200@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Sacred Rebellion Exhibition Opening Reception
DESCRIPTION:This event celebrated the opening of our new in-person exhibition\, Sacred Rebellion: Congregationalists in Revolutionary Massachusetts. The program featured an opportunity to visit the exhibition and curator’s comments from New England’s Hidden Histories Project Director and Sacred Rebellion curator\, Dr. Tricia Peone. \nBy the time the American Revolution began\, many Congregationalists had already embraced a theological justification for war and revolution. Ministers and laity alike believed that God favored them and that their cause was a morally justified\, sacred rebellion. Through sermons\, books\, poems\, songs\, and letters\, Congregationalists shared their stories\, reflected on their moral obligations to each other\, and debated questions of liberty and loyalty before\, during\, and after the war. \nAttendees learned more about how these discussions shaped the legacy of Congregationalism and the way the Revolutionary War is remembered today. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science. \n  \n\n \nFunded by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/sacred-rebellion-opening-reception
LOCATION:Congregational Library & Archives\, 14 Beacon Street\, Boston\, MA\, 02108\, United States
CATEGORIES:Revolutionary Stories,Sacred Rebellion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SRReceptionCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250402T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250402T140000
DTSTAMP:20260302T170733Z
CREATED:20260209T131654Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260302T170733Z
UID:9062-1743598800-1743602400@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Knowing Your Collection: How to Identify Church Records
DESCRIPTION:ACCESS VIDEO TRANSCRIPT + RESOURCES\nHow do you know if the item you are looking at is a parish book or a church record book? Or how might you determine if a folder is full of building records or general financial records? \nSometimes\, when looking at a church’s collection\, it can be difficult to determine what exactly it is you hold. It is not uncommon to feel daunted or overwhelmed when looking at the full scope of a collection. \nWith years of experience looking at church records\, CLA archivists Billy McCarthy and Zachary Bodnar shared the processes they use to assess\, identify\, and label materials\, whether they be a bound volume\, a manilla folder full of papers\, or a born-digital document stored on Google Drive. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nZachary Bodnar graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science from Simmons University\, with a concentration in archives management\, in 2018. Prior to his work at the CLA\, Zachary worked at the Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden archive\, the Vassar College Special Collections\, the Harvard Law School Library\, and the Harvard Botany Libraries. Zachary joined the CLA as an Archives Assistant in 2017\, helping to prepare materials for digitization through the New England’s Hidden Histories program. In 2018\, he took on the title of Archivist. His professional interests include metadata collection and management\, digital archiving\, audio/visual preservation\, and archives management. \nBilly McCarthy graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) at Simmons University with a concentration in Archival Management. He started working at the CLA through a graduate internship and was hired full-time as an Archivist in 2018. Billy is the Head of Reader Services\, helping the CLA’s visitors with reference requests and facilitating in-person research. Billy also serves as the collection manager for the archives\, working with CLA’s offsite vendor to protect and maintain the organization’s archival records. Some of his professional interests include increasing access\, collection management\, processing of complex materials\, and facilitating research.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/know-your-collection
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Archives,CSI
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KnowCollection400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250325T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250325T143000
DTSTAMP:20260228T145555Z
CREATED:20260209T131313Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T145555Z
UID:9057-1742907600-1742913000@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Gone for Good? Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition:  A Virtual Roundtable
DESCRIPTION:Thousands of church properties worth billions of dollars are being sold or repurposed each year. Nothing can stop the currents of change. But congregations and cities can take steps now to ensure a legacy directed toward communal good rather than private interests. \nIn Gone for Good?\, Mark Elsdon marshals a diverse team of authors\, including pastors\, scholars\, developers\, and urban planners to explore the spiritual and practical aspects of church property transition. Congregations and cities can take steps now to ensure a legacy directed towards communal good rather than private interests. \nThis virtual program\, featuring Mark and three contributors to Gone for Good?\, focused on how to assess the impacts of churches on their neighborhoods—and the gaps they will leave behind\, the primacy of mission in any conversation about church property\, transforming ministry in rural churches\, and much more. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nJennie Birkholz\, MHA is a national healthcare leader and consultant specializing in faith-based initiatives\, rural community well-being\, and collaborative networks. With over 20 years of experience\, she has partnered with healthcare systems\, faith communities\, and nonprofits to develop innovative programs that strengthen community resilience. A co-author of Gone for Good?\, she explores the evolving role of rural churches in her chapter. As a national speaker\, she brings deep insight into how faith communities can drive meaningful change in health and social care. \nPatrick Duggan is the Executive Director of the United Church of Christ Church Building and Loan Fund (CBLF)\, the oldest church-building society in the United States. He served as senior pastor of the Congregational Church of South Hempstead\, United Church of Christ from 1995 to 2023. \nMark Elsdon lives and works at the intersection of money and meaning. He is the author of We Aren’t Broke: Uncovering Hidden Resources for Mission and Ministry and editor of the book\, Gone for Good? Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition. Mark holds degrees from the University of California\, Berkeley; Princeton Theological Seminary; and the University of Wisconsin School of Business. He is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church\, USA and serves as co-founder of RootedGood and principal at Threshold Sacred Development. Mark lives in Madison\, Wisconsin with his family. \nBob Jaeger co-founded Partners for Sacred Places in 1989 and currently serves as its President. He has overseen the publication of a recent study on the Economic Halo Effect of older sacred places and the development of programs to help congregations with internal capacity building\, capital campaigns\, engagement with the community\, and the shared use of space. Bob holds a master’s degree in Preservation Planning from Cornell University and an MBA from the University of Michigan.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/gone-for-good
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Book Talks,Contemporary Congregationalism,Public Programs
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/GoneForGoodCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250319T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250319T140000
DTSTAMP:20260311T112400Z
CREATED:20260209T131123Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260311T112400Z
UID:9055-1742389200-1742392800@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:The World of Mary and Roger Williams
DESCRIPTION:ACCESS VIDEO TRANSCRIPT + RESOURCES\nThis virtual program with Dr. Charlotte Carrington-Farmer focused on Mary and Roger Williams\, the influential seventeenth-century couple whose lives left an indelible impact on New England. \nRoger Williams\, an English immigrant to New England\, was famously banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635 for his “new and dangerous opinions” on religious freedom\, the separation of church and state\, and Indigenous land rights. Following his banishment\, Williams settled the town of Providence with the permission of the Narragansett Sachems\, creating a colony that was arguably the freest in the western world. \nThe traditional narrative centers Roger Williams as a lone “hero” in the founding of Providence\, but none of it would have been possible without his wife\, Mary Williams. For years at a time\, Mary was the head of the Williams family\, and she played a central role in colony affairs. Part of the challenge of telling Mary’s story in her own words is that she left behind so few of them\, especially compared to her husband. \nAs this program highlighted\, Dr. Carrington-Farmer shines new light on Mary and Roger Williams in her recent essay “More than Roger’s Wife” in the New England Quarterly (2024) and her anthology\, Roger Williams and His World (2025). \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Charlotte Carrington-Farmer is Professor of History at Roger Williams University. She received her PhD from the University of Cambridge and specializes in early American history. Her book\, Roger Williams and His World (Peterborough\, Ontario: Broadview Press\, Jan. 2025)\, sets Roger Williams in his wider Atlantic world context. Her research centers on dissent in seventeenth-century New England\, and she has published book chapters on Thomas Morton and Roger Williams\, and an article on Mary Williams. She has also published a journal article and two book chapters on equines in colonial New England and the early modern Atlantic world. Her current book project is titled: Equine Empire: Horses and the Making of the Atlantic World. She is active in the field of public history and has received funding and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities\, Yale University\, the Mellon Foundation\, and the New England Regional Fellowship Consortium.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/world-mary-roger-williams
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Book Talks,Congregational Story,Women's Voices
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/WorldofWilliamsCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250312T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250312T140000
DTSTAMP:20260228T145009Z
CREATED:20260209T130920Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T145009Z
UID:9052-1741784400-1741788000@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Religion and Black Abolitionism in the Era of the American Revolution
DESCRIPTION:In January 1773\, Massachusetts slaves submitted the first of four petitions that decade to the legislature of the colony requesting their release from bondage. Around the same time writers such as Phillis Wheatley and Caesar Sarter began to attack both slavery and the slave trade in print. \nMany scholars have discussed these individual writers and the petitioning campaign of Boston’s blacks as an example of the ways in which subordinate groups used the rhetoric of Revolution to advance their own claims. In this talk\, Christopher Cameron located the origins of their political thought even further back in puritan religious ideology and discussed the advent of black petitioning and other forms of antislavery writing in the colony\, which represented the beginning of the organized abolitionist movement in America. \n  \nThis event was part of our Religion of Revolution lecture series\, sponsored by New England’s Hidden Histories. \nThe Congregational Library & Archives newest digital exhibition\, Religion of Revolution: Congregational Voices on Liberty\, is free to visit anytime at https://congregationallibrary.quartexcollections.com/online-exhibits/revolution. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Christopher Cameron is Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He was the founding president of the African American Intellectual History Society and currently serves as the founding secretary of the Black Humanist Studies Association. Cameron received his BA in History from Keene State College and his MA and PhD in American History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Cameron is the author of To Plead Our Own Cause: African Americans in Massachusetts and The Making of the Antislavery Movement and Black Freethinkers: A History of African American Secularism.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/religion-and-black-abolitionism
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Diverse Voices,Religion of Revolution,Revolutionary Stories
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/RBACarousel400_0.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250307T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250307T123000
DTSTAMP:20260228T144639Z
CREATED:20260209T130744Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260228T144639Z
UID:9050-1741339800-1741350600@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:The Afro-Christian Convention: Exploring our Deeper Roots
DESCRIPTION:This in-person workshop\, held at 14 Beacon Street in Boston\, provided an opportunity for participants to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of the history and legacy of the Afro-Christian Convention as the fifth stream of the United Church of Christ (UCC). It was designed for church and community leaders as well as anyone interested in the history of this important\, and until recently overlooked\, Christian tradition within the UCC. \nLed by Dr. Julia Speller\, Professor Emerita in American Religious History and Culture at Chicago Theological Seminary\, the workshop highlighted key spiritual values that sustained the Afro-Christians throughout their journey\, revealed the close connection between these values and the UCC’s founding commitments as a united and uniting church\, and examined ways individuals can more deeply embody these values and commitments\, as they prepare for the important work of justice at such a time as this. \nIn addition to the small-group discussion with contributing author and educator Julia Speller\, participants received a copy of the recent publication Afro-Christian Convention: The Fifth Stream of the United Church of Christ (Pilgrim Press\, 2023) and a brownbag lunch. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Julia Speller is Professor Emerita in American Religious History and Culture at Chicago Theological Seminary where she served for 25 years. Prior to and concurrent with that time\, she served as the director of Christian Education for Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago where she has been a member for over five decades. Julia is currently a member of the United Church of Christ Historical Council and has been engaged in the work of several UCC committees over the years. She also serves on the Congregational Library & Archives Board of Directors. She is the author of Walkin’ The Talk: Keepin’ the Faith in Africentric Congregations and holds a BS in Business Administration from Chicago State University\, an MA in Religious Education from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary\, as well as an MA and a PhD in the History of Christianity from the University of Chicago.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/acc-workshop
LOCATION:Congregational Library & Archives\, 14 Beacon Street\, Boston\, MA\, 02108\, United States
CATEGORIES:Congregational Story,Diverse Voices
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SpellerCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250305T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250305T140000
DTSTAMP:20260302T172007Z
CREATED:20260209T130507Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260302T172007Z
UID:9048-1741179600-1741183200@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Belonging: An Intimate History of Slavery and Family in Early New England
DESCRIPTION:ACCESS VIDEO TRANSCRIPT + RESOURCES\nThis talk celebrated the release of Belonging: An Intimate History of Slavery and Family in Early New England with author Dr. Gloria McCahon Whiting. \nNew England is often considered a cradle of liberty in United States history\, but it was also a cradle of slavery. From the earliest years of colonization\, New Englanders bought and sold people\, most of whom were of African descent. In Belonging\, Gloria McCahon Whiting tells the region’s early history from the perspective of the people\, like Jane and Sebastian\, who belonged to others and who struggled to maintain a sense of belonging among their kin. Through a series of meticulously reconstructed family narratives\, Whiting traces the contours of enslaved people’s intimate lives in early New England\, where they often lived with those who bound them but apart from kin. Enslaved spouses rarely were able to cohabit; fathers and their offspring routinely were separated by inheritance practices; children could be removed from their mothers at an enslaver’s whim; and people in bondage had only partial control of their movement through the region\, which made more difficult the task of maintaining distant relationships. \nBut Belonging does more than lay bare the obstacles to family stability for those in bondage. Whiting also charts Afro-New Englanders’ persistent demands for intimacy throughout the century and a half stretching from New England’s founding to the American Revolution. And she shows how the work of making and maintaining relationships influenced the region’s law\, religion\, society\, and politics. Ultimately\, the actions taken by people in bondage to fortify their families played a pivotal role in bringing about the collapse of slavery in New England’s most populous state\, Massachusetts. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Gloria McCahon Whiting is E. Gordon Fox Assistant Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison\, where she has received numerous teaching awards for her courses on early American history. Her scholarly work has been featured in a variety of journals\, including the Journal of American History\, the William and Mary Quarterly\, and Slavery & Abolition. She recently launched a public-facing digital humanities project on slavery\, liberty\, and the American Revolution\, which can be found at freedom-seekers.org. And her first book\, titled Belonging: An Intimate History of Slavery and Family in Early New England\, was published in August of 2024 by the University of Pennsylvania Press.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/belonging
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Book Talks,Diverse Voices
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Belonging25Carousel400.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR