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Paul Herman Vieth papers

 Collection
Call Number: RG 59

Scope and Contents

Paul Vieth was a pioneer in the field of Protestant religious education during the twentieth century. He is best known for his work in formulating the objectives of religious education, his leadership of the Educational Commission of the International Council of Religious Education, and his groundbreaking recognition of the value of audio-visual materials in religious education. Vieth was the first professor to offer a course in a seminary on audio-visual education.

These papers primarily document Vieth's professional career and contain relatively little personal material. The correspondence is primarily business letters related to publications. One folder contains circular letters by Vieth describing his experiences in Japan, 1947-1948. There is a fairly complete file of Vieth's writings for journals, as well as sermons, addresses, and lecture notes. The articles are primarily in typescript form, as Vieth submitted them for publication; the journal to which an article was submitted in noted on some.

The Class Notes of Series III are from Vieth's years as a student at the Yale Divinity School. They provide documentation on the content of religious education and the psychology of religion courses taught during this time period. The Working Files of Series IV were compiled for courses taught by Vieth at the Divinity School.

Dates

  • 1919-1974

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Paul Herman Vieth

Arrangement

  1. I. Correspondence, 1929-1948
  2. II. Writings, Sermons, Notes, 1919-1966, undated
  3. III. Working Files, undated
  4. IV. PersonaI Items and Memorabilia, 1934-1974, undated

Extent

3 Linear Feet (6 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/divinity.059

Abstract

Writings, notes, and subject files document Vieth's career as a student and professor of Religious Education at Yale. Paul Vieth was a Yale Divinity School professor in the field of Religious Education from 1931 to 1963.

Biographical / Historical

1895
Born near Warrenton, Missouri
1917
B.A., Central Wesleyan College
1924
B.D., Yale Divinity School
1925
Director of research for the International Council of Religious Education; over the years he served the Council as chairman of various committees and commissions.
1928
Ph.D., Yale
1931-1939
Director of Field Work at the Yale Divinity School, Associate Professor of Religious Education
1939-1963
Horace Bushnell Professor of Christian Nurture, Yale Divinity School; under his leadership a Visual Education Service was established at YDS to serve faculty, students, and area churches.
1947-1948
Advisor on religious education with the religion division, civil information and education section of staff of General Douglas MacArthur in Japan during U.S. occupation.
1954-1955
Fulbright Scholar in Japan
1963
Professor Emeritus
1978
Died
Title
Guide to the Paul Herman Vieth Papers
Author
Compiled by Martha Lund Smalley
Date
1998, 2015
Description rules
Finding Aid Prepared According To Local Divinity Library Descriptive Practices
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Part of the Yale Divinity Library Repository

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