Lawson, John. Papers

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CITATION: John Lawson Papers, MSS 093, Archives and Manuscripts Dept., Pitts Theology Library, Emory University.

John Lawson was born in Leeds, England, July 16, 1909. He was the fifth John Lawson and was born into a family which had been Methodist since the time of Wesley. He was raised and educated in the city of Nottingham. Lawson attended Midland Agricultural College and received the B.S. degree in 1929. Shortly thereafter he was called to the ministry, and the Methodist Church then sent him to Cambridge University, where he completed the M.A. in 1935 and the B.D. in 1946. From 1935 to 1955, he served in the pastoral ministry, mainly in the agricultural counties of eastern England. In 1955, he was invited to teach at the Candler School of Theology. Lawson spent 21 years, from 1955 to 1976, teaching Church History, Historical Theology, Wesleyan History and Wesleyan Theology. During his tenure at Candler, he maintained his permanent residence in England. In 1976 he retired from teaching and returned to England. Lawson died in September of 2003.

[Most of the material used in this biographical sketch was taken from the autobiographical sketch by John Lawson, which is in Box 3, Folder 10.]

This is a collection of the papers of John Lawson. It consists of articles written by Lawson, both published and unpublished; class notes and tests from the time he taught at Candler; correspondence; manuscripts (mostly unpublished); research; reviews of Lawson’s published works as well as his reviews of others’ published works; lectures from various seminars and conferences, as well as several sermons.

CONTAINER LISTING

Articles – Published:
1/1 Anglican Theological Review – “The Liturgy of
the Lord’s Supper Considered” 1970
1/2 Christian Advocate 1960, 1964
1/3 Christianity Today – “Saving Faith as Wesley Saw it” 1964
1/4 Emory University and Candler publications 1959, 1968, 1976
1/5 Encyclopedia Britannica – “Iranaeus” 1968
1/6 Encyclopedia of World Methodism n.d.
1/7 Headline 1987-1991
1/8 History of the Methodist Church – “The
People Called Methodists” n.d.
1/9 Methodist Reporter 1966, 1994, 1996
1/10 Together – “Should British Methodists Unite
With Anglicans?” 1964
1/11 The Bulletin of the Fellowship of the Kingdom 1956-1996
1/12 The Mint Methodist Church Exeter Forward 1993-1996
1/13 The Kingdom Overseas – “The Name’s the Same” 1966
1/14 Wesley Fellowship – “The Conversion of the
Wesleys Reconsidered” 1987
1/15 Wesley Historical Society – “Charles Wesley:
A Man of the Prayer-book” 1996
1/16 Worship – “An Ironic Statement from a Protestant” 1967

Articles – Unpublished:
2/1 [Ministerial] 1957, 1974
2/2 [Miscellaneous] 1967
2/3 [New Service Book] 1991
2/4 [Wesley Hymns] 1981-1983, 1988
2/5 [Wesleyan] n.d.

Church services and sermons:
2/6 Sermons 1963, 1971, n.d.
2/7 Services 1953-1954, 1970, n.d.

Class notes and tests:
3/1 Church History 301-History of Ancient and Mediaeval
Christianity 1970
3/2 Church History 303- Reformation and Modern Period n.d.
3/3 Church History 305-Highlights of Church History and
Church History 336: History Of Christianity in the
British Isles Church History 338-Wesley and the
Genesis of Methodism n.d.
3/4 Historical Theology 313-History of Christian
Doctrine, Early Period n.d.
3/5 Historical Theology 317-History of Theology,
Modern Period n.d.
3/6 Historical Theology 326-The Apostolic Fathers n.d.
3/7 Historical Theology 348-Studies in Wesleyan Documents n.d.
3/8 Historical Theology 349-Wesley's Place in the
Evangelical Tradition and Historical Theology 350-
Theology of John Wesley n.d.
3/9 Historical Theology 421-Irenaeus and Systematic
Theology 354-Theology and Evangelism 1970
3/10 [Doctoral examinations, Master of Arts questions
and tests] 1960-1973

Correspondence:
3/11 Application for the degree of D.D. 1970
3/12 Consideration for appointment to full professor 1968

Manuscripts:
4/1 “The Benevolent Neutral” n.d.
4/2 “Christian Reaction” 1991
4/3 Excerpts from the Preface to “A Collection
of Hymns for the People Called Methodist” n.d.
4/4 “Getting to Know You” n.d.
Made to Wesley Documents” n.d.
4/5 “Reasoned Evangelical Belief in Outline with
Full Scripture Proofs and with Reference n.d.
4/6 “Scriptural Christianity” 1989
5/1 “The Christian Year selected and Arranged from
the verses of Charles Wesley – Volume II” n.d.
5/2 “The Discipline of the Methodist Societies” n.d.
5/3 “The Gospel in the Hymnal” n.d.
5/4 “The Non-Trad God” n.d.
6/1 “The Signature of Love Divine” n.d.
6/2 “The Sovereign King” 1967-1969
6/3 “The Thousand Tongues” n.d.
6/4 “To the Church of England: with Love” n.d.
6/5 “Thoughts on My Life and Ministry” 1989
6/6 “Verses Selected and Arranged from Charles Wesley,
Volume I” n.d.

Research/Notes:
7/1 Books read by John Wesley on his mission to Georgia n.d.
7/2 “Christianity as Old as the Creation: or, The Gospel
a Republication of the Religion of Nature” n.d.
7/3 Digest of “Christianity not Mysterious…” n.d.
7/4 [Family history] 1970
7/5 John Fletcher n.d.
7/6 Saint Iranaeus 1935-1936
7/7 Tertullion n.d.

Reviews of Lawson’s works:
7/8 “A Comprehensive Handbook of Christian Doctrine” 1964-1967
7/9 “Evangelical Faith for Today” 1973
7/10 “Introduction to the Apostolic Fathers” 1961-1963
7/11 “The Biblical Theology of Saint Iranaeus” 1949

Reviews of others’ published works:
7/12 “Early Christian Creeds” by J.N.D. Kelly n.d.
7/13 Editorials 1974, 1992, n.d.
7/14 Editorials – Christian Advocate 1963, n.d.
7/15 [Temperance] by Sheffield 1963
7/16 “The Impact of American Religious Liberalism”
by Kenneth Cauthen n.d.

Seminars/Conferences/Lectures:
7/17 [Dated] 1959, 1963-1964
7/18 [Undated] n.d.