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Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection
The Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection was established in 1987, when Richard and Martha Kessler donated their private collection of Reformation imprints and manuscripts to Emory University. These materials were combined with Reformation holdings at the Pitts Theology Library, and an effort was launched to enlarge and sustain this collection in the years to come. An advisory committee of Lutheran laypersons and clergy and of Candler School of Theology faculty and administrators oversees the nurture of the collection and its programs. The Reformation Notes newsletter provides semiannual updates on the growth of the collection, and programming each October celebrates the collection and its contributions to music, history, and theology.
In the sixteenth century the social and theological movements of central Europe, known collectively as the Reformation, critically shaped religion, law, education and other institutions in the West, and their long shadow has extended even to the present. The purpose of the Kessler Collection is to document these changes by collecting print and manuscript materials down to 1570 by Martin Luther (1483-1546) and those whom he influenced or engaged in debate. In this way historians and theologians will be able to hear the full range of voices that were raised in this dynamic period.
The holdings of the collection now exceed 3,800 items, a mark approximated by only two other libraries in North America; no American library approaches the Kessler Collection's 1,000+ publications by Luther himself. Highlights of the collection include:
- Luther's September Testament (1522)
- Catholic Church, Archdoicese of Mainz, Indulgence, 1515 (MSS 085)
- Papal Plenary Indulgence (1515-1520) (MSS 445)
- The first five editions of Erasmus' Greek New Testament and more than 70 other works by him
- The Achtliederbuch (1524) and several other early Lutheran hymnals
- The Deutsche Messe (1526) and other important liturgical works
- 13 Lutheran church-orders (Kirchenordnungen)
- Twenty-eight papal bulls, an unused indulgence (1515), and many other works that track Luther's conflicts with Rome
- The first Latin and German editions of the Augsburg Confession, as well as almost a dozen later printings
- The first edition of Melanchthon's Loci communes and more than 30 other printings of this important systematic theology
- More than forty Protestant and nine Catholic catechisms
- Complutensian Polyglot, the first of the four Great Polyglots (all held at Pitts)
- The first four editions of the Rabbinic Bible (Pitts holds the next three editions, too)
- Enchiridion geistliker Leder vnde Psalmen vppet nye gebetert Mart. Luth[er]. Also known as the Slüter Hymnal, this is the only known copy of this book.
To learn more about the publications and manuscripts in the Kessler collection, see the following descriptions:
- "Complete holdings of the Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection: Martin Luther, his friends and his opponents" by Roy T. Wise (PDF)
- "Kessler Reformation Collection Summary: Key Books in the Collection" by Roy T. Wise (PDF)
- "Early Lutheran Hymnals and Other Musical Sources in the Kessler Reformation Collection at Emory University" by Stephen A. Crist
As the collection has grown over two decades, it has stimulated musical programs, provided a venue for visiting lecturers, supported teaching and research, and supplied the grist for scholarly publications. In addition, it has provided the material for the creation of a Digital Image Archive of woodcuts and metal engravings. In short, the Kessler Collection has been a significant resource for the Candler School of Theology, Emory University, and international scholarship. It is continually the subject of presentations for students, church and synagogue groups, professional organizations, and visiting scholars. It has provided a fruitful point of contact for the academy and the church.
Reformation Notes
The Reformation Notes newsletter provides updates on the growth of the collection. The following issues are available for download in Adobe Acrobat format: