Pitts Publishes the 57^th Issue of Reformation Notes

Pitts Theology Library proudly announces the release the newest issue of Reformation Notes, a newsletter for partners of the library’s Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection. This annual publication details the activities surrounding the Kessler Collection, North America’s premier collection documenting the religious and cultural reforms in Europe in the 16^th century. The current issue highlights new acquisitions and serves as an invitation for a Fall full of academic programming. Reformation Notes can be read online at http://pitts.emory.edu/reformationnotes, and print copies can be requested by emailing theologyref@emory.edu.

A Fall Full of Programming for the Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection

This Fall, all are invited to join Pitts Theology Library and distinguished guests for a series of in-person and virtual events around the Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection.

Kessler Conversations

On the first Wednesday of each month, Pitts will host a virtual conversation with a leading scholar of the Protestant Reformation, exploring the relevance of the 16^th century for communities in the 21^st. This semester is entitled “Martin Luther’s Bible,” and will be a series of conversations about Martin Luther’s translation of the New Testament in German. Each month, our guests will look at a different aspect of this monumental publication. Attendance online is free, but registration is required.

On September 7^th, we will learn from Dr. Euan Cameron, Henry Luce III Professor of Reformation Church History at Union Theological Seminary. Dr. Cameron’s conversation, “The Distinctiveness of the Luther New Testament of 1522″ will look at how Luther used Erasmus’ Greek and Latin New Testament of 1519 as his source and how Luther’s German differed from those that came before him.

On October 6^th, our guest will be Dr. G. Sujin Pak, Dean and Professor of the History of Christianity at Boston University’s School of Theology. Dr. Pak’s conversation is titled “Martin Luther as a Reader of Scripture and Insights for Today,” and she will introduce us to Luther’s exegetical method and what contemporary readers of Scripture can learn from the way Luther presents his theology in his translation.

Our final conversation of the Fall, on November 2^nd, will be with Dr. Armin Siedlecki, Pitts Theology Library’s Head of Cataloging and Rare Book Cataloger. In his conversation, “’Let Anyone Who Would Hear God Speak Read Holy Scripture’: Luther’s Translation After 500 Years,” Dr. Siedlecki will speak as the curator of Pitt’s Fall exhibition on Luther’s September Testament, helping us understand the curatorial decisions he has made.

The Kessler Conversations fulfill part of the Kessler Collection’s mission, which is not only to collect materials from the 16^th century, but to create learning opportunities for the general public to consider why such materials are important for today. This Fall will be the 5^th semester of Kessler Conversations, and Drs. Cameron, Pak, and Siedlecki will be our 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th scholars to join us. We encourage you to watch all the past conversations at http://pitts.emory.edu/kesslerconversations and contact us about topics you would like to see covered.

Fall Exhibition of Martin Luther’s September Testament

The Kessler Collection recently acquired its 4,000^th item, but there is one book that stands above the rest in terms of its significance- Luther’s “September Testament.” This first edition of Martin Luther’s translation of the New Testament from Greek (using Erasmus’s 1519 Greek New Testament, which we own!) to German was a landmark accomplishment, both in terms of the development of the vernacular Bible but also in terms of the development of a modern German language. It was also a landmark acquisition for the Kessler Collection in the early 1990s. We are excited to place it on exhibition this Fall, alongside other significant works that help define the context out of which Luther produced the translation and the major impact it has had on religious communities around the world. Dr. Armin Siedlecki has curated this Fall’s exhibition: “So That It Pierces and Rings Through the Heart”:Martin Luther’s September Testament and 500 Years of Bible Translation. Alongside the Kessler Collection’s copy of the September Testament will be dozens of other works from Catholic and Protestant traditions, which show the development of vernacular Bible translations throughout the centuries. The exhibition will open the first week of September, the 500^th anniversary of Luther’s publication! Visitors are welcome in the gallery any time the library is open.

Reformation Day Worship in Cannon Chapel

Pitts Theology Library is happy to continue one of the great traditions of the library- Reformation Day worship at Emory’s Cannon Chapel on the final Thursday of October. This year we will be led in a service of the word by Rev. Jenny McLellan, the Associate Pastor for Congregational Care at Atlanta’s Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. We hope you will join us in person at Cannon Chapel or via the online livestream at 11am on Thursday, October 27^th.

A New Tradition: An Evening with the Kessler Collection

This year’s signature event will be an evening Emory’s Convocation Hall, where guests will get an intimate look at the work of the Kessler Collection and learn from one of the world’s foremost scholars of the Reformation. This new evening event, on Wednesday, October 26^th, will be an opportunity to celebrate the 35 years of building this collection of more than 4,000 items and to renew support to continue to grow the collection. Guests will be treated to an interactive cocktail hour, where they will get hands on experience with the Kessler Collection. They will then share a meal together, which will feature musical performances and updates about the collection. The highlight of the evening will be a lecture from Dr. Timothy Wengert, Emeritus Professor of Church History at United Lutheran Seminary and a longtime supporter of the Kessler Collection. His lecture is titled “Martin Luther’s Great Surprise: Translating the New Testament, 1522-2022.” We hope you will join us not only to learn from this great scholar, but to meet others who support this world-renowned collection and are dedicated to growing its impact for the church and academy around the world.

Reservations for this evening event are required, and they can be made at http://pitts.emory.edu/kesslernight.