The Research Potential of Religious Archives: The Mennonite Experience

Abstract

Researchers often bypass religious archives when they write secular history. This article surveys seven broad areas of secular history in which religious archives may offer resources: women's history, genealogy, economic and business history, social history, politics, education, and ethnic history. The Mennonite Library and Archives (Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas) serves as a case study with examples of collections in each area. Although the article attempts to create awareness of new resources among scholars, it also focuses on the responsibility of religious archivists to shape and publicize their collections for broader and more efficient use by researchers working on less traditional topics.

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