In early New England, all colleges were training institutions for ministers. All early colleges were based in religious practice. Over time,
as the country evolved, they expanded their curriculum to include teaching of
subjects such as law, history, political science, business and education. Harvard was originally Orthodox Congregationalist;
in the early 1800's, a Unitarian movement was uprising at Harvard which created a rift with the core theological
teachings at the college. In order to maintain the theological teachings - to train ministers and missionaries to
preach Orthodox Calvinism and preserve Puritan Theology - in 1808 Harvard moved their theology center to
Andover's Phillips Academy site.
The Andover Theological Seminary was the nation's first Theological Seminary,
it was founded to be a separate department at Phillip's Academy.
Andover Historical Society has several general catalogues and published histories of the Andover Theological Seminary.
Our library shelves contain a number of biographies, sermons, eulogies, and theological tracts by and about
Seminary professors. Our Archives contain letters and other manuscript materials catalogued under specific
names of Andover Theological Seminary theologians and students. We also hold the collection of Andover Imprints, texts and tracts,
and religious writings which were published on Andover Hill by Flagg and Gould and subsequent local presses.
The Oliver Wendell Holmes Library at Phillips Academy has more holdings associated with the Seminary, but the
major collection is to be found at the Andover-Newton Theological Seminary, having been moved out of Andover
to Cambridge after 1908 and later, to Newton.
In 1910 the - an internationally major theological research library today housing over four hundred and fify thousand books - was founded by a merger between the libraries of Harvard Divinity School and the Andover Theological Seminary. The initial collection included one hundred thousand books - 62% Andover and 38% Harvard.
More information:
Andover Newton Theological School
Andover-Harvard Theological Library
Andover Historical Society Newsletter Articles:
Andover: Island of Orthodoxy in a Sea of Liberalism - written by Dino Valz - Vol. 12, No. 1
The Reverend Jonathan French: Theologian, Physician, Educator - written by Joan Patrakis - Vol. 13, No. 4
From Andover Hill (Andover Theological Seminary) to the Four Corners of the World - written by Dino Valz - Vol. 16, No. 1
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