Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Mollenkott, Virginia Ramey
- Abstract:
- The collection contains the working, task, project, and correspondence files and materials concerning the career and ministry of Virginia Ramey Mollenkott (1932 - ), an English professor and advocate of women's and gay and lesbian rights. Raised a fundamentalist Christian, she became active in progressive evangelical organizations.
- Extent:
- 23 linear feet (20 record boxes; 3 -5.5 inch boxes; 6-2 inch boxes)
- Language:
- Languages represented in the collection: English
- Preferred citation:
-
Virginia Ramey Mollenkott papers, GTU 2007-7-01. Center for Gay and Lesbian Studies in Religion and Ministry, Graduate Theological Union Archives, Berkeley, CA.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, published articles, sermons, photographs, diaries, audio tapes, videotapes and ephemera.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Virginia Ramey Mollenkott was born in Philadelphia on January 28, 1932. She attended the Plymouth Brethren Assembly, a conservative evangelical organization. After her parents divorced, her mother sent her to a fundamentalist Christian boarding school in Florida. She received her B.A. in English from Bob Jones University (1953). There she met and married Fred Mollenkott, a marriage that lasted 19 years. She received her M.A. in English from Temple University (1955) and a Ph.D. in English from New York University (1964). A well-respected Milton scholar, she taught English literature and writing at William Paterson University of New Jersey for 44 years.
As an English professor with a fundamentalist Christian background, she served as stylistic consultant for the New International Version of the Bible and as a member of the National Council of Churches' Inclusive Language Lectionary Committee. She became active in Christian feminist organizations during the 1970s. In 1975, she joined the Evangelical Women's Caucus (renamed the Evangelical and Ecumenical Women's Caucus in 1990) and CLOUT (Christian Lesbians OUT). She co-authored with Letha D. Scanzoni, Is the Homosexual My Neighbor? (1978). This work contributed to her popularity as a speaker in theological schools and conferences across the country. Along with numerous articles, she has published 13 books on Christianity, feminism and gay/lesbian topics. She is one of the most influential Christian feminists to emerge in the 20th century, especially in addressing gay, lesbian and transgender issues.
See her chapter in Ann Braude (ed), Transforming the Faiths of Our Fathers: Women Who Changed American Religion (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004) for more biographical information.
- Acquisition information:
- "The Virginia Ramey Mollenkott Papers" belongs to the larger archival collection of The Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies in Religion (CLGS) at Pacific School of Religion, a member school of The Graduate Theological Union. Materials received 2007-2008, 2013 and 2018. The GTU Archives is the designated repository.
- Arrangement:
-
The collection is arranged as follows: Series 1, Biographical, Sub-series: A-Journals, B-Personal, C- Articles and Papers about Mollenkott, D-Selected Interviews and Biographical Descriptions. Series 2, William Paterson University. Series 3, Writings, Sub-series: A-Student, B-Articles and Papers, C-Books and Reactions, and D-Poetry. Series 4, Speeches and Events: Sub-series A- Sermons, B- Speeches, Lectures, Presentations, and Workshops, C-: Correspondence, News, Fliers, Reactions Surrounding Conferences and Events. Series 5, Correspondence, Sub-series: A-General, B-Named. Series 6, Subject Files. Series 7, Sound Recordings, Sub-series: A-Audio cassettes, and B-CDs and Reel to Reel Tapes . Series 8, Video Recordings.
- Physical location:
- 4/A-E/top
- Rules or conventions:
- Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard
Indexed terms
- Subjects:
- Homosexuality--Religious aspects--Christianity.
Transgenderism--Religious aspects--Christianity.
Christian transgender people--Religious life.
Transvestism--Religious aspects--Christianity.
Transvestism--Religious aspects--Comparative studies.
Transsexualism--Religious aspects--Christianity.
Transsexualism--Religious aspects--Comparative studies.
Feminist theology.
Lesbian clergy--United States--Biography.
Feminism--Religious aspects--Christianity.
Fundamentalism.
Church work with gays.
Woman (Christian theology)
Women--Religious aspects--Biblical teaching.
Sex--Religious aspects--Christianity.
Race discrimination--Religious aspects--Christianity.
Femininity of God--Biblical teaching.
Women religious leaders--United States--Biography.
Religious leaders--United States--Biography.
Feminists--United States--Biography.
Biblical Teaching.
Biblical Teaching, Doctrinal Theology. - Indexes:
-
Index
Mollenkott, Virginia R. (1932- ) Scanzoni, Letha D.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research with the exception of personal journals and correspondence, student letters and evaluations, restricted until 2032 December 15.
- Terms of access:
-
Copyright has not been assigned to The Graduate Theological Union. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Graduate Theological Union as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
- Preferred citation:
-
Virginia Ramey Mollenkott papers, GTU 2007-7-01. Center for Gay and Lesbian Studies in Religion and Ministry, Graduate Theological Union Archives, Berkeley, CA.
- Location of this collection:
-
2400 Ridge RoadBerkeley, CA 94709, US
- Contact:
- (510) 649-2523/2501