COLLECTION POLICY: CHRISTIAN SECTS
AND DENOMINATIONS

BX 1 - BX 9969

Bibliographer: Church History

Date Revised: September 14, 1998

General Purpose

The Christian Sects and Denominations collection of the Divinity Library "BX" supports a wide range of research needs. These interests include: undergraduates in the Religious Studies Department; professional students in the M.Div., M.T.S., graduate research (M.A. and Ph.D. programs); Kesler (clergy) patrons; and faculty.

Beside these research needs, three factors require that the Divinity Library pursue a broad collection policy in the area of denominations and sects. First, although originally a Methodist university, Vanderbilt Divinity School is an ecumenical, non-denominational institution. Consequently, the research interests of the faculty and students are quite diverse. Second, while few denominational courses are offered at VDS, the BX section is important for its relation to other disciplines in religion and history, e.g., Church History, Theology, Ethics. Third, the BX collection incorporates all Catholic, Protestant, and independent Christian groups, and thus by its nature the BX section is comprehensive.

Languages:

Although English-language material predominates emphasize, the subject matter of this section requires that the Divinity Library collect a variety of languages that are applicable to Christendom. In certain subheadings the percentage of foreign language should out number English titles, e.g., Roman Catholicism requires more foreign language titles than does Puritanism.

Geographic Areas:

Materials are collected for most geographic areas. Accentuation, however, falls on the United States, Europe and Western Asia. This is not necessarily due to any programmatic decision on the Divinity Library’s part, but on the design of the LC schedule. Africa, Asia, the Orient, and the Pacific region are ostensibly slighted in the BX schedule.

Chronological Limits:

Once again, given the scope of this section the collection policy is quite inclusive. From the early church councils to the present some 1,500 years are encompassed.

Types of Material Collected:

All types of relevant materials, printed or in microform, are collected, including but not limited to:

Monographs and sets

Serials, including academic journals, conference proceedings, denominational journals.

Documents, including denominational reports, yearbooks, statistics, festschriften.

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries of denominational history.

Liturgies, Lectionaries, Books of Worship, Hymnals, translations of Scripture, etc.

Recordings, sermons or lectures on a restricted scale.

Types of Materials Excluded:

Dissertations, except those specifically requested.

Manuscripts and back files of denominational reports--the Divinity Library relies upon the denominational agency for these types of material.

Other Factors:

Material relative to Christian Sects and Denominations that is not located in the "BX" section may be classified in Divinity’s BR, BT, BV, E and F sections. Some interdisciplinary material is also housed in the Central Library’s collection.

BX

Subject and Collecting Levels:

LC Number LC Subject Descriptor Current Desired Notes
BX 1-9 Ecumenical Movement 3.2F 4F
BX 100-754 Eastern and Oriental Churches

Coptic, Eth Arm, Monophysic Church

 3.2W 3.2W
BX 820-838 Roman Catholic Councils 3.2W 4F
BX 841-875 Roman Catholic Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Documents 3.1F 4F
BX 880-891 Roman Catholic General Works 3.2F 4F
BX 895-939 Roman Catholic Study and Teaching 2.2F 4F
BX 950-960 History of the Papacy 3.1F 4F
BX 965-1302 Origin of the Church to Trent 3.1W 3.2W
BX 1304-1361 1447 A.D. to the 18th Century 2.2W 3.2F
BX 1365-1397 1789 to the Present 3.2F 3.2F
BX 1402-1424 Roman Catholicism in North America 2.2E 4
BX 1425-1489 Roman Catholicism in Latin America 3.2Sp 3.5W
BX 1490-1612 Roman Catholicism in Europe 3.2F 3.2F
BX 1615-1673 Roman Catholicism in Asia 2.1F 3.1W
BX 1675-1692 Catholicism in Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands 2.1F 3.1F
BX 1700-1745 History of the Inquisition 3.2F 3.2F
BX 1746-1759 Theology, Doctrine, Dogmatics and Sermons 4F 4F
BX 1790-1793 Roman Catholicism--Church and State 2.2F 4F
BX 1800-1968 Roman Catholic Government and Organization 3.2F 4F
BX 1970-2092 Roman Catholic Liturgy, Ritual, Meditation and Sacraments 3.2F 4F
BX 2315-2324 Roman Catholic Relics, Shrines and Pilgrimages 2.1F 3.1F
BX 2325-2333 Roman Catholic Saints and Saints’ Lives 1F 3F
BX 2347-2386 Roman Catholicism--Christian Life 3.2F 3.2F
BX 2400-4556 Roman Catholicism--Monasticism 4F 4F
BX 4650-4705 Roman Catholicism--Biography 4F 4F
BX 4710-4715 Eastern Churches in Communion with Rome. Catholics of the Oriental Rites 2.2W 3.1F
BX 4716-4795 Dissenting Groups Other than Protestants 3.1F 3.2F
BX 4872-4924 Individual Sects Pre-Reformation 3.1F 3.2F
BX 4929-4946 Anabaptists 3.1F 3.2F
BX 5001-6093 Anglican Communion 4E 3.2F
BX 6101-6193 Adventists 2.2F 3.1F
BX 6194-6198 Armenians 2.2F 3.2F
BX 6201-6495 Baptist 3.2E 3.2F
BX 6901-6997 Christian Science 2.2E 3.1F
BX 7020-7097 Church of God--Churches of God in North America 2.1E 3.1F
BX 7101-7260 Congregationalism 3.2E 3.2F
BX 7301-7343 Disciples of Christ 3.1E 3.2F
BX 7451-7470 Evangelical and Reformed 1E 3.1F
BX 7556-7571 Evangelical United Brethren 2.1E 3.1F
BX 7601-7800 Friends, Society of 3.1E 3.2F
BX 7801-7990 German Baptist Brethren--German Reformed Church 3.1E 3.1F
BX7990.H6-H9 Holiness Churches 2.1E 3.1F
BX 8001-8090 Lutheran Churches 3.2F 3.2F
BX 8101-8143 Mennonites 3.2F 3.2F
BX 8201-8495 Methodists 4E 4F
BX 8551-8593 Moravians, United Brethren 2.2F 3.2F
BX 8601-8695 Mormons 3.2E 3.2F
BX 8701-8749 Swedenborgianism 3.1E 3.1F
BX 8762-8780 Pentecostal Churches 2.2E 3.1F
BX 8901-9250 Presbyterianism 3.2E 3.2F
BX 9301-9375 Puritanism 3.1F 3.2E
BX 9401-9640 Reformed or Calvinistic Churches 3.2F 3.2F
BX 9751-9793 Shakers 2.2E 3.2F
BX 9801-9869 Unitarianism 3.1E 3.2F
BX 9875-9877 United Brethren in Christ 2.1E 3.1F
BX 9881-9882 United Church of Canada 2.1E 3.1F
BX 9884-9886 United Church of Christ 2.2E 3.2F
BX 9901-9969 Universalism, Universalists 2.2E 3.2F