Memory and Mission: Methodist and Roman Catholic Perspectives on Archives as Tools for Evangelism
By William Johnstone
Published by the Catholic Archives Society October 2019
This new booklet by William Johnstone began as a dissertation for the MLitt in Archives and Records Management at the University of Dundee. Peter Phillips in his foreword describes it as ‘opening up some important questions as to how archives can be put to the service of the local Church, as well as raising some interesting questions of ecumenism in its reflection on the varying use of archives in the Methodist and Catholic communities.’
The author has set out to ease some of the tension that often exists between archives and the organisations that produce them. Even within ecclesiastical circles there can be a lack of understanding as to how historical documents can contribute to the core aims of the Church. By placing archives firmly within the context of the Christian understanding of mission, an attempt has been made to raise the profile of these important documents as well as the archivists who care for them.
The booklet begins by highlighting some of the existing literature that deals with the missionary potential of archives. There follows a close examination of two major texts; ‘Methodist Heritage and Contemporary Mission’ which was presented to the Methodist Conference in 2008 and ‘The Pastoral Function of Church Archives’, produced by the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Patrimony of the Church in 1997.
A case study comparison is then made of two important collections within the Methodist and Roman Catholic traditions. The first is a series of eighteenth century conversion testimonies at the John Rylands Library in Manchester while the second consists of a number of post-Reformation martyrdom narratives at Westminster Diocesan Archives. Both of these collections are presented and evaluated for their missionary potential.
The final section reflects on four specific ways in which religious archives can assist in mission and evangelisation. Firstly they contribute to the identity and self-understanding of religious communities and have the power to revive the spiritual dynamism of the contemporary Church. Secondly they have the capacity to inspire; significant anniversaries in the life of the Church are opportunities for archives to be promoted as storehouses of culture and memory. Thirdly religious archives play an important role in balancing the historical record and challenging some of the settled historical assumptions by promoting voices that have traditionally been unheard. Finally religious archives have the potential to encourage greater involvement with the Church through academic opportunities and outreach activities such as family history. The contribution of archives to a common language of mission and heritage is posited by the author as a possible step forward in terms of ecumenical dialogue.