The Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection is North America’s premier collection of rare books and manuscripts documenting the reforms of Martin Luther and the conversations and responses his movement sparked in the 16th century. Pitts Theology Library aggressively collects these treasures from the past and uses digitization, exhibitions, and public programming to foster research, learning, and engagement with these resources, continuing to ask how documents of the past may inform contemporary conversations. Examples of this programming include the library’s annual Reformation Day at Emory and its series of virtual Kessler Conversations, interviews with Reformation scholars focused on how texts from the 16th century might speak to situations that churches, communities, and individuals face today. Past topics include pandemics, gender identity, and electoral politics.
Donations to the Kessler Collection support new acquisitions to the collection and events designed to teach the public with the collection. The Kessler Collection’s international reputation creates opportunities for the library to acquire many documents that have never left Germany. Pitts depends on its financial supports to seize these opportunities and create opportunities for research and learning.
Each year, thousands of scholars, students, and members of the general public learn how the conversations of the 16th century continue to inform the world we live in, for good and for bad.
