The Kellenberger Library is honoring the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation by displaying several of its Reformation-era Bibles in a joint exhibit with the University of Oregon Libraries’ Special Collections.
“The beginning of the Protestant Reformation is traditionally associated with Oct. 31, 1517, when Martin Luther tacked his 95 theses to a church door in Wittenberg, Germany,” said Steve Silver, M.L.S., M.Mus., Director of Kellenberger Library, and Assistant Professor. “Students and community members interested in the Reformation can view our Reformation-era Bibles and visit the UO’s Special Collections that has several amazing artifacts touching on the vast political, social, and cultural revolution that the Reformation spawned in Western Europe, particularly focused on the role of the new printing technology.”
NCU’s Protestant Reformation display is available for viewing in the Kellenberger Library now through the end of the semester. The exhibit from UO Libraries’ Special Collections will open October 31 in the Paulson Reading Room, Special Collections, Knight Library.
Kellenberger Library is renowned for it rare Bible collection. The collection was established in 1911 when J.A. Bushnell, first chair of the Board of Regents, and his wife Sarah gave a gift of $1000 to college founder and President Eugene Sanderson to visit England to purchase Bibles for the fledgling college, then called Eugene Bible University. He was able to purchase several editions that would be impossible to find today. Over the years the collection has been added to through other gifts and acquisition of fine facsimile editions of Bibles not otherwise in the collection. The Friends of the Library has been raising money over the past several years for ongoing restoration and conservation work on these Rare Bibles.