Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
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- Textual record
- Graphic material
- Sound recording
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- Source of title proper: Title based on contents of the series.
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Class of material specific details area
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Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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1966 - 1985, 1994; predominant 1971 - 1981 (Creation)
- Creator
- Nouwen, Henri J. M., 1932-1996
Physical description area
Physical description
235 cm of textual records
14 audio cassettes (21 hours, 40 min.)
357 photographs: col.
35 mm negatives (in slide mount)
Publisher's series area
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Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Henri Nouwen was born in Nijkerk, The Netherlands to Maria (nee Ramselaar) and Laurent Nouwen on January 24, 1932, the eldest of four children. He was ordained to the Catholic priesthood on July 21, 1957 for the diocese of Utrecht. Immediately following his ordination, Nouwen began studying psychology at the Catholic University of Nijmegen completing a doctorandus degree cum laude in 1964 (February 3rd, 1964 in Psychology; primary subject: psychology of religion, secondary subjects: sociology, social geography).
Following his studies in psychology Nouwen became a Fellow in the program for Religion and Psychiatry at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas from 1964-1966. During this year he participated in Martin Luther King's civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Following his studies at the Menninger, Nouwen was invited to join the newly formed Faculty of Psychology at Notre Dame University where he taught for two years.
In 1968 he returned to the Netherlands to take positions as Staff member of the Amsterdam Joint Pastoral Institute and member of the faculty of the Catholic Theological Institute in Utrecht. From 1970-1971 Nouwen pursued an advanced degree in theology at the University of Nijmegen, focusing on the work on Anton T. Boisen. A doctorandus degree was received in 1971. After completing his theology degree he accepted a position in the Yale Divinity School. For ten years (1971-1981), he taught such courses as Christian Spirituality, Pastoral Care and Counselling, Life and Work of Thomas Merton, Ministry and Spirituality, Ministry of Vincent van Gogh and Ministry to the Elderly. He spent one semester in Rome teaching at the North American College in 1978 and became a fellow at the Ecumenical Institute at Collegeville, Minnesota.
In 1981 he resigned from his tenured position to work with the Maryknoll brothers in Peru as well as visiting Bolivia and Nicaragua. In addition to exploring his vocation in Latin America, Nouwen explored the possibility of joining several different Christian communities, with extended stays at the Abbey of the Genesee in 1979 and 1982. In 1983, following a speaking tour about Nicaragua, he accepted a Letz Lectureship at Harvard Divinity School, a position he held until his resignation in 1985. He went on to teach a summer course at Boston College and later to L'Arche Trosly-Breuil in France at the invitation of Jean Vanier, the founder of L'Arche (a network of more than 100 communities where people with developmental disabilities live in homes with assistants).
In 1986 he accepted the position of pastor as L'Arche Daybreak in Richmond Hill, Ontario. In addition to his duties as pastor, Nouwen co-taught with Daybreak members at Regis College, Toronto a course entitled "Communion, Community and Ministry" in 1994, the last course he would teach at a university.
In addition to teaching Nouwen was a prolific writer, authoring more than 40 books and hundreds of articles related to the Christian spiritual life including contemplative spirituality, prayer, the desert mothers and fathers, icons, ministry, theological education, peacemaking, prayer, death and the trapeze. A selection of his titles include The Wounded Healer, Reaching Out, Genesee Diary and The Return of the Prodigal Son. He was a sought-after speaker and travelled extensively to address participants at retreats, convocations, conferences and other public events.
Nouwen died on September 21, 1996 while visiting family in Holland.
Custodial history
The material dating from 1966 to 1985 was originally housed in the Yale Divinity School Library. For the most part these were preparatory notes, lecture notes and class handouts which Nouwen had bound at the end of each class and donated to the Library. Administrative files related to Nouwen's teaching do not appear to have been donated to the Library by Nouwen. This material as well as notes from his classes at Boston College and Regis College were transferred from L'Arche Daybreak to the Archives. However, while at Daybreak, Nouwen's files were manipulated heavily, resulting in the loss of original order.
Scope and content
Series consists of materials created by Nouwen for use in his capacity as a professor and instructor. These materials include notes for lectures, reading notes, class lists, handouts for students, class schedules, course evaluations, audio recordings of lectures, and records related to the administration of courses.
Notes area
Physical condition
Many of the early photo duplications are fading. Adhesive has been used for small slips of paper, which has caused some staining. The Yale Divinity School Library suffered a flood on New Year's Day, 1988, causing water damage and mould growth on a number of files and bound volumes. Some of the articles by students in the Van Gogh materials contains post cards that have been adhered using adhesive tape.
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
Series has been divided into two sub-series:
7.1. Course handouts, lecture, reading and students notes (1966 - 1994, predominant 1972 - 1981). This sub-series also includes 14 audio recordings of Nouwen's lectures and 357 art slides which he used in his lectures on Van Gogh.
7.2. Administrative records (1966 - 1994, predominant 1983-1985)
Language of material
- Dutch
- English
- French
- Greek
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Associated materials
Accruals
General note
Letters of recommendation for former students and co-workers are located in the General Files series.
General note
Amateur recordings of some lectures are in the Sound Recording series. As well, there are live sound recordings of his lectures that were accrued after Nouwen's death from former students but were not a part of his personal collection of his recorded lectures.
General note
The series has considerable overlap with materials contained within the Calendar Files. The Calendar Files deal with events and appointments Nouwen attended in his various capacities as a teacher, author, friend, colleague and priest. Many of these events relate to lectures or workshops Nouwen led as a university professor but do not necessarily relate directly to his post at a specific university.
General note
Some drafts of lectures and sermons can be found in the Manuscripts series.
General note
Some correspondents that have particular relevance to Nouwen's function as a university professor include: Annice Callahan, George Rupp, Colin Williams, Padraic O'Hare, Peter Weiskel, John Mogabgab, and Parker Palmer.
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Nouwen, Henri J. M., 1932-1996 (Subject)
- Gogh, Vincent van, 1853-1890 (Subject)
Genre access points
Control area
Description record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules or conventions
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Language of description
- English