PDF | XML

University of Chicago Library

Guide to the Franz Bibfeldt Papers 1951-1995

© 2006 University of Chicago Library

Descriptive Summary

Title:

Bibfeldt, Franz. Papers

Dates:

1951-1995

Size:

2.5 linear ft. (5 boxes)

Repository:

Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
University of Chicago Library
1100 East 57th Street
Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A.

Abstract:

Contains correspondence, newspaper articles, lectures by Martin Marty and others, biographical material, lists, photographs, memorabilia, academic attire, and a cassette tape. Material relates to fictional scholar Franz Bibfeldt.

Information on Use

Access

Access to some material may be restricted because of the need for special equipment.

Digital Images

Original documents, texts, and images represented by digital images linked to this finding aid are subject to U. S. copyright law. It is the user's sole responsibility to secure any necessary copyright permission to reproduce or publish documents, texts, and images from any holders of rights in the original materials.

The University of Chicago Library, in its capacity as owner of the physical property represented by the digital images linked to this finding aid, encourages the use of these materials for educational and scholarly purposes. Any reproduction or publication from these digital images requires that the following credit line be included: Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

Commercial publication projects require the permission of the University of Chicago Library and may be subject to a use fee. To order publication-quality reproductions, or for permission to copy or use any part of the digital images attached to this finding aid for any commercial purposes, please contact the Special Collections Research Center.

The images presented here may include materials reflecting the attitudes, language, and stereotypes of an earlier time period. These materials are presented as historical resources in support of study and research. Inclusion of such materials does not constitute an endorsement of their content by the University of Chicago.

The University of Chicago Library appreciates hearing from anyone who may have information about any of the images in this collection.

Citation

When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Bibfeldt, Franz. Papers, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library

Historical Note

Franz Bibfeldt is a fictional theologian created by Martin E. Marty, Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of the History of Modern Christianity, in the 1950s while attending graduate school at the University of Chicago Divinity School. By the 1970s, the Divinity School hosted semi-annual lectures in honor of Franz Bibfeldt. By the 1990s, faculty, students, alums, and staff produced multiple publications and creative works in honor of Bibfeldt, including a Festschrift edited by Martin E. Marty, The Unrelieved Paradox: Studies in the Theology of Franz Bibfeldt, first published in 1994 with a revised edition in 2013.

Scope Note

Contains correspondence, newspaper articles, lectures by Martin Marty and others, biographical material, lists, photographs, memorabilia, academic attire, and a cassette tape. Includes essays from Martin E. Marty --, et al. The Unrelieved Paradox: Studies in the Theology of Franz Bibfeldt. Rev. 18th (or perhaps 19th) anniversary ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2013. Material relates to Franz Bibfeldt.

Related Resources

Browse finding aids by topic.

Franz Bibfeldt: The Man, The Mystery

Martin E. Marty --, et al. The Unrelieved Paradox: Studies in the Theology of Franz Bibfeldt. Rev. 18th (or perhaps 19th) anniversary ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2013.

Subject Headings

INVENTORY

Box 1   Folder 1

Martin E. Marty, Franz Bibfeldt Archive, item list (bracketed numbers appearing in the following folder listing refer to this item list)

View digitized documents.

Box 1   Folder 2

Martin E. Marty, Franz Bibfeldt Archive, photocopied items keyed to item list in folder 1

View digitized documents.

Box 1   Folder 3

Martin E. Marty, Franz Bibfeldt Archive, photocopied items keyed to item list in folder 1

View digitized documents.

Box 1   Folder 4

Martin E. Marty, Franz Bibfeldt Archive, photocopied items keyed to item list in folder 1

View digitized documents.

Box 1   Folder 5

Martin E. Marty, Franz Bibfeldt Archive, photocopied items keyed to item list in folder 1

View digitized documents.

Box 1   Folder 6

References to Ur-material and Ur-material

  • Martin E. Marty, "About Franz Bibfeldt," biographical summary, April 1992 (1)
  • Martin E. Marty, review of The Relieved Paradox, by Franz Bibfeldt, The Seminarian, December 1950 (2)
  • Catalog card of Bibfeldt work, from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, 1951-1952 (3)

View digitized documents.

Box 1   Folder 7

References to Ur-material and Ur-material, Franz Bibfeldt, "The Problem of the Year Zero," dissertation, English translation (4)

View digitized documents.

Box 1   Folder 8

Newspaper Stories

  • James Robison, "Spirit of Franz Bibfeldt alive - although he never was," Chicago Tribune (5)
  • Ken Franckling, "Ghost Professor Lives Busy Life," Dallas Morning News, March 10, 1975, with attached note to Martin Marty from Philip D. Jones, March 12, 1975 (6)
  • James H. Bowman, "Hail to Franz! UC honors theologian who never was," Chicago Daily News, May 13, 1976 (7)
  • Clarence Petersen, "The gospel according to 'Franz Bibfeldt': A divine inspiration," Chicago Tribune (8)
  • "Franz Bibfeldt: A theologian for everyone" (9)Chicago Tribune, "University honors theologian, calendar critic, owner of invisible dog," Hartford Courant, April 2, 1992 (10)

View digitized documents.

Box 1   Folder 9

Photographs and other visual materials

  • "Bibfeldtiana," display case card (11)
  • Signed photograph, Vice-president Spiro Agnew (12)
  • Signed photograph, Congressman Roman Pucinski of Chicago (13)
  • Signed photograph, District Attorney Edward Hanrahan (14)
  • Signed photograph, Governor Lestor Maddox of Georgia (15)
  • Signed photograph, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin (16)
  • Signed photograph, Senator Charles Percy (17)
  • Signed photograph, Mayor Richard J. Daley (18)
  • Signed photograph, Shari Clark, Playmate of the Year 1971 (19)
  • Signed photograph, Attorney-General William Scott (20)
  • Martin Marty holding portrait of Bibfeldt by Siegfried Reinhardt, photograph (21)
  • Martin Marty and Gerald C. Brauer at a Swift Hall lunch, photograph (22)
  • W.G.N. credits (24)

View digitized documents.

Box 1   Folder 10

Photographs and other visual materials,

  • American Historical Association exhibitor's badge (23)
  • Exhibitor's badges (25)

View digitized documents.

Box 1   Folder 11

Photographs and other visual materials

  • Martin Marty at Turnhalle in Groszenkneten, Germany, near Bibfeldt birthplace, color photograph (26)
  • Postcard from J. C. Brauer to M. E. Marty (27)
  • Cover of Newsweek, May 1, 1978 (28)
  • Visualization of Bibfeldt's theology (29)
  • Mao-Tse Tung, calligraphed saying (30)
  • Library catalog card of Bibfeldt work (31)
  • Motel marquee displaying "Welcome Franz Bibfelt" with festival participants in foreground, three color photographs (32)
  • Card from a room at Jumer's Hotel, Peoria, Illinois, November 1, 1992 (33)
  • Captions for Bibfeldt Day at Divinity School, University of Chicago (34)

View digitized documents.

Box 1   Folder 12

"The Franz Bibfeldt Slide Show," American Academy of Religion, captions from slide show and slides, 1987 (35)

View digitized documents.

Box 2   Folder 1

Lecture-like material

  • Martin Marty, "Ur-Lecture," November 1, 1972 (36)
  • R. M. Grant, "The Quest for the Historical Bibfeldt," lecture, 1976 (37)
  • David Ousley, "The Quest for the Historical Bibfeldt," lecture, 1976 (38)
  • Joseph Price, "The Quest for the Historical Bibfeldt," lecture, 1976 (39)
  • Dennis L. Landon, "The Man Who Isn't There, Some Notes on the Quest for the Historical Franz Bibfeldt," lecture, 1976 (40)
  • J. C. Brauer, lecture, 1992 (41)
  • W. Mark McClemore, "The Bibfeldt Hustle, or Saturday Night Plague: Some Recent Theories of Pastoral Care," lecture, 1977 (42)
  • Robin D. Mattison, "Both This World and the Next," sermon, 1978 (43)
  • Otto Dreydoppel, Jr., "Franz Bibfeldt and Pastoral Care: Theologian of the Dead," lecture, 1978 (44)

View digitized documents.

Box 2   Folder 2

Lecture-like material

  • Robin Lovin, "Franz Bibfeldt: The Breakdown of Consciousness and the Origins of the Quadrilateral Mind," lecture, 1980 (45)
  • Mark G. Toulouse, "Between Autocracy and Democracy: A Realistically Conceived Idealist Posture," lecture, 1981 (46)
  • Anonymous and not very good item (47)
  • Glen Holland, "There's No Business': Franz Bibfeldt and Alternative Careers for the Ph.D. in Religion in Show Business," lecture, 1983 (48)
  • Dale Richeson, "An Exegesis of Franz Bibfeldt's The Food Context of Pastoral Care," lecture, n.d. (49)
  • Robin Lovin, "Franz Bibfeldt and the Future of Political Theology," lecture, 1987 (50)
  • Ellen K. Wondra, "Franz Bibfeldt and the Uses of the Doctoral Exams," American Academy of Religion (AAR) lecture, November 21, 1988 (51)
  • Joseph Bessler, "On Reading Bibfeldt," lecture, n.d. (52)
  • Richard A. Rosengarten, "Franz Bibfeldt: The Life, and Scholarship on the Life," lecture, March 30, 1988 (53)
  • Robin W. Lovin, "Landmarks and Landmines in Bibfeldt Scholarship," AAR lecture, November 21, 1988 (54)
  • Todd Whitmore, "The Bibfeldtian Origins of the Pseudo-Thomistic Literature," lecture, April 1988 (55)
  • Peter Schineller, Hilda Braunschweiger-Bibfeldt Lecture, Weston School of Theology, Boston, April 28, 1989 (56)
  • Sam Portaro, "A Faith for Franz," lecture, April 1992 (57)

View digitized documents.

Box 2   Folder 3

Miscellaneous items

  • Martin Marty, "Franz Bibfeldt," biography for The Encyclopedia of the Reformation, Oxford University Press (58)
  • "The Quest for the Historical Bibfeldt," Conversations at Chicago, precis of radio program, September 26, 1976 (59)
  • Dennis L. Landon, President, Franz Bibfeldt Society, to Charles Collingwood, CBS Radio News, July 11, 1975, TLS, 1 p. (60)
  • Charles Collingwood to Dennis Landon, July 25, 1975, TLS, 1 p.,
  • Charles Kuralt, script for Dateline America, April 13, 1975 (61)
  • Martin Marty, lecture announcement at the Divinity School, 1972 (62)
  • Undated program from Valparaiso University (63)
  • International Genealogical Index, Joannem Bibfeldt (64)
  • Franz Pknöeurdt, "Biography for Academic Personnel" form, 1977 (65)
  • Martin E. Marty, Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws, Valparaiso University, signed by Franz Bibfeldt (66)
  • American Kennel Club, Registration Gertificate for Hadley I, 1974 (67)
  • Concordia Publishing House card, 1952 (68)
  • L. Blankenbuehler, Concordia Publishing House, to Tony, request for Bibfeldt book (69)
  • Franz Bibfeldt, to Herrn Redaktor, letter, published in the Seminarian (70)
  • Franz Bibfeldt, Jr., of the rap staff, "Urges New Language of God" (71)
  • "Library Finds Jewel Among the Dust," Seminarian, April 1, 1958 (72)
  • "Announcements," Seminex, Concordia Seminary in Exile, October 8, 1974 (73)
  • "New of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Sioux Falls,"
  • "Calendar of Events," March 1982 (74)

View digitized documents.

Box 2   Folder 4

Miscellaneous items

  • Martin Marty [?], lecture outline (75)
  • Sox 76, Chicago White Sox program, 1976, with note from Robert Otto to Martin Marty (76)
  • "Cultic Studies Newsletter," March 1983 (77)
  • Pacific Lutheran University, "Report to Investors," 1985-1986 (78)
  • The International Trade Association of Greater Chicago,
  • "Newsletter," June 1992 (79)
  • Criterion, Winter 1983, p. 4 footnote (80)

View digitized documents.

Box 2   Folder 5

Miscellaneous items

  • Program of uncertain provenance (81)
  • Siegfried Reinhardt, sketches of Franz Bibfeldt, correspondence (82)

View digitized documents.

Box 2   Folder 6

Miscellaneous items

  • Allenson and Ex Libris book catalogs, correspondence (83)
  • Harper and Row, Eerdmans Publishing Co., correspondence, bibliography (84)
  • Donnelley Stool of Bibfeldt Studies, J. C. Brauer, Donnelley Stool acceptance speech, correspondence (85)

View digitized documents, Part 1.

View digitized documents, Part 2.

Box 2   Folder 7

Inhouse correspondence and announcements (86)

View digitized documents.

Box 2   Folder 8

Outhouse correspondence and announcements (87)

View digitized documents.

Box 2   Folder 9

Tod Hedinger, guitar composition (88)

View digitized documents.

Box 2   Folder 10

"The 1981 Franz Bibfeldt Symposium," Conversations at Chicago #687, Martin Marty, Robert Grant, Robin Lovin, cassette tape

View digitized documents.

Box 2   Folder 11

Martin E. Marty, By Way of Response (Abingdon, 1981), pp. 33-37, about Bibfeldt

View digitized documents.

Box 2   Folder 12

Martin Marty, miscellaneous

View digitized documents.

Box 2   Folder 13

Miscellaneous items

  • Bill Moyers to Martin Marty, January 17, 1994
  • Conrad Cherry to Martin Marty, January 19, 1995
  • Martin Marty to Conrad Cherry, January 23, 1995

View digitized documents.

Box 3

Donnelley Stool Christmas sock

Box 3

Bibfeldt honorary degree hood, made by Elsa E. Marty

Box 3

Plaque, "University of Oklahoma, S. L. E. P. Seminar Salutes Franz Bibfeldt, March 21, 1988"

Box 3

Franz Bibfeldt degree from Concordia College, St. Louis, September 13, 1951

Box 3

Photographs of sketches of Bibfeldt Prototype of Warner Sallman's Jesus Bibfeldt in academic attire Bibfeldt in Chicago White Sox uniform

Box 4   Folder 1

Miscellaneous items

  • American Academy of Religion-Society of Biblical Literature, 1988
  • Annual Meeting, Chicago, November 19-22, 1988, program

View digitized documents, Part 1.

View digitized documents, Part 2.

View digitized documents, Part 3.

Box 4   Folder 2

Peterson, Doug, "Franz Bibfeldt: He Came, He Saw, He Compromised," in The Door, September/October, 1993

View digitized documents.

Box 4   Folder 3

Hirsley, Michael, "Scholars gather to toast a legend," Chicago Tribune, April 16, 1993

View digitized documents.

Box 5   Folder 1

Allen B. Veaner to Martin E. Marty, May 12, 1995 University of Arizona, School of Library Science, LIS589, Scholarly Communication, final examination distributed April 18, 1995, includes Question 3, "Identify the scholar Franz Bibfeldt"

View digitized documents.

Box 5   Folder 2

Allen B. Veaner to Martin E. Marty, student answers

View digitized documents.

Box 5   Folder 3

Allen B. Veaner to Martin E. Marty, student answers

View digitized documents.

Box 5   Folder 4

Allen B. Veaner to Martin E. Marty, student answers

View digitized documents.

Box 5   Folder 5

Allen B. Veaner to Martin E. Marty, student answers

View digitized documents.

Box 5   Folder 6

Miscellaneous items

  • Princeton University Theological Seminary Library, order form for P.T.L. Von Kaester, Semperlapsarianismus: die Sundelehre in der Theologie Franz Bibfeldts, 1988
  • Dave Edwards, correspondence, 1994
  • Robert D. Ibach, correspondence, 1995

View digitized documents.