Biographical and Historical Note

Bill J. Leonard was the founding dean of the Wake Forest University School of Divinity. After his retirement from this position in 2010, he remained on the faculty roster as a Professor of Church History and in 2011 was named the James and Marilyn Dunn Professor of Baptist Studies. He was educated at Texas Wesleyan University (BA); 
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv); Boston University (PhD); 
and Franklin College (DD)

Bill J. Leonard holds appointments in both the Wake Forest University Divinity School and the Department of Religion. From May, 1996 until June, 2010 he served as founding dean of the Wake Forest University School of Divinity. From 1975-1992 he was Professor of Church History at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky. He then served as chair of the department of religion and philosophy, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama, from 1992-1996. A Baptist minister and native Texan, Leonard served as interim pastor of over 25 congregations in Kentucky, Indiana, Connecticut, Alabama and North Carolina. During the 1988-1989 school year, he was visiting professor at the Seinan Gakuin University in Fukuoka, Japan. In 1980-81 he was a visiting scholar at Yale Divinity School.

Recognized for his work in American, Southern and Baptist religious studies, Leonard is the author or editor of some seventeen books including The Nature of the Church (Broadman Press, 1986); Becoming Christian: Dimensions of Spiritual Formation (Westminster/John Knox, 1990); God’s Last and Only Hope: The Fragmentation of the Southern Baptist Convention (Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), Christianity in Appalachia: Profiles in Regional Pluralism (University of Tennessee Press, 1999 ); Baptist Ways: A History ( Judson Press, 2003); Baptists in America (Columbia University Press, 2005); and The Challenge of Being Baptist (Baylor University Press, 2010). He has published over 400 articles in such journals and periodicals at Church History; Christian Century; Review and Expositor; Religion and American Culture; The Baptist Times (London); Hebrew Studies; Perspectives on Religious Studies; and The Journal of Religion, Disability and Health.

Leonard has received or participated in grants from groups or foundations such as Lilly Endowment Inc., Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, the Henry Luce Foundation, the Jesse Ball DuPont Fund, and the Louisville Institute. Leonard is a frequent commentator on American religion in periodicals such as the New York Times, the Christian Science Monitor; Christianity Today; the Boston Globe and the Charlotte Observer. He is married to Candyce Crew Leonard, a professor of communication at Wake Forest. With their daughter, Stephanie, they are members of First Baptist Church, Highland Avenue, the oldest African American Baptist congregation in Winston-Salem.

Collection Overview

The materials are arranged primarily as the creator arranged them. Some items, however, were located in several boxes so the processor incorporated them into the creator's arrangement. Later arrangement attempted to reduce the number of series and subseries in the collection.

Collection Inventory

• Biographical materials
  • Vita Box 1 Folder 1
  • Certificates and awards Box 1 Folder 2
  • Education Box 1 Folder 3
  • Photographs Box 1 Folder 4
  • Handwritten notes Box 1 Folder 5
  • Calendar notes, etc. Box 1 Folder 6
  • Articles featuring/quoting B. J. Leonard Box 11 Folder 11-12
  • Book reviews Box 11 Folder 13
• Correspondence (1979-2007)
  • Correspondence (undated) Box 2 Folder 1
  • Correspondence (1979) Box 2 Folder 2
  • Correspondence, 1980 Box 2 Folder 3
  • Correspondence, 1981 Box 2 Folder 4
  • Correspondence, 1987 Box 2 Folder 5
  • Correspondence, 1988 Box 2 Folder 6
  • Correspondence, 1989, Jan. - June Box 2 Folder 7
  • Correspondence, 1989, July - Sept. Box 2 Folder 8
  • Correspondence, 1989, Oct. - Dec. and undated Box 2 Folder 9
  • Correspondence, 1990, Jan. - Feb. Box 3 Folder 1
  • Correspondence, 1990, Mar. - Apr. Box 3 Folder 2
  • Correspondence, 1990, May - June Box 3 Folder 3
  • Correspondence, 1990, July - Aug. Box 3 Folder 4
  • Correspondence, 1990, Sept. Box 3 Folder 5
  • Correspondence, 1990, Oct. Box 3 Folder 6
  • Correspondence, 1990, Nov. Box 3 Folder 7
  • Correspondence, 1990, Dec. and undated Box 3 Folder 8
  • Correspondence, 1991, Jan. - Feb Box 4 Folder 1
  • Correspondence, 1991, Mar. - June Box 4 Folder 2
  • Correspondence, 1991, July - Sept. Box 4 Folder 3
  • Correspondence, 1991, Oct. - Dec., and undated Box 4 Folder 4
  • Correspondence, 1992, Jan. - June Box 4 Folder 5
  • Correspondence, 1992, July - Dec. Box 4 Folder 6
  • Correspondence, 1993, Undated; Jan. - Mar. Box 4 Folder 7
  • Correspondence, 1993, Apr. - Aug. Box 4 Folder 8
  • Correspondence, 1993, Sept. - Dec. Box 4 Folder 9
  • Correspondence, 1994, undated & Jan. - Mar. Box 5 Folder 1
  • Correspondence, 1994, Apr. - July Box 5 Folder 2
  • Correspondence, 1994, Aug. - Sept. Box 5 Folder 3
  • Correspondence, 1994, Oct. - Dec. Box 5 Folder 4
  • Correspondence , 1995, no specific dates Box 5 Folder 5
  • Correspondence, 1995, letter from Helen Graves, includes 1958 Baptist Women's League booklet Box 5 Folder 6
  • Correspondence, 1995, Jan. - Feb. Box 5 Folder 7
  • Correspondence, 1995, March Box 5 Folder 8
  • Correspondence, 1995, Apr. - June Box 5 Folder 9
  • Correspondence, 1995, July - Sept. Box 5 Folder 10
  • Correspondence, 1995, Oct. - Dec. Box 5 Folder 11
  • Correspondence, 1996, no specific dates Box 6 Folder 1
  • Correspondence, 1996, Jan. - July Box 6 Folder 2
  • Correspondence, 1996, Aug. - Sept. Box 6 Folder 3
  • Correspondence, 1996, Oct. - Dec. Box 6 Folder 4
  • Correspondence, 1997, no specific date Box 6 Folder 5
  • Correspondence, 1997, Jan. - Mar. Box 6 Folder 6
  • Correspondence, 1997, Apr. - May Box 6 Folder 7
  • Correspondence, 1997, June Box 6 Folder 8
  • Correspondence, 6/13/1997, from George Kloster (damaged by an oily substance) Box 6 Folder 9
  • Correspondence, 1997, July - Sept. Box 6 Folder 10
  • Correspondence, 1997, Oct. - Dec. Box 6 Folder 11
  • Correspondence, 1998, Jan. - Apr. Box 7 Folder 1
  • Correspondence, 1998, May - Aug. Box 7 Folder 2
  • Correspondence, 1998, Sept. - Oct. Box 7 Folder 3
  • Correspondence, 1998, Nov. - Dec. Box 7 Folder 4
  • Correspondence, 1999?, no dates Box 7 Folder 5
  • Correspondence, 1999, Jan. - Mar. Box 7 Folder 6
  • Correspondence, 1999, Apr. - June Box 7 Folder 7
  • Correspondence, 1999, July - Sept. Box 7 Folder 8
  • Correspondence, 1999, Oct. - Dec. Box 8 Folder 1
  • Correspondence, 2000, Jan. - Feb. Box 8 Folder 2
  • Correspondence , 2000, Mar. - May Box 8 Folder 3
  • Correspondence, 2000, June - Oct. Box 8 Folder 4
  • Correspondence, 2000, Nov - Dec. and undated Box 8 Folder 5
  • Correspondence, 2001, Jan. - Feb. Box 8 Folder 6
  • Correspondence, 2001, Mar. - Apr. Box 8 Folder 7
  • Correspondence, 2001, May - Sept. Box 9 Folder 1
    • Includes correspondence related to a post-9/11 article in which BJL was quoted
  • Correspondence, 2001, Oct. - Dec. Box 9 Folder 2
  • Correspondence, 2002 Box 9 Folder 3
  • Correspondence, 2003 Box 9 Folder 4
  • Correspondence, 2004 Box 9 Folder 5
  • Correspondence, 2005 Box 9 Folder 6
  • Correspondence, 2006 Box 9 Folder 7
  • Correspondence, 2007 Box 9 Folder 8
  • Greeting card addressed to Thomas K. Hearn Box 9 Folder 9
  • Correspondence to Walter Harrelson from Larry Williams and Roy Smith, 1995 Box 9 Folder 10
  • Invitations/Announcements Box 9 Folder 11
  • Contracts Box 9 Folder 12
• Research materials
  • Research materials Box 10 Folder 1
  • Bibliographies Box 10 Folder 2
  • Publications - misc. papers Box 10 Folder 3
  • Miscellaneous Box 10 Folder 4
• Personalities
  • King, Rev. Martin Luther, Jr. Box 15 Folder 21
  • Hinson, Glenn - Vita Box 15 Folder 22
  • Dunn, James M. Box 15 Folder 23
  • Obituaries/Eulogies Box 15 Folder 24
  • Resumes, various Box 15 Folder 25
  • John R. Raymer & Melissa Box 15 Folder 26
• Professional papers
  • Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
    • Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, misc. Box 12 Folder 1
    • SBTS - History of American Revivalism class, c. 1982 Box 12 Folder 2
  • Samford University
    • Samford University, misc. Box 12 Folder 3
    • Samford University, teaching Box 12 Folder 4
    • Samford University, History 501 (folder 1) Box 12 Folder 5
    • Samford University, History 501 (folder 2) Box 12 Folder 6
    • Samford University - Beeson Divinity School Box 12 Folder 7
    • Samford University Strategic Plan, 1995 Box 12 Folder 8
  • Baylor University - An Optional Core Curriculum, March, 1993 Box 12 Folder 9
  • WFU Divinity School
    • WFU Divinity School (folder 1) Box 13 Folder 1
    • WFU Divinity School (folder2) Box 13 Folder 2
    • WFU Divinity School (folder 3) Bin 13 Folder 3
    • WFUDS, memos, etc. Box 13 Folder 4
    • WFUDS. Publicity: News releases & articles. 1996 Box 13 Folder 5
    • WFUDS. Publicity: Wake Forest Magazine, Sept. 1996 Box 13 Folder 6
    • WFUDS. Publicity: Biblical Recorder. June 8, 1996 Box 13 Folder 7
    • WFUDS. Publicity: New & Observer (Raleigh, NC), Aug. 22, 1999. (original with color photos and B/W photocopies) Box 13 Folder 8
    • WFUDS. Publicity: News & Observer, Aug. 22, 1999 (includes original with color photos and 2 color glossies) Box 13 Folder 9
    • WFUDS. Publicity: newspaper articles, various dates Box 13 Folder 10
    • WFUDS. Sermons and Addresses by Faculty Box 13 Folder 11
      • -Wrestling with Strangers (and anybody else who comes along)- 5/16/1999. Leonard, B.J.
      • -Not Instruction, but Provocation: Doing Theology at a New Divinity School- 10/12/1999. Leonard, B.J.
      • -After the Rains Come: A New Year at a New Divinity School- 8/2000. Leonard, B.J.
      • -New Wine in New Wineskins: Deacons Vineyard, Vintage 2002- 8/21/1999. Tupper, E. Frank
      • -Strangers and Struggles- 9/2001. Tribble, Phyllis
      • -Religious Heritage and Academic Culture at Wake Forest- 8/24/2002. Hearn, Thomas K. Jr.
    • WFUDS - Inaugural Convocation notes, 1999 Box 13 Folder 12
    • WFUDS. Inaugural Convocation Address: "Not Instruction, but Provocation: Doing Theology at a New Divinity School." 10/12/1999. Leonard, B. J. // and draft of worship bulletin Box 13 Folder 13
    • WFUDS, courses, various Box 13 Drawer 14
    • WFUDS, student work Box 13 Folder 15
    • WFUDS, misc. WFU docts Box 13 Folder 16
    • WFUDS. Board of Trustees, Graduate & Professional Committee Meeting. 3/30/2006 Box 13 Folder 17
    • WFUDS. Board of Visitors meetings - Spring, 1999; April, 2000 Box 14 Folder 1
    • WFUDS. Board of Visitors meetings - Sept., 2000; Oct. 2001 Box 14 Folder 2
    • WFUDS. Board of Visitors meetings - Oct., 2002 Box 14 Folder 3
    • WFUDS. Board of Visitors meetings - April, 2003; Oct., 2004 Box 14 Folder 4
    • WFUDS. Board of Visitors meetings - notes, etc. Box 14 Folder 5
    • WFU - Reynolda Campus, Year 2000 Compliance Plan Box 14 Folder 6
    • Lilly Grants Box 14 Folder 7
    • Pew Faculty Fellowship Proposal, 1997: "Daniel Parker, John Mason Peck, and the Struggle for the Soul of Frontier Baptist, 1801-1835." Mills, Randy Box 14 Folder 8
    • Seminary Planting Box 14 Folder 9
    • The Department of Religion of Wake Forest University: A History, c. 1983. Easley, John Allen and Griffin, George Jeter Box 14 Folder 10
• Publications and mixed media
  • Worship Bulletins Box 17 Folder 11
  • Church Newsletters Box 17 Folder 12
  • Miscellaneous Box 18 Folder 1-3
  • Cartoons Box 18 Folder 4
  • Dodeka Club Members and Date of Election, 1924-1973 Box 18 Folder 5
  • PAIDEIA 1995 Corporate Profile Box 18 Folder 6
  • Florida Baptist Witness, newspaper, 5/22/1986 Box 18 Folder 7
  • "Initiatives in Religion" (newsletter) Box 18 Folder 8
  • SBC Life (includes Premier Issue, Summer 1993) Box 18 Folder 9
  • Whisitt Journal, misc, issues Box 18 Folder 10
  • &straightaway (newsletter) Box 18 Folder 11
  • The Mission (Golden Gate BTS newsjournal) Box 18 Folder 12
  • Pew Evangelical Scholarship Program, 1993 Box 18 Folder 13
  • "The Gift of Laughter & Tears" (3/17/1999) Box 27
  • Meggs, M. (11-19-2002) Box 27
  • Japanese audio recording Box 27
  • Knollwood Baptist Church worship service (8/16,23,30/2009) Box 27
  • D.C. Trip (2007) Box 27
  • ATS folio on Diversity in Theological Education Box 27
  • "William Miller, the Millerties and the Early Adventists Box 27
  • "Courage: What Scares You?" (1/12/1998) Box 27
  • "Being Baptist" a five part series Box 27
  • Cassette Audio Recordings - Bill J. Leonard Box 35 Box 30 Box 31 Box 29
  • Cassette audio recodings -- various Box 34 Box 32 Box 33
  • "Church History" by Dr. Peter S. Ruckman Box 36
  • "Baptist Questions, Baptist Answers" Lecture by Dean Leonard at Knollwood Baptist April 21 (1 compact disc) (2010) Box 27
  • Into a New Day: Exploring a Baptist Journey of Division, Diversity and Dialogue. Box 28
  •   Wake Forest University--Faculty--Personal and professional papers.  The Letters from Short Mountain: American Heritage in Granddaddy's Letters. ISBN: 0-9655004-1-1 (autographed copy and includes a personal letter to BJL) Box 28

    Controlled Access Headings

    Corporate Name(s)

    • Wake Forest University School of Divinity. -- Archives

    Occupation(s)

    • Dean of the Divinity School

    Subject(s)

    • Baptists
    • Theological seminaries
    • Theology--Study and teaching
    • Universities and colleges--North Carolina--Faculty
    • Wake Forest University Kenan Professor of Humanities
• Southern Baptist Convention materials
  • Peace Committee
    • SBC - Peace Committee Box 19 Folder 1
    • SBC - Peace Committee (Wiliam Poe docts) Box 19 Folder 2
    • SBC - Peace Committee (William Poe docts) (folder2) Box 19 Folder 3
    • SBC - Peace Committee (William Poe docts) (folder 3) Box 19 Folder 4
    • SBC - Peace Committee (William Poe docts) (folder4) Box 19 Folder 5
    • SBC - Peace Committee (William Poe correspondence) Box 19 Folder 6
    • SBC - Peace Committee (William Poe correspondence) (folder2) Box 19 Folder 7
  • SBC - Power Struggle Box 19 Folder 8
  • SBC - Power Struggle (William Poe docts) Box 19 Folder 9
  • SBC - Henry Foster (surgeon general nominee) opposition, 1995 Box 20 Folder 1
  • SBC - Fundamentalists Box 20 Folder 2
  • SBC - Annual Meeting, New Orleans, 1990 Box 20 Folder 3
  • Annual Report 1991-92, Sunday School Board Box 20 Folder 4
  • SBC - "Bedrock of Southern Belief," 1983 Box 20 Folder 5
  • SBC - Cooperative Missions Box 20 Folder 6
  • SBC - Evangelism Box 20 Folder 7
  • SBC - 1934 Minutes re Birth Control Box 20 Folder 8
  • SBC - "The Manila Declaration on Pornography," 1995 Box 20 Folder 9
  • SBC - Propaganda Box 20 Folder 10
  • SBC - Religious Liberty and Separation of Church & State Box 20 Folder 11
  • SBC - articles and papers (folder 1) Box 20 Folder 12
  • SBC - articles and papers (folder 2) Box 20 Folder 13
  • SBC - Take Over Box 20 Folder 14
  • SBC -- The Split Box 20 Folder 15
  • Women in the SBC
    • SBC & Women Box 20 Folder 16
    • SBC - Women in Ministry: The Edward Clark Saga, 1993 Box 20 Folder 17
  • SBC - Biblical Inerrancy Box 20 Folder 18
  • Southern Baptist Convention Controversy
    • SBC Controversy - -Review & Expositor,- 1996 Box 20 Folder 19
    • SBC Controversy - newspaper clippings, folder 1 Box 21 Folder 1
    • SBC Controversy - newspaper clippings, folder 2 Box 21 Folder 2
    • SBC Controversy - Seminaries Box 21 Folder 3
    • SBC Controversy - 1992 Box 21 Folder 4
    • SBC Controversy - moderates - various articles, folder 1 Box 21 Folder 5
    • SBC Controversy - moderates - various articles, folder 2 Box 21 Folder 6
    • SBC Controversy - Foreign Mission Board Box 21 Folder 7
    • SBC Controversy - Censorship Box 21 Folder 8
    • SBC Controversy - Alabama Baptist State Convention Box 21 Folder 9
    • Facts & Trends (periodical) Box 21 Folder 10
    • SBC Controversy - Lolley, W. Randall - Resignation letter - 3/15/1998 Box 21 Folder 11
    • SBC Controversy - Dilday, Russell H. Jr. Box 21 Folder 12
    • SBC Controversy - Patterson, Paige Box 21 Folder 13
    • SBC Controversy - "Reflections on the Crisis in the SBC," 2/12/1986. Hearne, Stephen Z. Box 21 Folder 14
    • SBC Controversy - Baptist Public Relations Association Box 21 Folder 15
    • SBC Controversy -- Personalities Box 21 Folder 16
    • The Paladin, Special Edition, 10/17/1990. (SBC Split) Box 21 Folder 17
    • Courier-Journal, Louisville, KY, 7/30/1990 (SBC split) Box 21 Folder 18
    • SBC Controversy - Christian Life Commission Box 22 Folder 1
    • SBC Controversy - Warren, C.C. (Casper Carl) Box 22 Folder 2
    • SBC Controversy - Warren, C.C. - materials and correspondence Box 22 Folder 3
    • SBC Controversy - Warren, C.C. -- misc. Box 22 Folder 4
    • SBC Controversy - Warren, C.C. - correspondence and misc. Box 22 Folder 5
    • SBC Controversy - Warren, C.C. Box 22 Folder 6
    • SBC Controversy - various articles (folder 1) Box 22 Folder 7
    • SBC Controversy - various articles (folder 2) Box 22 Folder 8
  • Baptist Alliance, etc.
    • Southern Baptist Alliance - Baptists Committed Box 22 Folder 9
    • Immersion - Baptist Alliance publication Box 22 Folder 10
    • Concerned Baptist Fellowship, 1990 Box 22 Folder 11
    • Baptist Joint Committee Box 22 Folder 12
    • SBC/Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Issues Box 23 Folder 1
    • Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Box 23 Folder 2
    • CBF - Documents Box 23 Folder 3
    • CBF - Homosexuality and women clergy Box 23 Folder 4
• Southern Baptist Theological Seminary materials
  • Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, misc. Box 23 Folder 5
  • SBTS Controversy - misc. Box 23 Folder 6
  • SBTS Controversy - misc. (folder2) Box 23 Folder 7
  • SBTS - Ad Hoc Committee, 1990 (folder 1) Box 23 Folder 8
  • SBTS - Ad Hoc Committee, 1990 (folder 2) Box 23 Folder 9
  • SBTS - Ad Hoc Committee, 1990 (folder 3) Box 23 Folder 10
  • SBTS - Ad Hoc Committee, 1990 - handwritten notes (B.J. Leonard) Box 23 Folder 11
  • SBTS - ATS General Institutional Standards, June 1990 Box 23 Folder 12
  • SBTS - ATS response to the Peace Committee Controversy, May 1991 Box 23 Folder 13
  • SBTS -ATS Reports Box 23 Folder 14
  • SBTS - Covenant of Renewal, 1991 Box 24 Folder 1
  • SBTS - Ecumenical Dialogue Class, 1991 Box 24 Folder 2
  • SBTS - Faculty Box 24 Folder 3
  • SBTS - President, Roy Honeycutt Box 24 Folder 4
  • SBTS - Personnel issues Box 24 Folder 5
  • SBTS - Peace Committee Controversy Box 24 Folder 6
  • SBTS -- Trustees Issues Box 24 Folder 7
  • SBTS - Mohler, R. Albert, Jr. Box 24 Folder 8
  • The Tie (6 issues) Box 24 Folder 9
  • "The Cover-Up at Southern Seminary." 1990. Johnson, Jerry A. and responses to the article Box 24 Folder 10
  • SBTS Controversy - various articles Box 24 Folder 11
  • SBTS - Carver School of Church Social Work Box 24 Folder 12
  • SBTS - newspaper clippings (folder 1) Box 25 Folder 1
  • SBTS - newspaper clippings (folder 2) Box 25 Folder 2
  • SBTS - newspaper clippings (folder 3) Box 25 Folder 3
  • "Biblical Controversy in the SBC," 1980. Hammond, A. C. (student paper) Box 25 Folder 4
• Southern Baptists materials
  • Baptists & Homosexuality Box 15 Folder 1
  • Wake Forest Baptist Church -- Resolution on Same Sex Marriages Box 15 Folder 2
  • Sermon: Charles T. Rush, Jr. (on homosexuality) Box 15 Folder 3
  • Prejudicial Issues Box 15 Folder 4
  • Afrocentrism Box 15 Folder 5
  • Abortion Box 15 Folder 6
  • Authority of Clergy Box 15 Folder 7
  • The Scriptural Qualifications of Ministers and Deacons, April 29, 1993 Box 15 Folder 8
  • Baptist Confessional Statements on Scripture Box 15 Folder 9
  • Biblical Inerrancy Box 15 Folder 10
  • Censorship Box 15 Folder 11
  • Baptists and Politics Box 15 Folder 12
  • Ethics in Ministry Box 15 Folder 13
  • Church/Expansion/Building Issues Box 15 Folder 14
  • Paper on the Catholic Church in the western N.C. counties. Cook, Bro. Millard S. Box 15 Folder 15
  • Appalachia Box 15 Folder 16
  • AMERC Box 15 Folder 17
  • Snake Handling Box 15 Folder 18
  • Baptist writers group Box 15 Folder 19
  • Disciples, Inc. - Business Plan, 1994 Box 15 Folder 20
• Speeches and writings
  • Publications by Leonard
    • B. Leonard articles for Contemporary American Religion , 1998 Box 10 Folder 5
    • Articles by B.J. Leonard (folder 1) Box 10 Folder 6
      • -A Sabbatical Journal, Hesitantly Submitted,- 1989.
      • -Southern Baptist Fundamentalists Complete Takeover,- 1990.
      • -When the denominational center doesn-t hold: The Southern Baptist experience.- 1993. (also, -When the Denominational Center Doesn-t Hold: Life in the SBC,- no date.)
    • Articles by B. J. Leonard (folder 2) Box 10 Folder 7
      • -Southern Baptist Seminary, Again,- no date. (2 copies and draft)
      • -Siege Begins at Another SBC Seminary.- 1990
    • Articles by B.J. Leonard (folder 3) Box 10 Folder 8
      • -Southern Baptists: In Search of a Century- 1985.
      • -On Burning Down the House- No date.
      • -Piety & Politics: Independent Religion in Eastern Kentucky- July 1994.
    • Newspaper Articles: Various, by B.J. Leonard Box 10 Folder 9
    • The Hermeneutics of Serpent Handling: Literalism, Ritual and Spirituality in an Appalachian Sect (1992 American Academy of Religion submission) Box 10 Folder 10
    • Article for the "International Encyclopedia of the Church" Box 10 Folder 11
    • Baptist Foundational Principles, no date. Leonard, B. J. Box 10 Folder 12
    • Catholics and Baptists, no date. Leonard, B. J. Box 10 Folder 13
      • -Sacred Space, Open Space: A Catholic Cathedral and a Festival of Faiths,- 1999. Crews, Clyde F. and Leonard, B. J. (includes correspondence)
      • -What Then, What Now? Catholics and Baptists, Past, (present?) and Future,- 1997. Leonard, B. J. (includes correspondence)
      • -Reformation Principles for the Re-formation of Community,- no date. Leonard, B. J.
    • A Crafty Historian: A Glenn Hinson Primer, no date. Leonard, B. J. Box 10 Folder 14
    • Religion in America Box 10 Folder 15
      • The Bible and Serpent-handling, 1999. Leonard, B.J.
      • Spirituality in America: Signs of the Times, no date. Leonard, B.J. (includes correspondence)
    • Religion in a New Millennium, no dates. Leonard, B.J. Box 10 Folder 16
      • Religion, Region and Identity: Profiling Faith in America toward a New Century
      • What Kind of Church will Survive and Grow in the Next Millennium? Published in Baptists Today, 9/25/1994
      • Hologram Preaching and Disposable Communion: Un-Real Presence in a New Millennium. (2 versions)
    • Baptists in the South Box 10 Folder 17
      • -Southern Baptists: A People in Transition-
      • -Baptists in the South: A New Connectionalism- (2 copies plus original manuscript) (includes correspondence)
      • -Southern Baptists, 1998- (includes correspondence)
      • -History is Watching: Texas Baptists and the Future-
  • Sermons
    • Sermon notes Box 11 Folder 1
    • Sermon: Baptist Women in Ministry: Somber Celebration, 1998. Leonard, B. J. (includes correspondence) Box 11 Folder 2
    • Convocation Address, Sept. 1999. (with correspondence) Box 11 Folder 3
    • Sermons, Various. Leonard, B. J. Box 11 Folder 4
      • The Gift of Laughter & Tears, March 17, 1999
      • Time Was -, No date
      • Hanging of the Greens (A Service of Worship), 1983
      • Wrestling with Strangers (and anybody else who comes along), May 16, 1999
      • Improvising Grace, date unknown
      • He Is Us, 3/14/2001
  • Lectures and other speaking engagements
    • Lectures - Bill J. Leonard Box 11 Folder 5
    • Historical Committee/Society Box 11 Folder 6
    • Eulogy, Penrose St. Amant - by: Leonard, B.J. Box 11 Folder 7
    • Seminars (folder 1) Box 11 Folder 8
    • Seminars (folder 2) Box 11 Folder 9
    • Seminars. Wabash Consultation. "Signs of the Times: Contemporary American religion in Historical Perspective." 6/20-21/2006 (AKA 2006 Summer Lay Seminary -Signs of the Times: Religion in Contemporary American [sic]- 7/7-9/2006 Box 11 Folder 10
• Speeches and writings, various authors
  • Sermons, Various Box 16 Folder 1
  • America (Jesuit publication) - Special Issue on Fundamentalism, Sept. 1996 Box 16 Folder 2
  • Lectures Box 16 Folder 3
    • -Stagnation - The Fungus of Fundalmentalism,- 1993. Clark, Edward
  • Fundamentalism in Religion
    • Baptist Heritage Study Commission of the Baptist World Alliance Box 16 Folder 4
    • Fundamentalism/Televangelism (folder 1) Box 16 Folder 5
    • Fundamentalism/Televangelism (folder 2) Box 16 Folder 6
    • Fundamentalism/Televangelism (folder 3) Box 16 Folder 7
    • Fundamentalism/Televangelism -- PTL (Praise the Lord) material Box 16 Folder 8
    • Fundamentalism/Televangelism -- PTL Scandal Box 16 Folder 9
    • Fundamentalism/Televangelism -- -The Flame- a CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network) publication Box 16 Folder 10
    • Fundamentalism/Televangelism -- three student papers Box 16 Folder 11
      • -Kenneth Copeland,- 1981. Mills, R
      • -The Electric Church: Pat Robertson and CBN,- 1980. Singerman, Scott
      • -The Electric Preachers: From Fuller to Falwell,- 1981. Snider, P. Joel
    • Robinson, James & Greene, Milton Box 16 Folder 12
    • The Religious Right Box 16 Folder 13
  • Articles -- various Box 17 Folder 1
  • Articles -- various Box 17 Folder 2
  • Articles - various, 1996 Box 17 Folder 3
  • Articles - various, 2000 (folder1) Box 17 Folder 4
  • Articles - various, 2000. (folder2) Box 17 Folder 5
  • Articles - various, 2000. (folder3) Box 17 Folder 6
  • Newspaper articles - misc. (folder 1) Box 17 Folder 7
  • Newspaper articles - misc. (folder 2) Box 17 Folder 8
  • Newspaper articles - misc. (folder 3) Box 17 Folder 9
  • Newspaper clippings - Cults Box 17 Folder 10
• Southeastern and Southwestern baptist seminary materials Box 25 Folder 6
  • SEBTS, Wake Forest, N.C. Box 25 Folder 6
  • SEBTS - Bulletins, 1988 Box 25 Folder 7
  • SEBTS - Controversy Box 25 Folder 8
  • SEBTS - Response of the Board of Trustees of SEBTS to the Report of the Special Fact-Finding Committee of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Jan. 1989. (Introduction thru p. 60) Box 25 Folder 9
  • SEBTS - Response of the Board of Trustees - (Addendum A thru Exhibit J) Box 25 Folder 10
  • SEBTS - Response of the Board of Trustees -. (Exhibit K - Exhibit W) Box 25 Folder 11
  • SEBTS Controversy - various articles Box 25 Folder 12
  • Letter: from Thomas Corts, President, Samford University to Rev. Dr. E. P. Wallen, 1993 Box 25 Folder 13
  • SWBTS - various Box 25 Folder 5

Summary Information

Repository

Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives

Title

Bill Leonard papers

ID

MS539

Date

1979-2010

Extent

15.0 linear feet  28 document boxes, 8 cassette tape cases

Administrative Information

Publication Information

Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives 2011

Access

The collection is primarily open, though certain files may be closed. 

Copyright

Copyright for materials resides with the creators of the items in question or their descendents, unless otherwise designated. Users of this collection are responsible for using the materials in conformance with U.S. Copyright laws. 

Custodial History

The materials were donated by Dean Bill J. Leonard in the fall of 2010 and processed in the fall of 2011. MS539. 

Preferred Citation

Bill J. Leonard Papers (MS 539), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Colelctions and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA. 

‹ Staff view ›