Paul Herman Vieth Papers

Paul Vieth was a pioneer in the field of Protestant religious education during the twentieth century. He is best known for his work in formulating the objectives of religious education, his leadership of the Educational Commission of the International Council of Religious Education, and his groundbreaking recognition of the value of audio-visual materials in religious education. Vieth was the first professor to offer a course in a seminary on audio-visual education.

These papers primarily document Vieth's professional career and contain relatively little personal material. The correspondence is primarily business letters related to publications. One folder contains circular letters by Vieth describing his experiences in Japan, 1947-1948. There is a fairly complete file of Vieth's writings for journals, as well as sermons, addresses, and lecture notes. The articles are primarily in typescript form, as Vieth submitted them for publication; the journal to which an article was submitted in noted on some.

The Class Notes of Series III are from Vieth's years as a student at the Yale Divinity School. They provide documentation on the content of religious education and the psychology of religion courses taught during this time period. The Working Files of Series IV were compiled for courses taught by Vieth at the Divinity School.