James Payne Alter Papers

This collection documents James Alter's lifelong involvement with the Christian church in India, his affiliation with Yale University, his activities in student Christian organizations, and his ongoing interest in issues of peace and social concern.

Alter's student years at Yale, his involvement in the interrelated student Christian groups of that era, and his experiences as a conscientious objector during the Second World War are well-represented. After his return to India, extensive correspondence, writings and collected material provide important information about people and events as well as providing insight into Alter's personal journey as a son of traditional Presbyterian missionaries returning to devote his own life to an evolving participation in and understanding of the Christian Church in northern India. This record group does not contain a great deal of material relating specifically to the Christian Retreat and Study Centre in Rajpur, which Alter directed from 1954 to 1968. His consulting activities and research after this period are well documented.

The Correspondence of Series I, dating from 1936 to 1983, is divided into Family Correspondence and General Correspondence. Correspondence with family members, particularly his parents, is frequent and substantive. These letters, combined with the circular letters prepared by Jim and Barry Alter for their family and friends, provide thorough documentation of their activities for four decades. A fair portion of the General Correspondence is with the Presbyterian mission board and Presbyterian churches throughout the U.S. that provided financial support for the Alters. Also included in the General Correspondence section are letters documenting Alter's involvement in student Christian work, peace groups, and ecumenical ventures.

Series II is comprised of writings by Alter, including unpublished manuscripts, student papers, book reviews, sermons, lectures, and published works. The majority of the unpublished manuscripts and drafts contained in this Series relate to Christianity in northern India. Many are also available in published form, but drafts have been retained to document changes and revisions.

The materials contained in Series III and Series IV are similar in many ways, but Series III, Research Materials, represents the files that Alter had intentionally gathered together to support his ongoing research. These research materials relate almost exclusively to Christianity in northern India or to the interaction between Christianity and Communism. They include articles, reports, letters, notes, and newspaper clippings.

The Collected Material of Series IV is similar in format but covers a broader range of subject matter. Some materials relate to Christianity in India while others relate to courses taken by Alter, peace groups such as the Fellowship of Reconciliation, student Christian groups, and other organizations with which Alter was affiliated throughout his life, including the United Presbyterian Church Commission on Ecumenical Mission and Relations and the World Council of Churches.

Series V, Biographical Material, gathers together documentation relating to trips, projects, and other events in Alter's life. The Series includes notes, reports, itineraries, photographs, and official documents.