EDNA M. BAXTER

Edna M. Baxter was a respected and admired academician. She was a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Bible and Religion (JBR), which was published by The National Association of Biblical Instructors to Foster Religion in Education. She was actually the Religious Education Editor. The purpose of this journal was to foster education in religion. In the November 1941 issue Edna wrote a portion entitled “Books for Teaching Religion.” The American Academy of Religion (AAR), which has been in operation more than 100 years, has reprinted this journal. They have made it available nationwide through college, university, and public libraries.

The November 1941 issue introduces its contributors; following is a copy of what was printed about Edna:

CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE

EDNA M. BAXTER is a member of the editorial board of the JBR. She is actively engaged in training professional leadership in the field of religious education, while serving as Associate Professor of Religious Education at the Hartford Seminary Foundation. The following are her most recent books: Living and Working in Our Country, How Our Religion Began, and Jewish-Christian Relationships.

Her book entitled “How Our Religion Began,” from which I will provide brief highlights on this blog, is available free online at: http://www.archive.org/stream/MN40194ucmf_0#page/n0/mode/2up

Edna M. Baxter is one of the most influential academician as well as educator of the 20th Century. The Christian Educators of the 20th Century web-based database provides access to information about the people who have shaped the field of Christian religious education in North America throughout the 20th Century. The database covers Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox religious education leaders. It is overseen by an editorial board consisting of Christian religious education scholars from a variety of denominational backgrounds. When completed, the database will contain entries on approximately 160 persons. Those included in this project are deceased, retired or past age 70.

This project, funded by The Lilly Endowment and hosted by Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, is intended to serve the needs of faculty, students, and other researchers in the field of Christian education who desire to better understand who and what has shaped the development of Christian education during the last century and up to the present. We stand on the shoulders of those who have come before us, and we inherit educational ministry approaches that have been shaped by the contexts and issues of previous generations. This project provides access to the kind of resources necessary for sound historical research that can help challenge and guide the ongoing development of effective educational ministry in the local church. May God's people use it to God's glory.

Kevin E. Lawson
Director, Ph.D. and Ed.D. programs in Educational Studies
Talbot School of Theology
CE20 Project Director

Following is what might be called a brief biographical sketch of some of her academic. It is presented by Dr. Lawson:

Miss Baxter (1890-1985) was appointed Instructor in Religious Education at Hartford Seminary in 1926 and Professor in the Seminary’s School of Religious Pedagogy in 1944. She was the first woman to serve as a full professor at any theological seminary in the United States.

A Methodist, her interests included early childhood education, curriculum development, the teaching of the Bible to children and youth, and multi-racial, multi-cultural, and multi-national relations.

Miss Baxter received a B.A. in Religious Education from Boston University and an M.A. in Religious Education from Northwestern University. She earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree at Garrett Theological Seminary.

Subsequently, she completed work for a Ph.D. at Hartford Seminary, writing a doctoral dissertation titled “A Study of the Ideas of God Held by Protestant Teachers of Religion.” But she was not awarded the degree by her colleagues. Archival records indicate that one or two of them thought that awarding the doctorate to a fellow professor was somehow unprofessional and that such a degree would lack academic credibility. Hartford Seminary awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree, posthumously, to Professor Edna M. Baxter in recognition of her service and accomplishments.

Despite this decision, Miss Baxter served the seminary and academia to national acclaim. Besides her position as a professor at Hartford Seminary, she was a Director of the Religious Education Association for ten years and visiting Professor at Garrett, Northwestern, Union Theological Seminary, Tufts University, and Yale Divinity School. She was an editor of the journal Religious Education.

She also was a member for sixteen years of the editorial staff of The Journal of Bible and Religion, published by the National Association of Bible Instructors, which was the predecessor of the American Academy of Religion. She was a member of the board of education, New York Conference of the United Methodist Church, the Women’s Board of Japan International Christian University, and the committee of the Ewha Women’s University of Seoul, Korea.

Miss Baxter pioneered in curriculum development, especially on the elementary level. At a time when the uniform lessons and quarterlies were at their peak, she was dissatisfied with traditional Bible stories and designed courses that brought together the best of biblical scholarship, archaeological research and sound educational methodology.

One of her outstanding innovations was a course for 5th and 6th graders on “Children and Labor Problems,” and one on “Living and Working in Our Country.” These courses introduced economic and social issues, including those of child labor, migrants, miners, workers in cotton, unions and strikes, housing, cooperatives, and living with people of other races. She told Helen Sheldrick: “I have tried to connect Church education with all areas of life, especially where human relationships were concerned... To me, the Christian faith is related to all of life.”

She also did ground-breaking work in the area of intercultural, interracial and interreligious understanding, enriched by her many visits to other countries. Among her resources was a teacher’s guide for a book on the Middle East, “Bible Lands Today,” published by Friendship Press. She worked to improve relations between Jews, Christians and Muslims.

She was a master in developing creative approaches to teaching, using dramatics, choral speech, story-telling, music, games, arts and crafts, and creative worship. She prepared thousands of pages of syllabi and course outlines that would embody the most creative methods and techniques.

As part of her community service, soon after she came to Hartford, Miss Baxter founded the Knight Hall Nursery School in order to help students understand how to work with children and their parents, but also to meet the needs of seminary and neighborhood families. She was a member of the United Methodist Church of Hartford, and helped to develop a church library that was named in her honor.

Upon her retirement in 1960, she was named Professor Emerita. A professor emeritus or emeritus professor is a title that may be given to a full professor who retires in good standing. According to the American council on Education, it is typically awarded for "long and distinguished service".

Her publications are numerous. In 1984, one year before her death, Miss Baxter wrote an autobiography, Ventures in Serving Mankind, which offered insight on her early life and education, chronicled her extensive travels around the world, and added some information about her retirement years.

The degree was awarded at graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2010, which took place on Friday, June 4 at the Seminary, 77 Sherman Street, Hartford. Members of Miss Baxter’s family attended and received the posthumous degree.

For a full biography of her life, including her education, her career, her travel and writings, her contributions to Christian education, and a bibliography of her books and articles, please see: http://www.talbot.edu/ce20/educators/view.cfm?n=edna_baxter. This site also has excerpts from her publications and recommended readings. It was researched and written by The Rev. Boardman W. Kathan, general secretary emeritus for the Religious Education Association and archivist for both the R.E.A. and the Association of Professors and Researchers in Religious Education.