The Historical Society is thrilled to have recently received Rev. Dr. Anthony (Tony) L. Dunnavant’s personal papers, which were previously held by Lexington Theological Seminary. This collection is a treasure trove for those studying Stone-Campbell history, reflecting the life, thought, and scholarship of one of our movement’s best historians.
Dr. Dunnavant was born June 23, 1954, and passed away Feb 8, 2001. He was a well-respected and beloved Church historian who served as the dean of Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, Kentucky. Dunnavant earned his B.A. in history and sociology in 1974 from Fairmont State College. In 1976, he obtained an M.A. in Sociology from West Virginia University. From there, he transitioned to Vanderbilt University, where he earned his M.Div. in 1979 and his Ph.D. in 1984 with a concentration on the history of Christianity. Dunnavant’s doctoral dissertation was entitled Restructure: Four Historical Ideals in the Campbell-Stone Movement and the Development of the Polity of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Between his studies, Dunnavant served as a student minister for First Christian Church in Mannington, West Virginia, Dolls Run Christian Church in Core, West Virginia, and First Christian Church Guthrie, Kentucky. Dunnavant Joined the Lexington Theological Seminary Faculty in 1987 and was appointed dean in 1998. Dunnavant also served in other roles. He was heavily involved in maintaining the Cane Ridge meeting house and was a trustee of the Cane Ridge Preservation Project.
The collection provides an excellent look into Dunnavant’s life and work. It also gives a sense of the time and place in which he was writing and teaching. During his tenure as a historian and professor, the Church faced many questions regarding its role in the world, not unlike today. Dunnavant’s tenure as a historian and teacher was significant because he inspired his students to care deeply about the movement’s history at a time when it was of particular importance.
The collection consists of a range of documents spanning his career. The primary artifacts within this collection are correspondence with colleagues and friends, drafts and early copies of Dunnavant’s academic work, and various syllabi and materials used in his teaching. This collection will particularly interest those researching the intersection between historical restorationist theology and modern liberation theologies. Dunnavant’s drafts of his “Lipscomb and Liberation” project highlight the similarities and differences surrounding modern and historical calls for a “preferential option for the poor.” Dunnavant’s approach centers around the Latin American liberation theology of Gustavo Gutierrez and how his calls for a church focused on the experiences of the poorest in society directly appeal to early restorationist theology. His analysis highlights the working-class nature of David Lipscomb’s theology and his calls for a world that rejects elitism. However, he carefully states that liberation theology and Lipscomb’s personal theology are not in a one-to-one relationship. Such an analysis interests anyone seeking liberation theology’s place within a Stone-Campbell framework.
Another point of interest in this collection is Dunnavant’s explorations of the Restoration Movement’s intellectual history and theological innovation. Several of his drafts and publications center around tracking the development of restorationist theology within the American context. This collection contains essays about the history of American preaching, the Civil War and Reconstruction, and American religious thought. His work is a great resource for better understanding the Church’s historical positioning and why we are where we are today. Also, a significant part of Dunnavant’s legacy revolves around his time as a professor at Lexington Theological Seminary. Anyone looking to research Disciples’ pedagogy would find in this collection a multitude of examples of his influential teaching style, including many syllabi and various classroom materials such as exams and assigned readings. These would be useful for anyone looking to research Christian pedagogy or be inspired to develop their own.
The Dunnavant collection is a significant addition to the Disciples of Christ Historical Society, offering a wealth of resources for historians, church leaders, and lay individuals. The enduring value of documents like those in Dr. Dunnavant’s collection is their ability to continue revealing new insights long after their creation. These documents will continue to educate and inspire future generations to delve into the movement’s history and pose critical questions about our future. We trust that they will serve us well, just as Rev. Dr. Anthony L. Dunnavant did.
by Tristan Spangler-Dunning , DCHS Intern