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Donald Oppewal Collection, 1950-2008

Collection Overview

Title: Donald Oppewal Collection, 1950-2008

ID: COLL/186

Creator: Donald Oppewal (1926-)

Extent: 4.0 Boxes

Arrangement: Folder level description

Abstract

Professor of education at Calvin College. The collection includes articles; readings for education classes; vitae; tapes; publications; and a thesis entitled “The Method of Consensus and Its Social and Educational Applications.”  [See also the Campus Titles Database.]

Biographical Note

Donald Oppewal was born in Massachusetts in 1926.  He attended Calvin College majoring in English and minoring in philosophy. He graduated from Calvin with a B.A. in 1950 and went on to earn his Master’s degree in English and history at the University of Michigan. Oppewal pursed a career in education, beginning as an English teacher at Illiana Christian High School in Lansing, Illinois. After five years, Oppewal went on to earn his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois with a focus on philosophy of education.  In 1960, Oppewal returned to Calvin College, not as a student, but as a professor. 

During his time at Calvin College, he served on the college’s Teacher Education Committee, Continuing Education Committee, and Graduate Studies Committee. Oppewal also played a major role in establishing the Christian Educators Journal and served as the managing editor, book review editor, and even occasionally wrote for the journal himself. Oppewal also concerned himself with the role of religion in public schools and textbooks. Oppewal also authored the notable book Society, State, and School (1965). He even assembled the Religion and Education conference in 1987. 

In 1991, Oppewal reached emeritus status and retired from active teaching.  He has been married to his wife, Jessica (Leestma), since 1948. Together they had six children.


Box and Folder Listing

Box 1
Folder 1: Professional vitae; bibliographic information --- 1950-1999
Folder 2: Poem, "Church Organ," Banner, p. 1556 --- (Dec. 23, 1955)
Folder 3: Play (unpublished), "Colloquy on Affliction" --- [ca. 1957]
Folder 4: Article, "Toward a Distinctive Curriculum for Christian Education," Reformed Journal, vol. 36, pp. 21-24 --- (Sept. 1957)
Folder 5: Article, "The Function of the Christian School."  Christian Home and School, vol. 36, pp. 16-18, 25 --- (Feb. 1958)
Folder 6: Monograph, "Handbook for Headhunters" --- [1958, reprint 1988]; [ca. 1965]
Folder 7: Book Reviews --- 1958-1981
Item 1: "John Dewey's Thought and Its Implications for Christian Education," Reformed Journal, vol. 8 , pp. 22-24 --- (June 1958)
Item 2: "Jeffersonianism and the American Novel," Educational Forum, p. 363 --- March 1968
Item 3: "Teaching the Universe of Discourse," Educational Forum, pp. 421-422 --- March 1970
Item 4: "Teacher Unions and Associations: A Comparative Study," Educational Forum,  pp. 275-276 --- January 1971
Item 5: "Education: A Beginning," Educational Forum, pp. 554-555 [film review] --- May 1972
Item 6: "Paper Moon," Reformed Journal, vol. 23, pp. 20-21 --- (September 1973)
Item 7: "Thy Liberty in Law," Foundations, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 282-284 --- (July-September 1979)
Item 8: "Christian Religious Education," Reformed Journal, vol. 31, pp. 26-27 --- (April 1981)
Folder 8: Article, "Democracy and Democratic Values," Educational Theory, pp. 156-164 --- July 1959
Folder 9: Doctoral Dissertation, "The Method of Consensus and Its Social and Educational Applications" --- 1961
Folder 10
Item 1: Pamphlet, The Roots of the Calvinistic Day School Movement --- 1963
[HERH LC586.C6 O6]
Item 2: Articles, "The Roots of the Calvinistic Day School Movement," Reformed Journal, vol. 8 --- (September, 1958; November, 1958; January 1959) msg. Dec. 1958, part III
Folder 11: Article, "Children in Church: a Dilemma." Reformed Journal, vol. 13, pp. 9-11 --- (Oct. 1963)
Folder 12
Item 1: Article, "Organizing Literature by Theme: a Defense," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 5, pp. 22-26 --- (April 1966)
Item 2: Editorial, "Hear, See, Speak No Evil," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 5 , p. 3 --- (April 1966)
Folder 13: Article, "Religion and Public Education: an Emerging Quandary," Educational Forum, pp. 323-331 --- March 1967
Folder 14: Article, "Teaching to Change Lives," The Banner, vol. 103 , pp. 14-15 --- (September 27, 1968)
Folder 15: Article, "Discovery Method in Language Arts: A Defense," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 8, pp. 22-26 --- (May 1969)
Folder 16
Item 1: Article, "Parochialism in Christian Schools: Its Perils," Reformed Journal, vol. 20, pp 12-14; --- (September 1970)
Item 2: Editorial, "From Me to Thee:  Parochialism: Its Perils," Christian Educator's Journal, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 3-4, 8 --- (January 1971)
Folder 17: Readings for Education 304, "Bi-polar Tension in Christian Education" --- 1971
Folder 18
Item 1: Article, "The School System and the Bible," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 10, pp. 9-10 --- (April 1971)
Item 2: Article, "Needed: An Educational Creed," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 10, pp.11-14 --- (April 1971)
Folder 19
Item 1: Editorial, "Teacher Turnover, " Christian Educators Journal, vol. 11, no. 2, p. 4; --- (January 1972)
Item 2: Editorial, "Teacher Tenure and Turnover," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 11, p. 3 --- (March 1972)
Item 3: Editorial, "Of Making Teaching Materials," The Christian Educators Journal, vol. 11, p. 3 --- (March 1972)
Folder 20: Article, "Christian Textbooks? Yes!" Christian Educators Journal, vol. 11,pp. 6-9 --- (April 1972)
Folder 21
Item 1: Editorial, "Memo to Manuscript Makers," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 11, pp. 3-4 --- (May 1972)
Item 2: Editorial, "God's Grading System," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 12, pp. 3-4 --- (November 1972)
Item 3: Editorial, "The Classroom: Isolation Ward or Immunization Center? " Christian Educators Journal, vol. 12, pp. 3-4 --- (January 1973)
Folder 22
Item 1: Editorial, "Making the Affective Effective," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 12, p. 4 --- (March 1973)
Item 2: Editorial, "Pedagogue Polder's Problem," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 12, p. 4 --- (May 1973)
Item 3: Editorial, "Standing in Students' Shoes," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 14, p. 3 --- (January 1974)
Folder 23: Article, "Calvin's Core Curriculum," Dialogue, pp. 19-20 --- Jan-75
Folder 24: Article, "Lamentable Lethargy Over Litigation," Christian Teacher, January/February, pp. 16-17; also appeared in Christian Educators Journal, vol. 15, no. 1 (Nov. 1975), pp. 4-5
Folder 25: Readings for Education 304, "Alternative Perspectives in Christian Education" --- 1976
Box 2
Folder 1: Article, "Isolation or Immunization?" Christian Teacher, p. 10 --- March/ April 1977
Folder 2: Article, "Christian Education for Social Witness," Christian Teacher, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 16-17 --- (September/October 1978)
Folder 3: Article, "Giving the Devil His Due,"  Christian Teacher, p.14 --- Jan./Feb. 1979
Folder 4: Article, "Tax Funds and Government Control," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 18, pp. 7-9 --- (April/May 1979)
Folder 5: Article, "Why Christian Textbooks," Christian Home and School, vol. 57, pp. 20-21 --- (November 1979)
Folder 6: Article, "Two Paths to Justice," (multi-authors), Christian Home and School, vol. 58 , pp. 8-9, 24-25 --- (Sept. 1980)
Folder 7: Article, "Education Vouchers: the Emerging Coalition," Reformed Journal, vol. 31, pp.18-20 --- (February 1981)
Folder 8: Article, "Competing Views on Educational Authority," Educational Forum, pp. 361-374 --- Mar-81
Folder 9: Article, "Education Stamps: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?" Grand Press, p. 29 --- October 4, 1981
Folder 10: Article, "What Mean These Titles and Degrees?" Banner, vol. 116 --- (August 24, 1981)
Folder 11: Article, "Humanism as the Religion of Public Education," Christian Legal Society, pp.7-9, [31]-33 --- Winter 1981
Folder 12
Item 1: Book, Religious Schooling in America, edited by James C. Carper and Thomas C. Hunt, Birmingham, Alabama: Religious Education Press --- 1984
Item 2: Book reviews and correspondence re: Religious Schooling in America --- 1984-1986
Folder 13: Article, "No Bones about It," Christian Home and School, vol. 63, pp. 19-20 --- (February 1985)
Folder 14: Article, "The Case for Vouchers," Reformed Journal, vol. 35, pp. 3-4 --- (April 1985)
Folder 15: Report, "Equity in Values Education," National Institute of Education Grant --- July 15, 1985
Folder 16: Article, "American Calvinist Day Schools," (co-authored with Peter P. De Boer), Christian Scholar's Review, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 120-140 --- -1984
Folder 17: Article, "As We See It:  'Catch-22'," Reformed Journal, vol. 35, pp. 2-3 --- (September 1985)
Folder 18: Monograph, "Biblical Knowing and Teaching," Grand Rapids, Michigan --- 1985
Folder 19: Article, "Confessions of a Core Curriculum Revisionist," Dialogue, pp. 20-24 --- Feb-86
Folder 20: Book, Religion Schools in America: a Selected Bibliography, edited by Thomas C. Hunt, James C. Carper, and Charles R. Kniker; New York: Garland Publishing --- 1986
Folder 21: Essay, "Calvinism and Education," in Encyclopedia of Philosophy and Education --- [1987?]
Folder 22: Monograph, "Voices from the Past: Reformed Educators," Grand Rapids, Michigan: Calvin College --- May 1992
Box 3
Folder 1: U-matic video tape, "Dialogue with Broudy" --- 1986
Item 1: U-matic video tape, "Dialogue with Broudy" --- 1986
Item 2: VHS, "Broudy Lesson on 'Only'," January Interim --- 1996
Folder 2: U-matic video tape, "Dialogue with Dewey" --- 1986
Folder 3: Reel to reel tape, "Teacher Training Workshop" --- undated
Folder 4: Subject file, Proposal C – parochiaid; education; government; court cases --- 1970-1971
Box 4
Folder 1: Article, "Christian Schools:  a Ministry of the CRC," Banner, vol. 137, pp. 18-19 --- (June 3, 2002)
Folder 2: Article, "Where Have All the Reformed Schools Gone?" Christian Educators Journal, vol. 45, pp. 26-27 --- (Dec. 2005)
Folder 3: Article, "General and Special Revelation in Conversation," Banner, vol. 141, pp. 36-37 --- (Feb. 2006)
Folder 4: Article, "Christian Education:  Investment, Not Cost," Christian Educators Journal, vol. 45, p. 13 --- (April 2006)
Folder 5: Article, "Tiv Nigerian Missions: a Case Study," REC Focus, vol. 6, no. 3-4, pp. 53-62 --- (Dec. 2006)
Folder 6: Article, "Textbook Perspectives," Christian School Teacher, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 22-25 --- (Winter 2007)
Folder 7: Article, "When God Speaks, Are We Listening With Both Ears?" Journal of Reformed Thought: Perspectives --- June/July 2008
Folder 8: Article, "What's Up with This 'Integration of Faith and Learning'?" Christian Educators Journal, vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 19-21 --- (Dec. 2008)