Howard Evan Runner Collection, 1928-2004 | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

By Paul Bremer, March 2011

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Collection Overview

Title: Howard Evan Runner Collection, 1928-2004

ID: COLL/509

Primary Creator: Runner, Howard Evan (1916-2002)

Extent: 35.0 Boxes. More info below.

Arrangement: Folder level description

Date Acquired: 00/00/2008

Abstract

Professor of philosophy at Calvin College. The collection includes biographical and autobiographical information; course notes; correspondence; speeches, lectures, and sermons; materials regarding the Groen van Prinsterer Club; articles and book reviews; positions papers; D. H. Vollenhoven and H. Dooyeweerd material; creation/evolution debate material; an unpublished book, Perspectives in Philosophy, material; subject files with comments and reflections; Association for the Advancement of Christian Scholarship (AACS), Association of Reformed Scientific Studies (ARSS), Christian Labor Association (CLA), Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC ), National Association for Christian Political Action (NACPA), and Institute for Christian Studies (ICS) materials; and select papers written by other authors. [See also the Campus Titles Database.]

Biographical Note

Howard Evan Runner, known as H. Evan Runner or simply Evan Runner, was born in 1916 in Oxford, Pennsylvania, to Howard Clinton Runner and Sara Mabel Watterson. In his early years Runner had a love of philosophy and language-and a desire to be a missionary. He graduated from West Philadelphia High School in 1932; from Wheaton College in 1936. Although he received a scholarship to study at the University of Illinois, he went to Westminster Seminary for advanced studies. Cornelius Van Til of Westminster convinced him to learn the Dutch language so he would be able to pursue some significant thinkers of the Netherlands. Runner went to the Netherlands in 1939 and studied with Klaas Schilder and Seakle Greijdanus at the Theological School in Kampen. He returned to the US in early 1940 and went to Harvard, studing with Werner Jaeger and was a Junior Fellow of the Society of Fellows at Harvard University from 1941-1943.

After leaving Harvard he taught English and Latin at Eastern Academy in Paterson, New Jersey. He returned to the Netherlands in 1946 to study at the Free University and began to appreciate the work of reformational philosophers Herman Dooyeweerd and Dirk Hendrik Theodoor Vollenhoven. He received his doctorate in1951 cum laude.

In 1950 he joined the Philosophy Department at Calvin College. He taught with zeal and gathered students from various disciplines into the Groen van Prinsterer Society. These students became his friends and collegues. His dedication and teaching a new vision of Christian Philosphy earned Runner the Faith and Teaching Award from the Calvin Alumni Association.

He developed a program of study which included "who the Puritans were, the meaning of the Enlightenment, its influence in America, the basic ideas of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, the nature of Scholasticism, particularly as manifested in Reformed theology, the concept of natural law, the religious ground-motives that have successively given order to the experience of Western man, the origins of capitalsm, the rise of the labor movement, etc."

Runner was instrumental in formation and leadership of the Association for the Advancement of Christian Scholarship. Many of his students established their own careers, often at Christian colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.

Runner was married to Elisabeth Hendrika Wichers. They had three children, Evan, Cathy, and Jocelyn. He died in 2002.

Administrative Information

Repository: Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

Alternate Extent Statement: Boxes

Acquisition Source: Evan W. Runner, June 2008

Related Materials: Audio recordings of some of Evan Runner's classroom lectures were recorded on cassette tape and can be found in the Campus Titles database. For more information please see https://calvin.edu/offices-services/information-technology/contact/audio-visual/titles/.

Other Note: Acc. No. 08.31

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Runner Biographical and Autobiographical, 1928-2004],
[Series 2: Seminary Course Notes, undated],
[Series 3: Correspondence, 1930-1999],
[Series 4: Groen van Prinsterer Society, 1951-1976],
[Series 5: D. H. Vollenhoven Material, 1942-1981],
[Series 6: H. Dooyeweerd Material, 1933-1994],
[Series 7: Creation/Evolution Debate Material, 1953-1994],
[Series 8: Lecture Notes, 1952-1984, undated],
[Series 9: Speeches, Lectures, and Sermons, 1953-1990],
[Series 10: Papers Written, 1951-1981],
[Series 11: Perspectives Material, undated],
[Series 12: Subject Files and Comments/Reflections, 1954-1987],
[Series 13: Material re: National Association for Christian Political Action (NACPA), Association for Reformed Scientific Studies (ARSS), Institute for Christian Studies (ICS), and Christian Labor Association (CLA), 1961-1997],
[Series 14: Papers by Authors Other than H. Evan Runner, 1938-1992],
[Series 15: Varia, 1939-1981],
[Series 16: Photographs],
[All]

Series 3: Correspondence --- 1930-1999

Box 7

Folder 1: 1930-1939

Item 1: Letter from J. Gresham Machen of Westminster Theological Seminary --- 1934-1935
Item 2: Acceptance letter from Westminster Theological School --- 1936
Item 3: Letter from Glenn Andreas --- 1936
Item 4: Letter to Kuiper --- 1937

Folder 2: 1940-1945

Item 1: Harvard Divinity School re: scholarships --- 1940
Item 2: Telegrams from Mother and Dad, and Alfred North Whitehead --- 1941
Item 3: Harvard University Society of Fellows --- 1941
Item 4: Carlton S. Coon, and L.J Henderson --- 1941
Item 5: Ralph H. Meyer, N. J. Monsma, G. A. Andreas, Nels F.S. Ferre, Arthur D. Nock --- 1943
Item 6: Re: theological concerns about Gordon H. Clark --- 1942-1943
Item 7: Letter from Ed Palmer --- 1945

Folder 3: 1946-1949

Item 1: Letter to D.H. Vollenhoven --- 1946-1949
Item 2: Letter to Glenn A. Andreas from Vollenhoven and Dooyeweerd, 1948 Letter from M.C. Smit --- 1948
Item 3: Letter from Christian University Association of America --- 1948
Item 4: Letter to Evan and Ellen from H.R. Boer (Chair of Missions at Calvin) --- 1948-1949
Item 5: Letter to Dirk Jellema --- 1949
Item 6: Letter from Werner Jaeger --- 1949
Item 7: Letter to the Editor of the Pella Chronicle --- 1949

Folder 4: 1950-1955

Item 1: Letter from John H. Piersma --- 1950-1951
Item 2: Letters from Werner Jaeger, H.J. Ryskamp --- 1951
Item 3: Letter to D.H. Vollenhoven --- 1953
Item 4: Letter to K.J. Popma --- 1954
Item 5: Letter from Frederick Nymeyer --- 1954

Folder 5: 1956-1959

Item 1: Letter to Werner Jaeger --- 1956
Item 2: Letter from F. Guillaume --- 1956-1957
Item 3: Letter from Pieter G.W. Plessis --- 1957
Item 4: Re: discontinuing membership in the Reformed Fellowship, 1958 "Statement Explanatory of My Vote in the Educational Policy Committee Meeting" --- 1958
Item 5: Letters from Henry van Andel, H. Van Brummelen --- 1959

Folder 6: 1960-1964

Item 1: Letters from G. A. Andreas, W. Stanford Reid, T. Dooyeweerd --- 1960
Item 2: Letters to Mr. Nymeyer, American Council of Learned Societies, Ned B. Stonehouse --- 1960
Item 3: Letters from Bernard Zylstra, J. Kuntz, Virgil C. Blum, Vollenhoven, William Spoelhof --- 1961
Item 4: Letter to Mr. Farenhorst re: changes to The Bible and the Life of the Christian --- 1962
Item 5: Letters from M. Verbrugge, Bernard Zylstra, J. Klapwijk, A.H. Cook, Sidney Greidanus, John T. Daling re: article with objections in Christian Perspectives --- 1963
Item 6: Letters to H. van Riessen, H. Dooyeweerd, Th. Vollenhoven, Harry Vanderlaan --- 1963
Item 7: "Memorandum" to the Board of The Association for Reformed Scientific Studies --- 1964

Folder 7: 1965-1969

Item 1: Letter from A. Vandermaas re: translation of a children's Bible --- 1965
Item 2: Letter from William G. Pollard --- 1965
Item 3: Letters from B. Zylstra, Gerrit Polman, Wm. White Jr. --- 1966
Item 4: Letter from Westminster Theological Seminary re: address at student banquet --- 1966-1967
Item 5: Letter from Gerald R. Ford re: Republican amendment to H.R. 7819 --- 1967

Folder 8: 1968-1969

Item 1: Letters from William C. Albertson of the Presbyterian Lay Committee, Inc., H. Edward Rowe of the Christian Freedom Foundation, Inc. --- 1968
Item 2: Letters from Bernard Zylstra, J. Stellingwerff, D.H. Vollenhoven, N.B. Knoppers, Alice Tibbetts, Gerrit Polman, Harry Vanderlaan, Richard A. Russel, Carl J. Bosma, John A. Olthuis of an Association for the Advancement of Christian Scholarship (AACS), John Vanden Berg re: leave of absence for Interim and Second Semester of 1969, Edward J. Vander Weele of Trinity Christian College re: son Evan's mid-term reports, Alys Westerman --- 1968
Item 3: Letters to University of Michigan Law School, Bernie and Josie [Zylstra] --- 1968
Item 4: Letters from Robert G. Turnbull of Ohio State University re: declined application for membership in the 1970 Institute in Greek Philosophy and Science, Bernard Zylstra, Institute for Christian Studies, David W. Willingdon, H. Antonides of the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC), Charles Hatfield of the University of Missouri, Fred W. Tamminga of CREDO re: Cultus Lake lectures, H. Harold Hartzler of the American Scientific Affiliation re: Intensive Seminar in the Philosophy of Science, Janice Van Houten re: lecture at The Four Brooks Conference, Paul R. Gilchrist of Covenant College re: lecture at Philosophy conference, Bernie and Jos [Zylstra], Robert Lee Carvill re: AACS lectures, Michael Welton, "Cousin Josephine", Ann Bruinsma, A.P. Bos --- 1969
Item 5: Recommendation from D.H. Vollenhoven to a publisher re: book on Greek Philosophy by Runner --- 1969

Folder 9: 1970-1971

Item 1: Letters from "John", Bernie [Zylstra], Jack B. Vos of AACS re: appointment as a visiting professor in Toronto, Paul deVries of the University of Virginia, H. Antonides of the CLAC, Ed Colson of Spring Arbor College, "Wendy E.", Russel Maatman of Christian Scientific Symposium Committee re: lecture at Dordt College, "Paul and Nancy", "Mike", B. Duvenage re: contribution to a commemorative volume for H.G. Stoker, Henry DeMoor, "Cal" of Trinity Christian College re: travel expenses for the January Invitational Conference, "Robert", E. Fackerell, Harry H. Schat, Ted Plantinga, John K. Jansen, D.H. Vollenhoven, Wm. Peter Dale of CLAC re: article in The Guide --- 1970
Item 2: Letters from John A. Olthuis, Luke M. Reinsma, Robert Lee Carvill of Vanguard, from Keith C. Sewell to Robert Lee Carvill, to "John", E. Fackerell, K. A. Bril, John H. Boer, Paul Hubers, Cornelius Van Til, Robert M. Metcalf Jr., J. Oliver Buswell, Albert Wolters, Richard A. Brown --- 1971

Folder 10: 1972-1974

Item 1: Memorandum from Henry De Wit re: compensation for --- 1972-73, 1972
Item 2: letter to John Olthuis --- 1972
Item 3: Letters from William H. Russel of Geneva College re: Albert Wolters and Dirk Zylstra as candidates for a teaching position, Paul R. Thatcher of The Andreas Foundation re: grant for Robert D. Knudsen to translate Dooyeweerd's Encyclopedia of the Science of Law --- 1972
Item 4: Letter from Bernard Zylstra to John Brooks --- 1972
Item 5: Letters from "John", Robert Lee Carvill, Arvilla Sipma, Robert Wondergem re: recommendation for medical school, Richard Gross of Gordon College re: recommendation for John N. Kraay, Paul Hubers --- 1972
Item 6: Letter to K. A. Bril, Board of Trustees of AACS re: decline of offered position --- 1973
Item 7: Letter from Cal Seerveld, Wassily Leontief of the Harvard Society of Fellows, Clarence Crossman re: speaking to McMaster Christian Fellowship, John Fountain of Stanford University, William R. Garfield of Strathmoor-Judson Memorial Baptist Church re: paper by Runner entitled "Christian Analysis of the Election" --- 1973
Item 8: Letter from Herman Dooyeweerd, Clayton E. Carlson of Harper and Row Publishers, Inc. re: Bernard Zylstra's translation of L. Kalsbeek's introduction to the thought of Herman Dooyeweerd --- 1974
Item 9: Letter to Clayton E. Carlson --- 1974
Item 10: Letter from Robert J. Eels, Paul Szto, Robert M. Metcalf to Glenn Andreas, Johannes G. Vos, Tom Forman of Campus Outreach re: Lawrence Summer Workshop and the anti-Dooyeweerd movement --- 1974
Item 11: Letter to Tom Forman --- 1974

Folder 11: 1975-1979

Item 1: Letters from Ted and Ruth Fackerell, Wassily Leontief of the Harvard Society of Fellows re: Junior Fellows who have died since --- 1958, 1975
Item 2: Letter to Cornelius Van Til --- 1975
Item 3: Letter from Wolter Smit, Bernard Zylstra --- 1976
Item 4: Letter from Jon R. Kennedy of Christianity on Campus, Inc. re: lectures at California Conference on Christian Action, Daniel James Meeter --- 1977
Item 5: Letters from Rudolf A. Renfer, Arie van Dijck, "John" --- 1978
Item 6: Letter from A.M. Oostlander re: content of lectures in the "symposion book" --- 1979
Item 7: Letter to "Cousin Josephine", Bernard Zylstra --- 1979

Box 8

Folder 1: 1980-1984

Item 1: Letter from Glenn Andreas, Jim Penning re: lecture "On Being Anti-Revolutionary…", Magnus Verbrugge, John Vanden Berg re: "perspectives book" --- 1980
Item 2: Letter to Bernard Zylstra, John Vanden Berg --- 1980
Item 3: Letter from John M. Hofman re: retirement, Steven Wiersma of Calvin Lecture Council re: speech in mini-series, Tom Ozinga of Calvin Christian Reformed Chruch re: nomination for elder position, Magnus Verbrugge, Bob Kamphuis --- 1981
Item 4: Letter to Charles W. Coleson, Magnus Verbrugge --- 1981
Item 5: Letter from Magnus Verbrugge to Paul Schrotenboer --- 1981
Item 6: Letter from Harry Antonides, Alvin Plantinga to Calvin Professional Status Committee, Charles W. Colson, Donald G. Distelberg re: $5,000 donation to be used for publication of Runner's "Perspectives Lectures" --- 1982
Item 7: Letter to Sue Hudnall --- 1982
Item 8: Letter to Evan W. Runner from Philip Blosser, James W. Skillen, H. Evan Runner --- 1982
Item 9: Letter to Hans deVink --- 1983
Item 10: Letters from Hans deVink, Tom Burnham, "Cousin Josephine", Chuck Mc Ilhenny --- 1983
Item 11: Letters from Magnus Verbrugge, Chuck Mc Ilhenny, "Phil", Charles W. Colson --- 1984

Folder 2: 1985-1989

Item 1: Letter to Chuck Mc Ilhenny, J. A. van Delden --- 1985
Item 2: Letter from Mark Vander Hart re: paper, "The Christian Philosophical Enterprise in the Light of Biblical Prophecy," J. Witte Jr., Chuck Mc Ilhenny, John Hultink of Christian Renewal, Magnus Verbrugge, Al Wolters, Alan Storkey, J.A. van Delden --- 1985
Item 3: Letter from Josie Zylstra (Van Nuis) re: appreciation for sympathy, Glenn Andreas, Herbert Schlossberg, Chuck Mc Ilhenny --- 1986
Item 4: Letter to Herbert Schlossberg --- 1986
Item 5: Letter to Eastern Christian Academy --- 1987
Item 6: Letter from "Phil" --- 1987
Item 7: Letters from John Witte Jr., Stacey H. Taylor re: book Christ, Cosmos and Creation, Roy Clouser, Josephine, Guido Sneep, James R. Payton re: Redeemer College graduation, Phil Blosser --- 1988
Item 8: Letter to Josephine, Roy Clouser --- 1988
Item 9: Letters from Chuck Mc Ilhenny, Johan Stellingwerff, Tom and Laurie VandenHeuvel of Reformed Fellowship, Inc. re: writing for The Outlook, Jose M. Velazquez re: lectures at Juan Calvino Theology Seminary, Gordon L. Van Harn --- 1989
Item 10: Reply to Jose M. Velazquez --- 1989

Folder 3: 1990-1995

Item 1: Letters from John H. Boer, Lisa Van Lonkhuyzen, "Ted", John Witte Jr., Lew Vander Meer, Phil Blosser, John R. Hamilton --- 1990
Item 2: Letters from Chuck Mc Ilhenny, Calvin Seerveld --- 1991
Item 3: Letters from Harry Antonides, Harry Fernhout re: address at anniversary service for the Institute for Christian Studies, Anna Veltman re: obituary of husband Stewart T. Veltman --- 1992
Item 4: Letters to Harry Fernhout, Calvin Seerveld, John Paul Roberts, 1992 Letter from John P. Roberts to Harry Antonides re: Runner's recommendation of Antonides as a replacement speaker, from John Witte Jr. to Glenn Andreas --- 1992
Item 5: Letters to Chuck Mc Ilhenny, "Steve", Phil Blosser, Beth Pierson Smith --- 1993
Item 6: Letters from W. Alan Davis, Henk Hart, John Witte Jr., Lambert Zuidervaart re: H. Evan Runner Chair in Philosophy, Chuck Mc Ilhenny, S.K. Chung of The Institute for Calvinistic Studies in Korea, Phil Blosser, Harry Fernhout, Fred C. Steensma, Luke P. Wilson, Bob den Dulk re: Faith and Learning award, Cal Seerveld --- 1993
Item 7: Letter to Annette Bartels Kraus --- 1993
Item 8: Letters from John Bolt, John Andreas, J.D. Dengerink --- 1994
Item 9: Letters to John Bolt, John C. Vander Stelt --- 1994
Item 10: Letters from Chuck Mc Ilhenny, W. Alan Davis, Danie Strauss, Jon Andreas --- 1995
Item 11: Letter to Harvard University Graduate School of Education re: recommendation of Jonathan Peter Andreas, W. Alan Davis, "Wally", "Jan", Jon Andreas, Danie Strauss --- 1995

Folder 4: 1996-1999

Item 1: Letters from Ronald L. Roper, Paul and Wendy Helleman, Wheaton College Alumni Association re: Sixtieth Anniversary Reunion, Earl E. Zetterholm, Harry Antonides, McKendree R. Langley, W. Alan Davis --- 1996
Item 2: Letters to Helen and Earl --- 1996
Item 3: Letters from John Witte Jr., John Bolt, Charles W. Colson --- 1997
Item 4: Letter to John Witte --- 1997
Item 5: Letter from Monroe Bertsch, John Witte Jr., Thomas W. Gillespie re: Abraham Kuyper Prize for Excellence in Reformed Theology and Public Life from Princeton Theological Seminary --- 1998
Item 6: Letter from Ralph A. Siebring --- 1999

Folder 5: Undated

Item 1: Letters from Henry J. Cadbury, John Witte Jr., S.U. Zuidema, Don Van Beek, Dirk Jellema, Paul Hubers, Bruce E. Derby, Cal Seerveld, Bernard Zylstra, Paul Henry, Phil Blosser, T. Downing Bowler, William Dixon Gray, Bernard VanderWilp --- undated
Item 2: Letter to William Shursma, "Dick", John Witte Jr. --- undated

Folder 6: Re: faculty appointment, Calvin College --- 1948-1949

Item 1: Recommendations from Cornelius Van Til, Harry R. Boer, Henry R. Van Til, and William Haverkamp --- 1948-1949

Folder 7: Re: Christian University Association of America

Item 1: Letter to Ned B. Stonehouse from Glenn Andreas --- 1950
Item 2: Minutes of the Meeting of the Executive Committee --- 1950
Item 3: Committee report to the Board of Trustees --- 1953

Folder 8: With Enno R. Haan re: Calvinist Culture Association --- 1953

Folder 9: Re: reappointment to Calvin Faculty

Item 1: Letter from William Spoelhof, reply to William Spoelhof, memorandum to E.H. Runner --- 1957
Item 2: Confidential recommendation --- 1955

Folder 10: To Calvin Educational Policy Committee re: appointment of N. Wolterstorff and statement on his negative vote --- 1958

Folder 11: To CRC Synod from the Association for the Advancement of Christian Scholarship in reply to appeal of Second CRC (Toronto) versus Classis Toronto --- 1970

Folder 12: Re: death of H. Dooyeweerd

Item 1: Letter from Gordon Spykman, Robert D. Knudsen re: Banner article, Daniel Meeter, Stan Wiersma, Arvin G. Vos of Western Kentucky University, Clifton J. Orlebeke, and note from an anonymous student --- 1977

Folder 13: Re: translation of Promise and Deliverance, including: of appreciation from Edmund P. Clowney of Westminster Theological Seminary, James P. Hoekenga, Herman deJong, and Cornelius Van Til --- 1977

Item 1: Review by Al Wolters in Vanguard --- 1978
Item 2: Contract between Evan and Ellen Runner and publisher John Hultink --- 1973
Item 3: Letter to John Hultink from Evan and Ellen
Item 4: Article in the Calvin College Chimes --- 1977

Folder 14: With Calvin CRC re: women's ordination

Item 1: Correspondence between: H. Evan Runner and Joel R. Boot re: Laura Smit leading liturgy in a Sunday service, and H. Evan Runner and Homer J. Vander Mey --- 1984
Item 2: Material from the Committee of Concerned Members of the CRC Statements of the Acts of Synod --- 1984

Folder 15: With Gaylen Byker re: letter from Dale Van Kley --- 1998

Folder 16: Between H. Evan Runner and D.H. Vollenhoven

Item 1: Letter from H. Evan Runner to D.H. Vollenhoven --- 1949
Item 2: Letter from D.H. Vollenhoven to Evan and Ellen --- undated

Folder 17: Draft of letter to ministers of Orthodox Presbyterian Church --- undated

Folder 18: Portion of letter to Harry Vander Laan re: recruiting students for Institute for Christian Studies --- undated

Folder 19: Draft of letter of recommendation for Calvin Seerveld --- 1965

Folder 20: To Bernard and Josine Zylstra re: relationship to Calvin College --- 1964