This finding aid describes the sole accession of personal papers of G. Peter Richardson received to date documenting his academic and professional career as professor of religious studies from his university education to his retirement from the University of Toronto in 2000.
The records are described in fourteen series. Series 1 contains records relating to his education at the University of Toronto and Knox College (affiliated with the University of Toronto) and his graduate studies at Cambridge University, England. Also included are records relating to his employment arrangements at Loyola College and University of Toronto, as well as applications to other institutions, congratulations on his appointment as Principal, University College and other honours. Correspondence with students, faculty and colleagues both inside and outside the University of Toronto are contained in Series 2 and 3. Early, non-academic appointments are documented in Series 4 and relate to his work with Knox College as a campus minister (unordained) and the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Greater detail regarding his academic employment at Loyola College in Montreal, his first academic appointment will be found in Series 5. This series reflects both his administrative activities as well as teaching activities during the 1970s before it became Concordia University.
His University of Toronto career is specifically documented in Series 6 and 7. These two series document his administrative activities within the Department of Religious Studies and the graduate department, Centre of Religious Studies from his appointment in 1974. Also documented is his continuing involvement in the study of architecture as evidenced by files for the Faculty of Architecture.
His teaching responsibilities are well documented in Series 7 relating to various undergraduate and graduate courses taught on all three campuses from the mid 1970s to post-retirement, as well as the Study Abroad courses he organized and led during the summers of 1988, 1991 and 1996.
Series 8 to 11 document both scholarly literary works as well as informal lectures and talks to church and community groups. The earliest works are files (as early as 1958) containing sermons delivered as campus minister (and later as religious scholar) to many church and religious groups. His scholarly papers were presented at academic conferences and symposia and frequently became the basis of published articles and books. Other literary works include published reviews in Series 12. Only a few files documenting his application for grants and some research files have been preserved in Series 13.
Prof. Richardson’s scholarly expertise in religious studies especially Christianity and Judaism as well as architecture put him in high demand by other organizations and educational institutions. Series 14 documents a number of these external activities including his work with the Society for New
Testament Studies [1], his role as site architect for archaeological excavations in Israel, the Ontario Heritage Foundation, and Visual Bible International, Inc.
NOTES
[1] His editorial work for Studies in Religion , his activities with the Society of Biblical Literature and others are preserved in other archival institutions. See details in Series 14
Richardson, G. Peter