Well we have unloaded and unpacked today my wife's father's (John Setzer)library. The bringing home of her Father's library was the purpose of our very short visit to North Carolina. I know have access to three complete sets of Biblical commentaries, and portions of several others. We also have from him his files of sermons and sermon notes, and pictures as well as some of his liturgical vestments and other significant possessions like his sword from the Citadel (which is very beautiful and quite impressive.)
Now that we have unpacked to books I am organizing them and integrating them into our existing library. John was a fascinating and complex individual and his library and possessions reflect this, as I help Kate sort through what we have brought home I become every more aware of this, and realize how little I did in fact know my father-in-law. What I am finding among the traces of his life we now have I wish I had a more time with him, and a greater chance to get to know him, but also feel quite honored to have this glimpse of him through his books, writings, and prized possessions. If his library and files are any indication he was a man who sought to be know if not to be immersed in the varieties of American Christianity, something I have to admit I often have little patience for, as some of my posts on this blog might indicate.
We will be sorting and organizing for some time, today was only the beginning. It has been an interesting several days, we have learned some things about Kate's family and come to terms with Kate's mother's church in a way we had not before and I am getting to know my father-in-law in ways I had been unable to do while he was alive.
I am still interested in following up on my post "Continuity and Historicity", but forgive the interruption, my thoughts and energy are preoccupied with other things.
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