Dr. Paul Kemeny and Dr. Gary Smith ‘72 will talk about their book “The Oxford Handbook of Presbyterianism” in Henry Buhl Library at 4:15 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10.
The handbook is an effort “to help people around the world better understand the contributions Presbyterians have made,” Smith, former professor of history at Grove City College, said. Smith was inspired by the major role of Presbyterianism in history, and Kemeny saw a gap in literature regarding that role. The handbook covers 35 different subjects, each having an essay written by an expert on that subject.
Kemeny, interim dean of the Calderwood School and professor of Biblical and Religious Studies and Humanities, proposed the idea for the book to Smith who jumped on board.
“We have both edited collections of essays for other publishers. And since we are longtime friends, it seemed like a great project for us to work on together,” Kemeny said.
Smith was inspired by the major role of Presbyterianism in history, and Kemeny saw a gap in literature regarding that role. “We believed that we could recruit a team of outstanding scholars to write chapters for the book, and we were successful,” Smith said.
The handbook is one of a string of recent works by Grove City College faculty that have been put out by Oxford University Press, one of the most prestigious academic publishers, in the last year. Kemeny also wrote “The New England Watch and Ward Society,” Assistant Professor of Philosophy Dr. Chris Franklin wrote “Minimal Libertarianism: Free Will and the Promise of Reduction,” Chair of the History Department Dr. Gillis J. Harp wrote “American Protestants and Conservative Politics: A History,” and Assistant Professor of Philosophy Dr. Ryan West is co-editing “Integrity, Honesty, and Truth Seeking,” with Christian B. Miller of Wake Forest University for Oxford.
“The publication of books by Grove City College faculty, especially with major scholarly presses like Oxford University Press, increases the respect for Grove City College in academic circles and enhances its reputation,” he said.
Faculty Book Talks are a way for professors to engage with students, other faculty and the community to share their work in their fields, according to Megan Babal, public services and outreach librarian.