Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 100:397 (Jan 1943)
Article: Genealogical History of Bibliotheca Sacra (With Genealogical Chart)
Author: Arnold D. Ehlert

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BSac 100:397 (Jan 43) p. 31

Genealogical History of Bibliotheca Sacra
(With Genealogical Chart)

Arnold D. Ehlert

The original suggestion to construct the genealogical history of BIBLIOTHECA SACRA came about three years ago from the elaborate chart and accompanying article on the genealogy of the Christian-Evangelist, contained in the January 6, 1938, issue of that magazine. BIBLIOTHECA SACRA had for a long period of years carried on its spine the names of the three magazines that had merged with it in its early days. The American Quarterly Observer was not mentioned, however, due possibly to the fact that it had been taken over so early by the Repository, and had run for only two years. By consulting the standard works on periodicals the early history was easily assembled.

The family of magazines brought in by the merger of Christian Faith and Life in 1939, on the other hand, presented a much more complicated situation, and one which has not yet been completely worked out. The reasons for this are that there are many more titles involved, the magazines were of less prominence in some cases, of more recent date, and for some reason not all of them have found their way into the larger libraries of the nation, and so do not appear in the Union List of Serials. The construction of this branch of the genealogy has been a matter almost entirely of original research. A piece of evidence here and a clue there have finally produed a comparatively complete picture, which, it is to be hoped, does not contain too many inaccuracies. A genealogy is never finished, and although a ream of correspondence has been expended over some of these titles, there are still missing items of information on some of them.

Fortunately most of the magazines involved were found available for examination, either in libraries, or in the hands of individuals. In nearly all cases definite mention of those magazines that merged is to be found in the columns of the ones into which they merged, although this information is

BSac 100:397 (Jan 43) p. 32

not always full or accurate. In some cases a brief historical summary was attempted, but it was usually not adequate. The only merger that is not substantiated by direct evidence is that of the combined Preacher’s Assistant and The Preacher’s Magazine into the Preacher’s Illustrator in 1905. But the circumstantial evidence is strong in this case.

Problems familiar to general genealogical research are to be found in an investigation of this kind. A magazine is not a person, but persons have made it. The magazine itself, like the ancestor in person, is the best source of information. Published records come next. In either instance, however, one has to wa...

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