Daniel Clarence Holtom Papers

Collection

Identifier: H-Mss-0254

Staff Only

Scope and Contents of Collection

The collection consists of 3.4 linear feet of personal and scholarly papers of Daniel Clarence Holtom, a scholar of Shinto religion in Japan in the early 20th century. Series one contains personal correspondence, family documents including his sons' schoolwork. Series two contains Holtom's scholarly writing including his notes, drafts, off prints of reviews by Holtom, and lectures by Holtom. Series three, the largest series, contains Holtom's research including notes, handwritten and typed drafts, artifacts, and many clippings and research articles for his publications on Shinto in Japan covering topics such as enthronement ceremonies, shrines, and religion and politics. Series four contains research and travel photographs and postcards and printed ephemera relating to Shinto shrines and temples.

Dates

Creation: 1910-1962
Creation: Majority of material found within 1910-1950

Creator

Holtom, Daniel Clarence, 1884-1962 (Person)

Language of Materials

Languages represented in the collection: English.

Access

Collection open for research.

Publication Rights

All requests for permission to publish must be submitted in writing to Special Collections.

Biography / Administrative History

Daniel Clarence Holtom was among the first American scholars to study Shinto in Japan. He was born in Michigan in 1884, earned degrees from Kalamazoo College, The University of Chicago, and Newton Theological Seminary. He was ordained in the Baptist ministry in 1910 and went immediately to Japan as a missionary. In Japan he was professor of modern languages at Tokyo Gakuin, professor of church history in the Tokyo Japanese Theological Seminary, and professor of the history of religion and church history in the Kanto Gakuin of Yokohama. Dr. Holtom was dean of theology in the Aoyama Gakuin of Tokyo from 1936-1940. When he returned to the United States, he was Haskell Lecturer at The University of Chicago then lectured at Colgate-Rochester Divinity School and taught Japanese language at Redlands University. He died in 1962 in San Gabriel, California.

The thesis he submitted to The University of Chicago in 1919 was later published as The Political Philosophy of Modern Shintō, A Study of the State Religion of Japan, by the Asiatic Society of Japan in 1922.

Source: "Dr. Holtom, Missionary and Educator, Dies." Los Angeles Times, Aug. 18, 1962, pg. B8

Extent

3.4 Linear Feet (3 records boxes, 1 document box)

Additional Description

Abstract

The Daniel Clarence Holtom Papers include letters, published and unpublished articles, printed items, photographs, clippings, and manuscript writings.

Organization and Arrangement

This collection has been organized into the following series and subseries:

Series 1: Personal correspondence and family documents
Series 2: Scholarly Writing
Subseries 2.1: Reviews by Holtom
Subseries 2.2: Lectures by Holtom
Subseries 2.3: Articles by Holtom
Series 3: Research by Holtom
Series 4: Photos, postcards, and printed ephemera from Shinto shrines and temples

Physical Location

Please consult repository.

Provenance/Source of Acquisition

Donation, date unknown.

Accruals

No additions to the collection are anticipated.

Related Materials

Books by D. C. Holtom:

The Political Philosophy of Modern Shinto, A Study of the State Religion of Japan. Tokyo, Asiatic Society of Japan, 1922.
The Japanese Enthronement Ceremonies; with an Account of the Imperial Regalia, Tokyo, Kyo Bun Kwan, 1928.
The Christian Movement in Japan Korea and Formosa: A Year Book of Christian Work. Tokyo, Japan: Federation of Christian Missions in Japan, 21st annual issue, 1923.
The National Faith of Japan; A Study in Modern Shinto. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1938.
Modern Japan and Shinto Nationalism: A Study of Present-Day Trends in Japanese Religions. Chicago, Ill.: The University of Chicago Press, 1943.

Selected Articles by D. C. Holtom:

"Konko Kyo: A Modern Japanese Monotheism" The Journal of Religion, Vol. 13, No. 3. (July 1933), pp. 279-300.
"Japanese Votive Pictures (The Ikoma Ema)" Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 1, No. 1. (January 1938), pp.154-164.
"The Meaning of Kami. Chapter I. Japanese Derivations" Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 3, No. 1. (January 1940), pp. 1-27.
"The Meaning of Kami. Chapter II. Interpretations by Japanese Writers" Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 3, No. 2. (July 1940), pp. 392-413.
"The Meaning of Kami. Chapter III. Kami Considered as Mana" Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 4, No. 2. (July 1941), pp. 351-394.
"Some Notes on Japanese Tree Worship." Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, Jan. 28, 1931.