Religion Research Guide

Religious publications are of special interest to both genealogists and historians. Many Protestant denominations, including Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Cumberland Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Church of God, are represented by publications in the collection. Mormon, Catholic, and Jewish papers are also available. Publications in the collection date from the 1840s to the present.

Genealogists may find that these newspapers provide notices of otherwise undiscovered life events. Baptisms, marriages, and deaths are often reported. The information presented varies from informative obituaries to lists of names and local church affiliations, to beautiful eulogies that contain little family information beyond the name of the spouse and the number of children. Whether or not these papers carry information about the general membership, they almost always include obituaries or death notices for members of the clergy. Because these periodicals were often the official statewide organ of a denomination, the lists or notices were usually printed several weeks after the event.

These papers contain much information regarding church viewpoints and reactions to national and local events that will interest historians. Disagreements between various factions within churches have resulted in many provocative letters to the papers, followed by further commentary or rebuttals. These present insights into the feelings and reactions of members as well as church officials.

For a list of all digitized newspapers, visit the Missouri Digital Newspaper Project.

For a list of newspapers on microfilm at The State Historical Society of Missouri, visit the newspaper catalog.