Date: October 9, 2026
ALEXANDRIA, Va., October 8, 2026 – Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) and the Center for the Theology of Childhood this week opened the Jerome W. Berryman Special Collection and Archive offering scholars and practitioners new insights into the work of the founder of Godly Play.
The opening of the collection was marked by the launch of the Center for the Theology of Childhood Scholars Program, a new initiative that will support students, researchers, practitioners, clergy, and other interested individuals in visiting VTS and conducting research using the Special Collection and Archive.
The Special Collection, which is housed in VTS’ Department of Lifelong Learning, is drawn from the personal library of the Rev. Dr. Jerome W. Berryman and contains more than 800 volumes gathered over his lifetime of work in the theology of childhood, Christian formation, children’s spirituality, and pastoral practice.
It complements the Berryman Archive, housed in the Bishop Payne Library at VTS and available digitally, which contains draft manuscripts, personal and professional correspondence, original poems, sermons, and materials documenting his development of Godly Play, the innovative approach to religious education for children that he pioneered. Together, the Special Collection and Archive provide a significant resource for scholars interested in both Berryman’s work and the wider field of childhood and religion.
The Rev. Cheryl V. Minor, Ph.D., Director of the Center for the Theology of Childhood, said: “Taken together, the Special Collection and Archive are much more than books and documents. They are an invitation to continue the conversation Jerome Berryman began – to deepen our understanding of children’s spirituality, to nurture imagination and wonder for people of all ages, and to consider how we create communities in which people of all ages can encounter God.”
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D., Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary, said: “Jerome Berryman transformed the way many in the Church think about children and their spiritual lives. It is wonderful that Virginia Theological Seminary is now home to this remarkable collection and archive. The new Scholars Program ensures that this is not simply about preserving an important legacy, but about creating the opportunity for new research that will serve the Church for years to come.”
The Scholars Program will support researchers who want to explore the Berryman Special Collection and Archive in depth. Scholars will be invited to spend up to three weeks on VTS’ campus, with meals provided in the Refectory during their stay. Selected Scholars will receive a $1,000 stipend to use for travel to VTS and other related expenses.
Participants will be designated Scholars of the Center for two years and will be encouraged to develop projects that could grow into a thesis, academic article, or book-length work.
The Director or Assistant Director of the Center for the Theology of Childhood will be available to consult with Scholars on their projects, offering guidance, conversation, and scholarly support throughout their work. Completed academic articles will be eligible for publication in the Journal of Childhood and Religion, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal managed by the Center.
Projects are expected to be completed within two years of acceptance into the program. Through the initiative, the Center and VTS hope to encourage both established and emerging scholars to contribute new theological and practical thinking about childhood, spirituality, and Christian formation.
Applicants should submit a brief description of their area of interest and intended research goals, as well as a short personal statement explaining why they are interested in writing and learning more about the theology of childhood or the nurture of children’s spiritual lives.
For more information about the Scholars Program, including how to apply and application deadlines, please visit: https://www.theologyofchildhood.org/scholar-of-the-center-for-the-theology-of-childhood/
For more information about the Berryman Special Collection and how to access it, please visit: https://www.theologyofchildhood.org/berryman-special-collection/
The Berryman Archive can be viewed here: https://www.theologyofchildhood.org/access
Notes to editors:
For media inquiries, For media inquiries, please contact Nicky Burridge, Senior Vice President for Communications and Institutional Advancement at Virginia Theological Seminary and The General Theological Seminary.
Tel: (703) 461-1782
Mobile: (703) 300-2876
Email: [email protected]
Photo caption: Items in the Berryman Special Collection
About The Center for the Theology of Childhood:
The Center for the Theology of Childhood is committed to nurturing children’s spiritual lives by centering children in the local church and in the academy. It supports children in the local church through curriculum development and training for practitioners and clergy and by advocating for the study of children’s spirituality in the academy. The Center also conducts and encourages research to inform the nurture of children in the local church.
About Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary:
The mission of the Department of Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary is to connect, nurture, and highlight communities of faithful practice. It is a multi-faceted department grounded in theology and research-based practices to provide transformation learning for courageous leadership in a changing church.
About Virginia Theological Seminary:
Virginia Theological Seminary was founded in 1823 and has a long tradition of shaping faithful women and men, lay and ordained, for leadership in The Episcopal Church and beyond. It is the strongest seminary in the Anglican Communion and provides more than 25 percent of the clergy of The Episcopal Church.