Keston Center

for Religion, Politics, and Society

Our Mission

To promote research and encourage the study of religion in communist, post-communist, and other totalitarian societies.

As part of the Baylor University Libraries' Special Collections, the Keston Center for Religion, Politics and Society works with
the Keston Institute in Oxford, United Kingdom, in carrying out its mission and is committed to
the preservation and utilization of the library and archive.

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Voice of the Voiceless: Keston Center's 50th Anniversary CommemorationA commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Keston Institute and launch of a volume to honor the occasion, "Voices of the Voiceless," edited by Julie deGraffenried and Zoe Knox. This event featured 9 speed panel presentations, and a book signing and reception for the book.
The Keston Center for Religion, Politics, and Society Diplomatic ForumThe Keston Center for Religion, Politics, and Society, in partnership with the McBride Center for International Business, presented a Diplomatic Forum as part of the 2019 Global Business Forum. The Forum featured three highly-respected leaders with broad international experience in diplomacy: Joanne Held Cummings, Paul Roush, and Roland H. Smith.
Celebrating 100 Years of Czech IndependenceThe Keston Center hosted a series of events in October 2018 commemorating the centennial of Czechoslovak independence.

The Keston Center Collection

Michael Bourdeaux Research Center Keston Digital Archive Preliminary Finding Aids BARD BearCAT

Research Opportunities

The Keston Center for Religion, Politics, and Society at Baylor University invites students and scholars from all over the world to conduct research in the Keston Archive and Library. Faculty and graduate teaching assistants who have used the Center's library and archives in their teaching in the past but wish to explore additional possibilities are also encouraged to apply.

Keston Scholars

Receive a scholarship to cover expenses, in part or in full, including travel costs, in order to conduct research in the Keston Archive and Library.

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Visiting Researchers and Scholars

Spend anywhere from several hours to a maximum of four weeks in the Keston Center where they have access to the Keston Archive and Library, including the samizdat collection, research files, and photo archive.

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Library Teaching Fellows

Baylor faculty and graduate students can apply for a summer fellowship to enhance their pedagogy with Keston resources.

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Virtual Scholars

Have unlimited access to the Keston Digital Archive.

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Summer Interns

Baylor students with an undergraduate degree or working on a master's degree in museum studies, history, religion, Russian, Slavic and East European Studies, or a related field are invited to apply for a summer internship.

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