Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
- Jarold Knox Zeman
- Jaroslav Zeman
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
Jarold Knox Zeman was born as Jaroslav Zeman in 1926 at Semonice, Czechoslovakia, now in the Czech Republic. In 1945 Zeman attended the Charles University in Prague and primarily studied theology. In 1948, the World Council of Churches awarded Zeman a scholarship to continue studies at Knox College in Toronto. After finishing his studies in 1949, Zeman received a warning about the danger in returning to Czechoslovakia. Instead of returning home Zeman decided to stay in Canada, becoming a citizen in 1955 and changing his name to Jarold Knox Zeman.
From 1949 to 1955 Zeman pastored at the Czechoslovak Baptist Church in Toronto serving Czech speaking immigrants, while during this period in 1951 he married Lilian Koncicky of Esterhazy, Saskatchewan eventually having four children. After 1955 Zeman became pastor for an English-speaking congregation at the Villanova Baptist Church in Brantford, Ontario, while also working with Czech speaking immigrants in London, Ontario until 1959. From 1959 to 1968, Zeman worked for the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec Home Mission Board.
In 1969, Zeman joined the newly reorganized Acadia Divinity College of Acadia University as an associate professor, from then until 1991 teaching a variety of courses in Church History. While teaching at Acadia Divinity College Zeman wrote many of his works on the history of Canadian Maritime Baptists and on the Anabaptists, Czech Brethren, and Hussites of Reformation Bohemia and Moravia. In addition to these responsibilities, Zeman was heavily involved in a variety of Baptist conferences and organizations in North America including from 1979 to 1982 serving as president of the Baptist Federation of Canada. After retiring from his position as professor, Zeman founded and served as director of the Acadia Centre for Baptist and Anabaptist Studies from 1991 to 1996. Jarold Knox Zeman passed away on September 18, 2000 in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.
Places
Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
Legal status
Functions, occupations and activities
Mandates/sources of authority
Internal structures/genealogy
General context
Zeman had a large impact in the Canadian Baptist community, having significant involvement in a number of different organizations like the Believer's Church Conference, the CBC Advisory Committee on Religion, and the Baptist Federation of Canada's Interchurch Relations Committee. Jarold Knox Zeman was also an important church historian of the 20th century. In his published research were definitive works on 16th century Anabaptist and Czech Brethren history and Zeman had a significant role in the renaissance of Maritime Baptist studies. As a professor, church historian, and pastor Zeman cultivated links between important Baptist organizations and people as well as connecting with other denominations in Canada.