This book provides a compelling narrative history of the experiences and achievements of female British missionaries in China, India, and Africa during the 19th century and first half of the 20th century-the first such account available. Despite the fact that by the early 20th century female missionaries began to outnumber their male counterparts, there are few publications that document the contributions of women to the missionary movement against a backdrop of civil unrest, famine, and war. Western Daughters in Eastern Lands: British Missionary Women in Asia provides accurate and insightful information to rectify this glaring omission. In this book, author Rosemary Seton draws upon memoirs, letters, diaries, and mission records to create a unique and fascinating history of the British women whose sense of vocation took them to the East. As most British missionary women of this period were Anglicans, Baptists, Congregationalists, and Methodists, the focus is upon Protestant missionaries; Catholics are also included, however. Through these sources, a clear picture of women missionaries emerges: their social background and motivation; their lives on the mission-field and their place in mission hierarchies; their selection and training; and their educational, evangelical, and medical work. The book concludes with an assessment of their achievements and impact on foreign societies. Original documents include materials extracted from letters, diaries, and memoirs of and about British women missionaries Photographs from the rich archives of British missionary societies and from private collections

DO I NEED TO BE SAVED? God is holy. No sin will ever enter his presence, for "righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne" (Psalm 97:2). Humanity is sinful. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Sin separates all people from God. "Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you" (Isaiah 59:2). It is impossible for humans to save themselves. "By works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight" (Romans 3:20). CAN I BE SAVED? God sent his Son to be your Savior. "In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10). The living Savior invites sinners to receive him. "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Forgiveness of sins and salvation can be yours today. "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18). HOW CAN I BE SAVED? Agree with God that you are a lost sinner unable to save yourself. "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and ask him to be your Savior. "To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12). Confess the Lord Jesus Christ. "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life" (John 5:24).

What does it mean to evangelize ethically in a multicultural climate? Following his successful Evangelism after Christendom, Bryan Stone addresses reasons evangelism often fails and explains how it can become distorted as a Christian practice. Stone urges us to consider a new approach, arguing for evangelism as a work of imagination and a witness to beauty rather than a crass effort to compete for converts in pluralistic contexts. He shows that the way we lead our lives as Christians is the most meaningful tool of evangelism in today's rapidly changing world.

This is a progressive Christian approach to soteriology and missiology in a global, postcolonial context. Much of the history of mission has been interlaced with imperial structures. Often the colonial and economic impulses of the colonial powers overshadow some of the counter-imperial tendencies of biblical texts and ecclesial communities. Evangelical missionary theologies have led to cultural genocide. These missionary practices have been heavily critiqued in the last few decades. Christian progressives have been in the forefront of the critique of mission, but have often responded in ways that reject the of mission of the word, instead highlighting a mission focused on developmental concerns that obscures the Christian content but continues to push Western capitalist structures into 'developing' postcolonial societies. Instead, this book proposes an integration of gospel and culture. It aims to steer a third course towards an integration of the knowledge and treasures, the losses and laments of Christianities forged in colonizing and colonized societies. Proposing that these Christianities are more alike than different, and in need of each other for reconciliation of communities facing the ecological and economic collapse at the limits of what the planet can carry.

A fervant millennial hope has often existed at the heart of Protestant evangelicalism. Varieties of eschatology have exercised a profound impact on the movement's theology and history. Although millennialism had a respected lineage within conservative Protestantism, it flourished with enormous energy in the early nineteenth century as evangelicals responded to the threat of the American and European revolutions and the cultural pessimism of the Romantic movement. By mid-century, the millennialism which had first been articulated for the defence of Protestant conservatism had paved the way for the subversion of historic theology and church practice, as a growing confidence in biblical inerrancy and the 'literal' hermeneutic challenged many of the historical assumptions of the evangelical faith. This volume of essays expands on neglected aspects of the impact of the evangelical millennialism in Britain and Ireland between 1800 and 1880 and includes an essay charting recent trends in the study of millennialism.

Jim Elliot was a missionary--and then a martyr at the hands of the Auca Indians to whom he was witnessing. At the age of 28, he left behind a young wife, a baby daughter, and an incredible legacy of faith. Jim's volumes of personal journals, written over many years, reveal the inner struggles and victories that he experienced before his untimely death. In The Journals of Jim Elliot, you'll come to know this intelligent and articulate man who yearns to know God's plan for his life, details his fascinating missions work, and reveals his love for Elisabeth--first as a single man, then as a happily married one. Edited by his widow, Jim's personal yet universal musings about faith, love, and work will show you how to apply the Bible to the situations you face every day. They will inspire you to lead a life of obedience, regardless of the cost, and delight you with an amazing story of courage and determination.

Revered for years as a saint, David Livingstone was an interesting character--difficult, demanding, and unsympathetic but also single-minded, determined, patient, and brave. The first European to cross Africa, he discovered the Victoria Falls and survived a shipwreck, attacks by natives, and being mauled by a lion.

This comprehensive guide will facilitate scholarly research concerning the history of Christianity in China as well as the wider Sino-Western cultural encounter. It will assist scholars in their search for material on the anthropological, educational, medical, scientific, social, political, and religious dimensions of the missionary presence in China prior to 1950.The guide contains nearly five hundred entries identifying both Roman Catholic and Protestant missionary sending agencies and related religious congregations. Each entry includes the organization's name in English, followed by its Chinese name, country of origin, and denominational affiliation. Special attention has been paid to identifying the many small, lesser-known groups that arrived in China during the early decades of the twentieth century. In addition, a special category of the as yet little-studied indigenous communities of Chinese women has also been included. Multiple indexes enhance the guide's accessibility.

In recent decades scholars have rediscovered a handwritten source of historical documentation from the eighteenth-century transatlantic religious movement known as "The Great Awakening." The McCulloch Examinations manuscripts contain more than a hundred first-person conversion narratives from the Cambuslang Revival of 1742 that have never before been published in their entirety. Collected and compiled by Reverend William McCulloch in what was Scotland's first oral history project, these personal accounts open a unique window into the early modern Scottish soul and shed new light upon an important chapter of British and American history. In this first complete, unabridged and fully annotated edition of the Examinations, the editor offers an introduction and analysis of these fascinating narratives, and provides supplementary resources that will illuminate the text for the reader. In addition to preserving the narrative accounts in their original frame, the edition includes the proposed redactions and marginal comments of four prominent Church of Scotland clergy who assisted McCulloch with the project. Keith Edward Beebe is Professor of Church History in the Department of Theology at Whitworth University, Spokane, Washington, and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church, USA.

In this wide-ranging book, the author weaves a tale of the Franciscan missionary theatre in early colonial Mexico and indigenous dramatizations on the theme of conquest in modern Mexico. The book tells the story of a Jewish playwright in 17th-century Spain who dramatized Christian evangelism in the New World, offering fresh readings of representations of the conquest of Mexico by Dryden and Artaud, and engages in a lively dialogue with Bakhtin's insistence that drama is a monological genre.;This study of the theatre develops into an original meditation on the ethics of cross-cultural encounter offering a new, dialogical model for human and religious encounter in a pluralistic world. By the author of "Theatre and Incarnation". Max Harris has also published articles on literature and religion in "Bulletin of the Comediantes", "Journal of the American Academy of Religion", "Medium Aevum", "Modern Drama", "Radical History Review" and "Restoration".

Civilizing Habits explores the life stories of three French women missionaries - Philippine Duchesne, Emilie de Vialar, and Anne-Marie Javouhey - who transgressed boundaries, both real and imagined, to evangelize far from France's shores. In so doing, this book argues that they helped France reestablish a global empire after the dislocation of the Revolution and the fall of Napoleon. They also pioneered a new missionary era in which the educational, charity, and health care services provided by women became valuable tools for spreading Catholic influence across the globe. Philippine Duchesne, who began her religious life in a cloistered convent before the Revolution, traveled to former French territory in Missouri in 1818 to proselytize among Native American tribes. Thwarted by the American policy of removing tribes even further west, her main legacy became girls' education on the frontier. Emilie de Vialar followed French troops to Algeria after conquest in 1830 and opened missions throughout the Mediterranean basin. Prevented from direct conversion, she developed strategies and subterfuges for working among Muslim populations. Anne-Marie Javouhey made her life's work the evangelization of Africans in the French slave colonies, including a utopian settlement in the wilds of French Guiana. She became a rare Catholic proponent of the abolition of slavery and a woman designated a "great man " by the French king. Freed from physical enclosure, these women were protected from worldly corruption only by their religious habits and their behavior. Paradoxically, however, through embracing religious institutions designed to shield their femininity, these women gained increased authority to travel outside of France, challenge church power, and evangelize among non-Christians, all roles more commonly ascribed to male missionaries. Their stories teach us about the life paths open to religious women in the nineteenth century and how both church and state benefitted from their initiative and energy to expand boundaries of faith and nation.

This book offers the first complete overview of the intellectual history of one of the most significant contemporary cultural trends -- the apocalyptic expectations of European and American evangelicals -- in an account that guides readers into the origins, its evolution, and its revolutionary potential in the modern world.

Out of the generation that grew up in the Great Depression and World War II, thousands of young Christians felt called by God to the ends of the earth. Pauline A. Brown, with her husband Ralph, and two other families, went to the Sindh Province in southern Pakistan in 1954 -- their goal, to share God's message love with Muslim Sindhis. This book is not just about North Americans abroad, but about a fellowship of ordinary people crossing cultural and linguistic barriers to take on the extraordinary challenge of establishing the Church in the Sindh desert. Jars of Clay is a story of laughter and tears, of danger and deliverance, of despair and hope, of victory and defeat. Above all, it is a story of perseverance in the face of great odds. The story of how the Church of Jesus Christ, small and fragile as it is, is taking root in the barren desert soil of Sindh in Pakistan, an Islamic Republic, is relevant more than ever in our post 9/11 world.

Japan on the Jesuit Stage offers a comprehensive overview of the representations of Japan in early modern European Neo-Latin school theater. The chapters in the volume catalog and analyze representative plays which were produced in the hundreds all over Europe, from the Iberian Peninsula to present-day Croatia and Poland. Taking full account of existing scholarship, but also introducing a large amount of previously unknown primary material, the contributions by European and Japanese researchers significantly expand the horizon of investigation on early modern European theatrical reception of East Asian elements and will be of particular interest to students of global history, Neo-Latin, and theater studies.

Perhaps one of the most commonly referenced verses in the Bible is John 3:16, in which Jesus says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Even though you may recognize John 3:16 when it shows up on posters at sporting events, do you really know what it means? And who is this John person anyway? By way of introduction, John was one of the twelve disciples that followed Jesus during his ministry, and he is also the author of the books of the Bible called First, Second, and Third John, as well as Revelation. He wrote the Gospel of John, including the verses that are referenced in this pamphlet, sometime between A.D. 70 and A.D. 100 from a city in Asia Minor (modern- day Turkey). John's Gospel is crucial to learning more about Jesus and discovering what it means to become a Christian. His purpose in writing this book of the Bible is to evidence that Jesus is the Son of God and our Savior. By believing in Jesus and trusting in the salvation from our sin that he offers, people can gain eternal life. WHY DO WE NEED TO BE SAVED? Jesus said, "Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin" (John 8:34). If we are honest with ourselves, we cannot deny that from the moment of our birth we have done wrong things--things that make us guilty before God and deserving of his judgment. The Bible calls these wrong things sin, and sin separates us from God. And because we are separated from God, we face the awful prospect of his eternal wrath (John 3:36). JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY Can anyone save us from God's wrath and assure us of heaven? Some people believe that they can get into heaven by doing good works, or by following the teachings of a religion, or even by giving money to churches or charities. But Jesus clearly said that none of these things would save us: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). No human effort can give us eternal life. In fact, the only "work" that can save us is the "work" of believing in what Jesus has done to accomplish our salvation: "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent" (John 6:29). And to those who so believe, the promise of God stands firm: "To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12). HOW DOES JESUS SAVE US? John the Baptist, a biblical prophet, calls Jesus the "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Jesus explains that our salvation comes through his death on the cross as the perfect and sufficient sacrifice for our sin (John 3:14-15). When reading the Gospel of John, for example, you'll notice that chapters 18-19 describe Jesus' death and then chapter 20 tells of his glorious triumph over death as he rose from the dead. Jesus' resurrection means that he can give eternal life to all who believe in him: "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die . . ." (John 11:25-26). DO YOU BELIEVE? John 11:26 ends with Jesus asking, "Do you believe this?" It is a question that every person must answer: Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Do you believe that he died on the cross to free you from guilt and judgment of sin? Do you believe that he rose from the grave, breaking the power of death and making a way for you to have eternal life in heaven? If you believe that these things are true, then you may want to express your faith in him by praying this prayer: Heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus Christ is your Son, and that he died on the cross to save me from my sin. I believe that he rose again to life, and that he invites me to live forever with him in heaven as part of your family. Because of what Jesus has done, I ask you to forgive me of my sin and give me eternal life. Help me to live in a way that pleases and honors you. Amen. GROWING IN CHRIST Once you have received the gift of eternal life, you will want to grow in your knowledge of Christ and your obedience to him. Jesus' teaching about how to live for God can be summed up in three simple instructions: Read the Bible. Jesus said, "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me" (John 14:21). One way to show our love for God is to read and live out the commands set forth in the Bible, God's holy Word. Read the Bible daily to learn how to live a life that honors God and gives testimony to others that Jesus has made a difference in your life. Pray. Communication with God through prayer keeps your focus on eternal things. If you are truly following Jesus, your desires will be for God's glory and for his kingdom, the church. Jesus promised, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you" (John 15:7). Seek Christian fellowship. Meeting regularly with Christian brothers and sisters allows you to follow Jesus' example of love and to fulfill his command to "love one another . . . just as I have loved you" (John 13:34). Just as Jesus surrounded himself daily with his disciples and followers, find a Bible believing church where you can meet with other Christians. There you will find joy and encouragement in the fellowship of God's people.

The third book in The Mission and Marginal Series looks at the lessons we can learn from the testimonies of people living and working on the margins of society. If you look hard enough you will find groups of Christians deeply embedded in the life of every city - serving faithfully, innovating in extraordinarily creative ways and living sacrificially. This book is the third in a six-volume series specifically exploring the theologies and practices that are arising as groups seek to follow Jesus in these challenging situations. At the heart of the series are the core convictions that such involvement must prioritise the marginalised and socially excluded; that theology must be liveable and practical; and that mission studies benefit from engagement with insights from contemporary social science.

We like to think our church welcomes visitors. But how welcoming can we be, if we are not inviting? We are welcoming as long as people get themselves across the church threshold, but we fail to take our welcome outside. During the years Michael has been developing Back to Church Sunday, he has conducted an extensive study on the seemingly simple subject of 'invitation'. Over 650 times in 12 countries he has asked: 'Why don't we invite our friends to take a closer look at Christ?' The many answers form the impetus for this book. After considering why it seems so hard to invite friends to church, Michael looks at our concerns over acceptance and rejection, and suggests ideas gleaned from years of trying to establish a culture of invitation. 'When I have specifically encouraged Christians to issue an invitation, some people say yes and some no. God sent his son to invite us all into a relationship, and so to be like God is to be a person who invites!'

An analysis of African American televangelists as cultural icons Through their constant television broadcasts, mass video distributions, and printed publications, African American religious broadcasters have a seemingly ubiquitous presence in popular culture. They are on par with popular entertainers and athletes in the African American community as cultural icons even as they are criticized by others for taking advantage of the devout in order to subsidize their lavish lifestyles. For these reasons questions abound. Do televangelists proclaim the message of the gospel or a message of greed? Do they represent the "authentic" voice of the black church or the Christian Right in blackface? Does the phenomenon reflect orthodox "Christianity" or ethnocentric "Americaninity" wrapped in religious language? Watch This! seeks to move beyond such polarizing debates by critically delving into the dominant messages and aesthetic styles of African American televangelists and evaluating their ethical implications.

First published in 1926.
'These documents are full of intimate interest' Times Literary Supplement
'A serious and intensely interesting piece of work' The Guardian
The Jesuit missionaries were some of the earliest Europeans to find their way into the Mogul empire in the sixteenth century. Spending more years at Akbar's court than others did months, and traversing his dominions from Lahore to Kabul, and from Kashmir to the Deccan, they undoubtedly sowed the seeds of British influence in the East.
Reproducing, or summarizing the most valuable of the missionaries' letters written prior to 1610, this volume makes available the illegible and scattered primary sources on the reign of the Emperor Akbar, and as such, forms the earliest European description of the Mogul Empire.

First published in 1930.
'The book is full of splendour and strange scenes' Nation
The Relations of Fernao Guerreiro, from which the three narratives in this volume have been taken, constitute a complete history of the missionary undertakings of the Society of Jesus in the East Indies, China, Japan and Africa during the first decade of the seventeenth century. The work was compiled from the annual letters and reports sent to Europe from the various missionary centres. The original work, which until this edition was published in 1930, had never been reprinted. The only complete copy exists in the British Museum Library, in London.

In John Fryer and The Translator's Vade-mecum, Tola offers for the first time a comprehensive study of the collection of scientific and technical glossaries, with English-Chinese parallel translation, compiled by the English scholar John Fryer (1839-1928). Other than contributing to the history of modern Chinese lexicon and translation in late Qing China, Tola analyses the role of The Translator's Vade-mecum in the diffusion of ideas and terms between China and the West, at the same time providing new insights on the connection between religious efforts by missionaries in late Qing China and their secular attitude towards translation. The great number of resources presented also show a new perspective on the transcultural flows of knowledge, China's modernisation process in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and the history of nineteenth-century Protestant missions in China.