Fifteen Outstanding Books of 2008 for Mission Studies

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Fifteen Outstanding Books of 2008 for Mission Studies In consultation with fifty distinguished scholars from around the world, the editors of the International Bulletin of Missionary Research have selected fifteen books published in 2008 for special recognition of their contribution to the advance- ment of scholarship in studies of the Christian mission and world Christianity. Aritonang, Jan Sihar, and Karel Steenbrink, eds. A History of Christianity in Indonesia. Leiden: Brill. €179 / $267. Begrunder, Michael. The South Indian Pentecostal Movement in the Twentieth Century. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. Paperback $40. Dyrness, William A., and Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, eds. Global Dictionary of Theology: A Resource for the Worldwide Church. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press. $50. Frykenberg, Robert Eric. Christianity in India: From Beginnings to the Present. New York: Oxford Univ. Press. $150. Hanciles, Jehu J. Beyond Christendom: Globalization, African Migration, and the Transformation of the West. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books. Paperback $35. Hiebert, Paul G. Transforming Worldviews: An Anthropological Understanding of How People Change. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic. Paperback $24.99. Jenkins, Philip. The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia—and How It Died. New York: HarperOne. $26.95. Kalu, Ogbu U. Clio in a Sacred Garb: Essays on Christian Presence and African Responses, 1900–2000. Trenton, N.J., and Asmara, Eritrea: Africa World Press. Paperback $29.95. Lara, Jaime. Christian Texts for Aztecs: Art and Liturgy in Colonial Mexico. Notre Dame, Ind.: Univ. of Notre Dame Press. $75. Makdisi, Ussama. Artillery of Heaven: American Missionaries and the Failed Conversion of the Middle East. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell Univ. Press. $35. Robert, Dana L., ed. Converting Colonialism: Visions and Realities in Mission History, 1706–1914. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. Paperback $40. Sharkey, Heather J. American Evangelicals in Egypt: Missionary Encounters in an Age of Empire. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton Univ. Press. $39.50. Strengholt, Jos M. Gospel in the Air: Fifty Years of Christian Witness Through Radio in the Arab World. Zoetermeer: Boekencentrum. Paperback €65. Svelmoe, William Lawrence. A New Vision for Missions: William Cameron Townsend, the Wycliffe Bible Translators, and the Culture of Early Evangelical Faith Missions, 1896–1945. Tuscaloosa: Univ. of Alabama Press. Paperback $46. Zahniser, A. H. Mathias. The Mission and Death of Jesus in Islam and Christianity. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books. Paperback $36. April 2009 97.

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Cameron Townsend: Good News in Every Language Free
FREE CAMERON TOWNSEND: GOOD NEWS IN EVERY LANGUAGE PDF Janet Benge,Geoff Benge | 232 pages | 05 Dec 2001 | YWAM Publishing,U.S. | 9781576581643 | English | Washington, United States William Cameron Townsend - Only One Hope He graduated from a Presbyterian school and attended Occidental College in Los Angeles for a time but did not graduate. He joined the National Guard inpreparing to go to war for his country. Before he had any assignments from the military, he spent some time with Stella Zimmerman, a missionary who was on furlough. You are needed in Central America! Cameron Townsend was unhappy about being called a coward and chose to pursue the missions call instead. He requested to be released from soldier service and to be allowed to become a Cameron Townsend: Good News in Every Language overseas instead. Over the next year he traveled through Latin America. During this time, he met another missionary who felt called to Latin America named Elvira. The two married in July He spread the Gospel in Spanish but felt that this was not accessible to the indigenous people of the country. For this reason, he went to Santa Catarina and settled in a Cakchiquel community where he learned the native language. He spent fourteen years there, learning and then translating the Bible into the local language. He started a school and medical clinic, and set up a generator of electricity, a plant to process coffee, and a supply store for agriculture. Townsend felt that the standard missionary practices neglected some of the needs of the people, as well as ignoring the cultures and languages of many of the groups.
[Show full text]
Is God an American?
IS GOO AN AMERICAN? An Anthropological Perspective on the Missionary Work of the Summer Institute of Linguistics Edited by S11ren Hvalkof and Peter Aaby IWGINSI IS GOD AN AMERICAN? This is a joint publication by the following two organizations: INTERNATIONAL WORK GROUP FOR INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS (IWGIA) Fiolstrrede I 0, DK- 1171 Copenhagen K, Denmark. SURVIVAL INTERNATIONAL 36 Craven Street, London WC2N 5NG, England. Copyright 1981 by S~ren Hvalkof, Peter Aaby, IWGIA and Survival International. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be. reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means without permission of the editors. ISSN 0105-4503 ISBN 87-980717-2-6 First published 1981 by IWGIA and Survival International. Printed in Denmark by Vinderup Bogtrykkeri A/S. Front cover by H. C. Poulsen. IS GOD AN AMERICAN? An Anthropological Perspective on the Missionary Work ofthe Summer Institute ofLinguistics EDITED BY &tren Hvalkof and Peter Aaby INTERNATIONAL WORK GROUP FOR INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS Objectives IWGIA is a politically independent, international organization concerned with the oppression of indigenous peoples in many countries. IWGIA's objective is to secture the future of the indigenous peoples in concurrence with their own efforts and desires: 1. By examining their situation, and publishing information about it. 2. By furthering international understanding, knowledge and involvement in the indigenous peoples' situation. 3. By fighting racism and securing political, economic and social right, as well as establishing the indigenous peoples' right to self-determination. 4. By arranging humanitarian projects and other forms of support of in digenous peoples and ethnic groups with a view of strengthening their social, cultural and political situation.
[Show full text]
The Legacy of Academic Stories in Applied Linguistics1
The Legacy of Academic Stories in Applied Linguistics1 Karl J. Franklin Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics and SIL International Abstract: The Graduate Institute of Linguistics (GIAL, www.gial.edu) grew out of a proprietary school run by SIL International (www.sil.org) and supports the linguistic and translation goals of that organization, the Wycliffe Bible Translators (www.wycliffe.net), and other like-minded agencies. It follows the legacies of men like Professor Kenneth L. Pike (1912-2000) and Wycliffe cofounder William Cameron Townsend (1896-1982), by offering programs in applied linguistics and language development. Both Pike and Townsend were skilled storytellers and mentors. I discuss their contributions to the topic of orality, including stories that form and inform parts of the GIAL and SIL corporate cultures. Because storytelling has a long academic tradition in seminaries (e.g., studying the parables), in elementary and in secondary education, and in the college humanities, I describe some of the ways that SIL and GIAL have continued this tradition. Storytelling is also germane in cultural studies (oral histories) in developing-world universities, and is also a vehicle that literacy efforts promote for minority languages. Finally, story (or narrative) is the dominant theme and style of the Bible and its translation, a primary concern of GIAL and SIL. With such efforts and history in mind, this article concludes by outlining how features of story-telling are incorporated into the curricula of GIAL and thereby contribute to the legacy of SIL academic storytelling. 1. Institutional storytelling Silverman (2006:47) claims, “When people remember a story, they remember its intent”.
[Show full text]
Language and Culture Archives William Cameron Townsend And
Language and Culture Archives William Cameron Townsend and his philosophy of national involvement in the Summer Institute of Linguistics Fredrick A. Aldridge, Jr. ©2007, Fredrick A. Aldridge, Jr. License This document is part of the SIL International Language and Culture Archives. It is shared ‘as is’ in order to make the content available under a Creative Commons license: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivativeWorks (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). More resources are available at: www.sil.org/resources/language-culture-archives. “WILLIAM CAMERON TOWNSEND AND HIS PHILOSOPHY OF NATIONAL INVOLVEMENT IN THE SUMMER INSTITUTE OF LINGUISTICS” By Fredrick A. Aldridge Jr. A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Degree in Liberal Studies Excelsior College Albany, New York January 22, 2007 1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This thesis is a study of the development of William Cameron Townsend’s (1896- 1982) perspective on the role of “nationals”1 in the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL). In 1934, Townsend founded SIL to carry out Bible translation for the indigenous peoples of Latin America. After 1950, SIL expanded into Asia and Africa where Bible translation was initiated amongst minority peoples who still lacked the Christian scriptures in their own languages. Into the 1960s, only western expatriates were members2 of SIL. However, by the 1970s, the issue of nationals joining SIL as full members on an equal basis with western expatriates became a topic of ongoing discussion in the organization. Although Townsend had always championed the rights of indigenous and non-western peoples, the strategy that he employed when establishing SIL was not conducive to non-western membership.
[Show full text]
William Cameron Townsend
William Cameron Townsend by Calvin T. Hibbard, Townsend Archives Editor 1896-l982 Stimulator of linguistic research among ethnic minorities and champion of their cultural dignity "Not since the third century has there been a man like Cameron Townsend who attempted so much, and saw so many dreams realized in his lifetime," declared Kenneth L. Pike, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee. He called them "dreams" but they were more in the order of hard-nosed intentions. One objective was to stimulate the study of every single minority language in the world not yet analyzed or recorded. Another was to enable every people, wherever they were, to establish and control their own communal identities. Townsend saw tremendous progress toward accomplishing both goals in his lifetime. What follows is only a keyhole glimpse into the story. As for the first "dream," the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), which Townsend founded, has in the last half of the 20th century published academic materials describing and analyzing 1,724 languages and is currently working on 1,053 others. As for the second, to Townsend equally as important as the first, he with his colleagues worked vigorously with appropriate local governmental and educational agencies to help all these peoples acquire self-esteem, dignity, and national identity. Townsend's contribution to the academic community and his encouragement to members of small ethnic groups to understand their own personal worth cannot be measured. The world of science along with multiplied segments of humanity owe great gratitude to Townsend. Townsend's life was as diverse as the programs he advanced and the organizations he founded.
[Show full text]
Dispensational Modernism by Brendan Pietsch Graduate Program
Dispensational Modernism by Brendan Pietsch Graduate Program in Religion Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Grant Wacker, Supervisor ___________________________ Yaakov Ariel ___________________________ Julie Byrne ___________________________ Bruce Lawrence ___________________________ Thomas Tweed Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate Program in Religion in the Graduate School of Duke University 2011 ABSTRACT Dispensational Modernism by Brendan Pietsch Graduate Program in Religion Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Grant Wacker, Supervisor ___________________________ Yaakov Ariel ___________________________ Julie Byrne ___________________________ Bruce Lawrence ___________________________ Thomas Tweed An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate Program in Religion in the Graduate School of Duke University 2011 Copyright by Brendan Pietsch 2011 Abstract This dissertation begins with questions about the epistemic methods that late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century American Protestants used to create confidence in new religious ideas, and particularly the role of scientific rhetoric in this confidence making. It concentrates on early Protestant fundamentalists and the emergence of dispensationalism modernism. Distinct from dispensational premillennialism—a set of theological
[Show full text]
FULL ISSUE (48 Pp., 2.4 MB PDF)
Vol. 26, No.3 nternattona• July 2002 ettn• Human Rights and Christian Mission our years ago the world celebrated the fiftieth anniver fruit of righteousness, quietly but inexorably transforming the F sary of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of human condition from bottom to top. Human Rights. Measured by the standards of that document, Christian mission has contributed considerably to the enhance * * * * * ment of human rights. Associate Editor Robert T. Coote joined the Overseas Minis When William Carey arrived in India to preach the Gospel, tries Study Center staff in 1980 for a nine-month assignment as he immediately joined in the struggle to end the practice of sati, Assistant to the Director for Research and Planning. More than widow burning. He started newspapers and printed books to two decadeslater-withthisissue-hecompletesa distinguished stimulate and enlarge Indianvernacular writing and readership, career as editor, communicator, designer, motivator, and men thereby helping to ignite India's literary renaissance. tor. Coote, 69, retired June 30, 2002, but he continues with IBMR In 1964, in the waning days of colonialism in Africa, anthro as a Senior Contributing Editor. We offer Coote the final word: pologist Paul Bohannan paid tribute to missionary schools: "These last twenty-two years have been without question the "Whatever any individual Westerner may think of the mission most fulfilling years of my life and I am very grateful for them." ary edifice, every African knows that it is to missionaries that they owe the beginning of the African educational system" (Africa andAfricans,p. 235). Later anthropologists have explored On Page ways in which missionaries, if unwittingly, planted the seeds of national consciousness that challenged and ultimately doomed 98 In the Image of God: The Gospel and Human colonial domination, bringing into increasingly sharp relief Rights colonialism's intrinsic suppression of human rights.
[Show full text]
Protestantism and Human Capital in Guatemala and the Republic of Korea
Protestantism and Human Capital in Guatemala and the Republic of Korea Protestant missions from the United States entered the Republic of Korea and Guatemala at roughly the same time in the late 1900s yet their impact on human capital has been divergent. In the Republic of Korea, mainline Protestant missions promoted the social outreach, building schools, churches, and medical facilities and promoting the use of Hangul. Meanwhile, in Guatemala, Evangelical and Pentecostal denominations focused their efforts on conversion, focusing on eschatological urgency. As a result, Protestant missions in the Republic of Korea built institutions that were conducive for further investment in human capital, but not in Guatemala. As a result, these diverging approaches to exporting Christianity have had different long-term impacts on the two societies. ADB Economics Working Paper Series About the Asian Development Bank ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help its developing member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people. Despite the region’s many successes, it remains home to two-thirds of the world’s poor: 1.7 billion people who live on less than $2 a day, with 828 million struggling on less than $1.25 a day. ADB is committed to reducing poverty through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region. Its main instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity investments, guarantees, grants, and technical assistance. Protestantism and Human Capital in Guatemala and the Republic of Korea Rachel M.
[Show full text]
Missionaries from 50 Countries
Mission in PAPUA NEW GUINEA Sungwook & Hyangmee Lim 1 We are working for the SIL-PNG Aviation and the Ukarumpa International School 2 PAPUA NEW GUINEA Korea 3 PAPUA NEW GUINEA Ukarumpa 4 PAPUA NEW GUINEA NAME: The Independent State of Papua New Guinea Papua means ‘curled hair’ which is from Malesian, New Guinea means it looks like ‘Guinea people’ in Africa Area of land: Mainland and 600s Island Population: 7 million (2015) Language: English, Pidgin, Motu & 850 tribal languages Religion: Christianity 96% (Protestant & Catholic), others (4%) 5 What is SIL ? ❏ SIL (Summer Institute of Linguistics) ⇒ International Bible translation organization ⚫ SIL founded by William Cameron Townsend in 1934 - Began with summer camp for language study and Bible translation th ⚫ 500 translation work done in 2000 ⚫ More than 6000 missionaries from 50 countries 6 ❏ SIL-PNG (Papua New Guinea) Vision God’s Word, in every language, in every life. Mission Statement Knowing that God’s Word transforms lives, we will work together to strengthen the Papua New Guinean Church by supporting sustainable Bible translation, promoting Scripture engagement and fostering language development. 7 ❏ What does SIL do in PNG? ⚫ Bible Translations ⚫ Alphabet and Orthography Designs ⚫ Literacy ⚫ Equip Papua New Guineans to do translations ⚫ Community Support & Technical Trainings 8 My path to PAPUA NEW GUINEA 9 God’s Providence God directs all things toward His good purpose. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10 10 Lived my worldly life for myself 11 Did everything on my own will proudly not Godly 12 Nominal Christian, staying outside of church 13 My Faith Growth For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
[Show full text]
Calvary Chapel Chelmsford Library: by Author 9/21/13
Calvary Chapel Chelmsford Library: by Author 9/21/13 Author Title Format A Ragamuffin Band Prayers of a Ragamuffin Music Aaseng, Nathan Billy Graham Book Explorers for God Book Adam Again Live at Cornerstone 2000 Music Adams, Ann The Baker Book of Bible Travels for Kids Book Adams, Jay E. Marriage, Divorce, And Remarriage In The Bible Book Adeney, Miriam Daughers of Islam: Building Bridges with Muslim Women Book Adkins, Mike A Man Called Norman Audio African Children's Choir Walking in the Light Movie Agatston, Arthur, M.D. The South Beach Diet Book Aikman, David When The Almond Tree Blossoms Book Alcorn, Randy Tell Me About Heaven Book Alcorn, Randy C. Dominion Book Heaven Audio Book If God Is Good Book Prolife Answers To Prochoice Arguments Book Safely Home Book Why Pro-Life? Caring for the Unborn and Their Mothers Book Alcott, Louisa May Little Women Audio Aldrich, Joseph C. Gentle Persuasion: Creative Ways to Introduce Your Friends to Christ Book Life-Style Evangelism: Crossing traditional boundaries to Reach the Unbelieving World Book Children Around the World: Chebet and the Lost Goat Alex, Ben Book Alexander, Hannah Necessary Measures Book Second Opinion Book Urgent Care Book Alexander, Shaun Touchdown Alexander: My Story of Faith, Football, and Pursuing the Dream Book All Star United All Star United Music Allen, Ronald;Borror, Gordon Worship: Recovering the Missing Jewel Book Allender, Dan B. Bold Love Book Leading With A Limp: Take Full Advantage of Your Most Book Powerful Weakness Allender, Dan B.;Longman, Tremper III Intimate Allies: Rediscovering God's Design for Marriage and Becoming Soul Mates for Life Book Alnor, William M.
[Show full text]
Cameron Townsend and the Radicalization of the Faith Mission Paradigm by Boone Aldridge
Reimagining Frontier Mission Cameron Townsend and the Radicalization of the Faith Mission Paradigm by Boone Aldridge he global realities of our post-colonial 21st century are demanding changes in Christian mission structure and identity. The institutional tensions, ambiguities, and contradictions can appear obscure, but sud- denlyT become vivid when grounded in the personality and entrepreneurial genius of a mission founder. The drama becomes relevant and can stimulate creativity with our mission institutions today. Such is the case with the 20th century mis- sion pioneer, William Cameron Townsend, the co-founder of the dual mis- sionary organization comprised of the Summer Institute of Linguistics and the Wycliffe Bible Translators (SIL-WBT).1 He looked to break down barriers in reaching the linguistically isolated indigenous peoples of the world. The radical institutional change he introduced broke with some aspects of a modern faith mission paradigm while carrying other features to their logical conclusion. Editor’s Note: This paper was pre- An Emerging Vision sented at the International Society for Frontier Missiology in September Townsend began his missionary career with the Central American Mission 2019 under the theme, “Reimagin- in Guatemala, but his initial tenure with the mission from 1918 to 1933 was ing Frontier Mission.” His careful historiography is developed more fully an uneasy one. Contrary to the mission’s policy of evangelizing in Spanish, in his recent book, For the Gospel’s Townsend insisted that Guatemala’s indigenous peoples should be reached Sake: The Rise of the Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Summer Institute with the gospel in their own languages.
[Show full text]
Dissertation Examines the Complicated Relationship Between Radicalized Evangelical Missionaries in Central America and Their Sending Communities in the United
© COPYRIGHT by Rodney A. Coeller 2012 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ! To Nathalie, for all her support BEYOND THE BORDERS: RADICALIZED EVANGELICAL MISSIONARIES IN CENTRAL AMERICA FROM THE 1950S THROUGH THE 1980S BY Rodney A. Coeller ABSTRACT This dissertation examines the complicated relationship between radicalized evangelical missionaries in Central America and their sending communities in the United States during the 1970s and 1980s. This was a volatile period in Central America, with the success of socialist revolutionaries in Nicaragua, severe repression in Guatemala and El Salvador, and the increasingly powerful presence of liberation theology in religious institutions and the communities they served. These potent forces deeply affected some evangelical missionaries and they grew more sympathetic to leftist movements in Central America. Missionaries sent out as representatives of these evangelical groups, with the goal of converting others into the fold, were thus converted theologically or politically themselves and no longer “fit” within their home communities. It was also a period of rapid change for American evangelicals. During the 1970s and 1980s, evangelicals grew more deeply committed to U.S. foreign policy, supporting Ronald Reagan’s rise to the presidency, his vehement anti-communism, and his foreign policy goals throughout Latin America and the rest of the world. American missionaries in Central America were caught between these changing realities. When missionaries adapted their political and theological perspectives to adapt to transformative experiences ! ii in Central America, sending groups became uncomfortable sponsoring these radicalized missionaries who seemed to have forgotten what they were sent to Central America to do. This dissertation analyzes the ensuing conflicts between evangelical sending groups and these radicalized missionaries, which reveal several important things about the nature of missionary life as well as the nature of the evangelical community.
[Show full text]