CHRISTIAN HSTI ORY Issue 132 “I have called you friends” How spiritual friendship helped Christianity spread ChristianHistoryMagazine.org $5.00 US $7.00 CAN 132 PRAYING WITH THE CELTs how did celtic christianity enrich our understanding of friendship? see p. 15. friends—including those who are power-seeking, mercenary, haughty, fair-weather, pleasure-seeking, and worthless. POMEGRANATE-sEEd FRIENds The first book written in Chinese by a European was on friendship; Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci (1552–1610) wrote a collection of maxims for a Chinese prince as part of Ricci’s controversial approach of presenting Christi- anity as the completion of Chinese culture. The very last maxim, translated by Timothy Billings, reads: “When Wo-mo-pi (a renowned ancient scholar) cut open a large pomegranate, someone asked him: ‘Master, what things would you like to have as numerously as these seeds?’ To which he responded: ‘Fruitful friends’.” FOUNdEd BY FRIENds IKIMEDIA The Society of Friends (Quakers) emphasizes the W relationship between believers as friends and equals. They drew their use of the word “Friend” to describe IC DOMAIN] / one another from John 15:15. (You can read more L UB about these spiritual Friends in issue #117 of Chris- P tian History.) FARNE [ Did you know? Many women’s reform movements also grew out S of friendships. Frances Willard (1839–1898) is well known for her activism with the Women’s Christian H OF LINDI Pomegranates, organ-Playing, and T Temperance Union, serving as its second president, centuries of circles of christian friends ADFRI and for her speeches in support of women getting the E H vote. Friends supported her, but one went above and T ED WI WHAT A FRIENd WE HAvE IN JEsUs beyond. Anna Gordon (1853–1931), who played the T IKIMEDIA Did Jesus have friends? Yes! In the New Testament, organ for many temperance meetings, served as Wil- OCIA W SS the Gospels contain stories of Jesus mentoring peo- lard’s personal secretary and traveling companion. A ST I ple, dining at the homes of friends, and of course, She wrote a biography of her friend and eventually T IC DOMAIN] / declaring at the Last Supper that he called his dis- also became president of the WCTU. o—ar L T UB ciples friends (John 15:15). Even among the P [ REC ST I Twelve, he invited Peter, James, and John 139 WHAT Is sPIRITUAL FRIENdsHIP? T IO into a more intimate relationship and You’ll find many reflections on the L O F . entrusted John with the care of his mother meaning of spiritual friendship S L after his death (John 19:25–27). throughout this issue. Who made each of the following remarks? —unknown ar 1882 WITH FRIENds LIKE THAT…. Find the answers as you read— ), Medieval Christians thought highly and write to CH telling us LINDISFARNE GOSPE of friendship—but not all friend- which are your favorites! 1745–1833 HE ships lived up to the ideal. Teacher A) “We followed the guid- T IN ORE ( L M of rhetoric Boncompagno de Signa ance of God’s law and spurred PE S O G (whose name actually means “good each other on to virtue.” ANNAH S friend” in Italian) wrote a short book H OF T Luke’ about friendship in 1205, the Amici- T RAI tia. He noted there that “friendship T FAITHFUL PROTEsT What did is a heavenly power which chooses this woman and her friends to dwell only among the virtuous.” have to do with ending slavery? NGRAVED POR THE OPENING OF S Yet most of the treatise discusses bad see p. 33. E Christian History CHINA INLAND MISSION HEADQUARTERS, Shanghai—USED WITH KIND PERMISSION OF OMF INTERNATIONAL SAINT BASIL THE GREAT. ILLUSTRATION FROM THE BOOK THE ASKETIKON (O POSTNICHESTVE), 1594—PYOTR MSTISLAVETS (FL. 1577) / ALAMY PAUL—GOOGLE ART PROJECT / WIKIMEDIA CONFIRMATION OF THE MONASTIC RULE OF ST. FRANCIS BY POPE INNOCENT III, SACRO MONTE ORTA, PIEDMONT, ITALY, Europe—imageBROKER / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO Issue 132 Issue may be accomplishedmay in consequence the of union of shouldwho between us as athird.” without ahead.” sarea bewritingaletter? s BUILT s e s picture theapostlePaulonhisown? INCERELY ngland? hanghai have to do with seven friends from TRUCK D C B ) ) “A person without asoul-friend is like “A a body ) “You and Iare and here, Ihope that Christ “You is “Might I be but one of alittle one “Might of Ibe but band brothers of BY BY s FRIEN ee p.34. YOUR LIGHT leave behindleave them much how of aproof ds s HIP Right: Below: Below: Why is it odd that artists often s ee p.11. t o whom might Basil of What does this building in s ee p.6. c ae - WE the immensity his of love!” and nearer till God, to are we both in swallowedup reature should Irejoicehow and be glad!” only earth afew upon in spreading Christianity, oh Christian friends agood by fire?” that through him you.” to Imight knowingly, be led, low- s friends, and why are they meeting with the pope? ee p.39 G E F ) ) “Never have Ifound such have anearness “Never to any fel “Unknowingly I was led by you [God] to him, to “Unknowingly so [God] you Iwas led by c ) NEE “Is any pleasure on earth as great as acircle of d . PERMI as to you. O that it may bring Othat may as it you. to us nearer ss ION Above: Who is this group of C H - 1 Letters to the editor Readers respond to Christian History PRAISE FOR A BAPTIST GAP REFORMING WOMEN Ever since the issue on Baptists in America came out, Thank you very much I have wanted to contact you to indicate that there is for the copy of CH 131! a huge gap in what was portrayed. You entirely fail to It is really attractive, describe the Baptist groups or denominations that sep- with so many neat illus- arated themselves from the mainline Northern (a.k.a. trations and such a nice collection American) Baptist Convention. First, during the 1920s, of different figures. Thank you and the GARB or General Association of Regular Baptists blessings on your work.—Elsie McKee, Princeton, NJ broke away in protest against the “modernist” theology (contributor to CH #131) and tendencies of the NBC, forming their own mission- ary society. Second, in 1942 or 1943, the CBFMS (Con- Another wonderful issue. It nicely supplements the servative Baptist Foreign Mission Society) was formed, Reformation series. Thank you for highlighting the soon followed by the formation of the CBA (Conserva- work and passion of women in the Reformation tive Baptist Association). period. Their contributions, sadly, are grossly over- I know this well since my father, an ABFMS mis- looked. It is good to see (from your resources page) sionary in India since 1929, was asked to become the that much scholarship is being done to remedy this very first CBFMS missionary in the newly formed soci- omission. May God bless you as you prepare for your ety. There were soon over five hundred CB missionar- next issue.—Tom Edmunds, Washington, NJ ies around the world, while numbers of AB mission- aries dwindled. Third, just about this time, many if Your magazine is interesting. I use some articles for not all of the ethnic conferences within the Northern lessons presented at a United Methodist Women’s Baptist Convention also broke away to form their own meeting. Sometimes it inspires them to study fur- missionary societies and denominations, including ther on these subjects. I especially enjoyed your issue the Swedish, German, Finnish, and others. I know this about Women in Church History.—Anne Lippstreu, because my father was also asked to join the newly Alma, NE formed Swedish Baptist Mission (long known as the Baptist General Conference). He was present at the for- We love to hear about our materials being used in churches! mation of this new society, and asked to become one of Issues like Women of the Reformation open our eyes to its missionaries, even though he was already commit- many things we didn’t know beforehand either. ted to the CBFMS. —Robert Eric Frykenberg, Madison, WI (contributor to issues #87 and #94 of CH) GRATEFUL FOR THE GRAND MIRACLE What a wonderful gift! Each year I try to find a Any time we do a broad survey issue such as the Baptist one, meaningful Advent devotional, and this year one we have to make choices on what to include. In this case, in con- found me. It could not be more perfect because the sultation with our scholar-advisor, we focused most especially devotionals are based on the writings of some of on themes of religious liberty and racial conflict. Nevertheless, my favorite authors—especially C. S. Lewis and you are right that—as we discussed the splitting of Baptists in G. K. Chesterton. I so appreciate the work of the twentieth century—we should have at least made mention Christian History Institute. Thank you so much.— of other ethnic tensions and of all the ways responses to “mod- 130 Debra Ensor, Simpsonville, KY ernism” were played out within the broad Baptist tradition. #131 When we do survey issues, we also view them as open- ISTORY # H HISTORY Thank you for your encouragement! And it’s not too late to ings to focus more closely in later issues on aspects of the tra- order copies of our new Advent devotional, The Grand Mir- dition. We can easily see a fruitful future issue of Christian HRISTIAN C acle —visit us online to learn more! History being developed on Northern Baptists.