Search

Canton (present-day Guangzhou, China) has a long history as a trading port and serves as a window for studying the history of Sino-Western cultural exchanges. Canton was a city built under Confucian orders, leading to significant differences (when compared to Christian cities) in urban functional zoning, layout, urban landscape, and methods for shaping spatial order. Therefore, the churches constructed by Christian missionary societies in Canton merit particular attention in missionary history research and urban planning history. Based on local gazetteers, historical maps, export paintings, Western travelogues, and archives at that time, from a cultural landscape perspective, this article compares and analyzes the spatial expansion of Christian churches and their influences on the urban landscape in Canton in two stages. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the spatial layout of the churches indicated an active integration into Canton City. After the Opium War, churches were not only used for religious purposes but also served as symbols asserting the presence of Christians and Western powers (which made the situation more complicated). Missionary societies attracted believers through the construction of public facilities, building Christian communities centered around churches, thereby competing with authorities for spatial power and influencing the urban functional system and spatial layout controlled by the authorities. Comparatively, the Roman Catholic Cathedral has profoundly changed the traditional landscape order in Canton, while the Protestant Dongshan Church interacted more closely with the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With determination, zeal, and commitment, American Baptist missionaries arrived in Burma in 1813 and proselytized the ethnic Burman and the ethnic Karen. Whereas their mission efforts among the Burman ended in failure, they converted many Karen to Christianity. This article has explored why they failed among the Burman, but relatively succeeded among the Karen. The thesis of this essay is that American missionaries failed among the Burman, mostly because Buddhism already permeated Burman society for centuries, and that they Christianized many Karen, largely because they still practiced a cosmic religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines nineteenth century American abolitionist writings on India. My sources include abolitionist newspapers, primarily focusing on William Lloyd Garrison’s newspaper the Liberator, but also incorporating other abolitionist newspapers. These include the Friend of Man and publications of individual abolitionists like Lydia Maria Child’s The History of the Condition of Women, in Various Ages and Nations. By looking at their writings on Christian missionary activities in India, Indian women, and British rule in India, this article argues that although many abolitionists Orientalized India, they at the same time found many parallels between Indian society and the US. Although they did not develop a full criticism towards colonialism in the antebellum period, their criticism towards Empire matured by the early twentieth century. My scholarly intervention centres on acknowledging the hitherto unknown role of abolitionist writings on India in the intellectual history of American abolitionism and US-India transnational history. By not fully engaging with India, the scholarship on US-India relations and abolitionism misses a critical dimension of the abolitionist movement’s intimate relationship with related causes of feminism, anti-clericalism, and anti-imperialism. Most importantly, this article demonstrates that abolitionist writings on India far exceeded Orientalism as the only frame of understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In late Qing Dynasty, a Chinese newspapers and magazines of Protestant missionaries, Wan Kwoh Kung Pao, published hundreds of classical farewell poems created by Chinese Christians and aimed at Protestant missionaries in China. These poems depict the image of missionaries the Chinese Christian community had if missionaries, and their writing is a form of image construction and localized understanding of these exotic others. Specifically, the writing and publication of farewell poems is a public display of church life and a positive promotion of the image of British and American missionaries. On the one hand, when depicting their religious activities, the poetry showcases the moral qualities of the missionaries and their intimate relationships with Chinese Christians through specific local language words and images with strong Christian styles, and shaping them into wise men and gentlemen in the context of Chinese culture; on the other hand, the poetry also showcases the secular activities of missionaries in China, such as medical treatment, education, and the dissemination of Western learning, proving their irreplaceable positive contributions to the progress of the Chinese people and society, and attributing the root of this contribution to the superiority of Christianity. As a result, these missionaries from foreign lands are no longer strangers or dangerous others, but helped China both spiritually and materially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the impact of British colonialism and Christian missionary activity on Igbo art and culture, particularly focusing on the documentation of the traditional art form uli by colonial anthropologists. It also discusses the tension between tradition and modernity caused by colonialism, the role of the Nsukka School in reviving uli as part of a decolonial movement, and the paradox of using colonial archives as tools for cultural re-armament.

AbstractThis essay, a collaboration between a Euro-Canadian academic and an Indigenous (Blackfoot) educator, opens a window into the cultural persistence of the Blackfoot people through a photograph of leisure practices from 1944. This image, found in the Alberta provincial archives, shows a social dance held on the Blackfoot Reserve (now the Siksika Nation) during an era when Canada’s Department of Indian Affairs and their Christian missionary affiliates attempted to eradicate the cultural traditions of Indigenous peoples. In the prairies, they focused on eliminating the Sundance and related physical cultural practices. At first glance, this photograph might seem to be an unusual way to understand Blackfoot cultural resilience as it shows a social (recreational) dance, not a sacred occasion. Yet this image offers an entry point to examine not only how the Blackfoot resisted cultural repression, but also sheds light on the depth of Blackfoot history and the expansiveness of Blackfoot epistemologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1860s India, Bengali playwright Dinabandhu Mitra wrote the play Nil Darpan (Indigo Mirror), an exposé of violent abuses committed against Indian farm workers by powerful British indigo dealers. With help from a Christian missionary, the play was translated into English and shared with the office of Bengal's Lieutenant-Governor, Sir John Peter Grant. Grant approved a few copies to be printed to share with colleagues; instead, hundreds were mistakenly printed and distributed to Parliament members in England, outraging and embarrassing the British Raj. But would the amusing debacle help bring positive change to Indian labourers? The events of the Nil Darpan controversy are well-known to historians but have often been mythologised and misrepresented. The author provides a unique perspective on the events by comparing and contrasting the news media's coverage of the Nil Darpan controversy, and Bengali theatre and film artists' reactions to it, using his own findings from Indian, UK and US newspapers of the era ranging from 1859 to 1917. This article is based on a lecture given at the annual Fulbright Association Conference in October 2023 held in Denver, Colorado. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buddhist architecture plays a crucial role in traditional Chinese architecture, representing the localized adaptation of Buddhism, a foreign religion, in China. Historically, abundant materials, including paintings, photographs, and texts, demonstrate the longstanding interest of visiting Christian missionaries in Chinese Buddhist architecture. As their understanding deepens, Buddhist architecture becomes a valuable reference for the Sinicization of Christian venues in China. Unlike the "Chinese Roof with Western walls style" or "mixed Easten and Western façade style", Tao Fong Shan represents a "Buddhist-Christian style", with its success rooted in the similarity of life and spatial modes between Buddhist and Christian monasteries. Using Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre as a case study, this article examines the localization construction of Christian architecture. It explores how Norwegian missionary Karl Ludvig Reichelt (1877–1952) and Danish Christian architect Johannes Prip-Møller (1889–1943) collaborated to establish a Christian center targeting Buddhists. Through an in-depth study of Prip-Møller's field research in the 1930s, especially his analysis of Longchang Si, the article investigates how Tao Fong Shan learned from it and transformed its spatial characteristics to achieve a localized sense of space perception through site selection, layout, and spatial design. It ultimately aims to influence the beliefs of Buddhists within the local context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the previously overlooked influence of Qiu Jun, a renowned mid-Ming dynasty scholar, on Jesuit missionaries and Chinese Catholic believers. Although Qiu's impact on Confucian scholars of the mid-to-late Ming period is well established, his role in shaping formalized Chinese ritual systems and Chinese Catholicism has received little attention. A closer examination of Jesuit missionaries' translation of Confucian classics and Chinese Catholic texts from the late Ming and early Qing periods reveals that Qiu's works were frequently cited, particularly in relation to the abolition of divine titles, the worship of Confucius, and the establishment of the City-god system. Qiu's responses to these issues, informed by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang's efforts to centralize power and establish authority in both secular and religious spheres, served as key references for mid-Ming reforms. Moreover, Jesuit fathers and Chinese Catholic adherents drew on Qiu's perspectives in their writings to address various issues during the Chinese Rites Controversy. This research uncovers the profound impact of Qiu Jun's ideas on the cultural exchange between China and the West in the 17th–18th centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article traces the efforts made by the American Baptist missionaries in the nineteenth century to connect with the local communities of the Naga Hills. The success of the mission has been credited to the mission's successful use of terminologies drawn from local oral traditions in translating the Bible. While the article builds upon this argument, it also shows that while missionaries turned to such traditions to find context and cultural relevance for their evangelism work or acquire legitimacy for their choices, for example, in the form of selecting the print language for the 'tribes', in other instances oral tradition was branded rather as 'doubtful stories' and 'strange legends'. Within this context, the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries saw the systematic attack and dismantling of local social and cultural practices sustained by the locals' oral tradition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article responds to Ekaputra Tupamahu's article that offers an alternative pentecostal reading of the book of Acts. Tupamahu challenges mainstream pentecostal interpretations that regard missionaries as pivotal characters in the Acts narrative. Alternatively, he suggests an interpretation focusing on migrants as the primary characters in the Acts narrative. In this article, these two opposing views are framed using an approach known as contrapuntal reading. The goal is not harmonization to reduce the tension between the two but to expand the horizon of the readers of Acts through the uniqueness of each reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses Christian missionaries working on converting Muslim Iranians to Christianity. Their methods are based on a logic of rupture and discontinuity with Islam, presenting Christianity as the solution to a moral-political crisis of Iranians in the Islamic Republic. Anti-Islam is the focus of this conversion discourse. In a transnational Christian network formed by Iranians and non-Iranians, the evangelical missionaries work with methodology that breaks and dialogues with society and the local culture of their target audience, presenting evangelical Christianity as an alternative for Iranians. This research was carried out based on participant observation in missionary groups and Christian churches for Iranians, via digital media and face-to-face, contributing to the understanding of the conversion of Muslims to evangelical Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This phenomenological study focused on understanding Unreached People Groups (UPGs) lived experiences to model a Pentecostal mission strategy. The global discussion and attention on the UPGs ignited at the 1974 Lausanne Congress and it has altered the global understanding of mission. In recent times, people's group thinking represents a predominant pattern in global missions. Nonetheless, few scholarly works have been conducted to carefully examine UPG's questionable theological and socio-cultural underlying assumptions and consequently, Christian institutions and missionaries are less prepared to reach out. This study directed by the Pentecost Centre for the Study of Unreached People Groups (PCUPGs) at the Pentecost University, Ghana critically re-evaluated the concept using biblical and sociocultural analysis to assess the Biblical and Conceptual basis of UPGs. The study from theological and socio-cultural perspectives developed missional strategies towards reaching the unreached people groups in Africa in fulfillment of the Great Commission of Jesus Christ, to disciple all Ethnic Groups and consequently, redefine the term "UPGs" which is a seminal contribution to scholarship. The study contributes to academia by assessing the theological and conceptual basis of the UPGs towards developing pragmatic missional strategies to overcome the contemporary mission challenges, as well as initiate a Pentecostal approach to missions amongst the UPGs in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The annual meeting of the International Consultation on Ecclesial Futures (ICEF) took place in July 2023 in the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States. Participants from the United States, Europe, South Africa and Australia gathered to share research around the theme "faithful innovation" and to reflect together on the challenges and possibilities for cultivating innovative missional ministries. This paper reflects upon two significant themes from the consultation: (1) clarifying the tensions between innovation and Christian faith, and (2) reflecting upon the ecological conditions that cultivate room for innovation that is faithful, and expressions of the faith that are innovative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article assesses a significant Peace Declaration which was recently released by the Reformed Church in Japan (RCJ). Through this declaration the RCJ affirms her calling and responsibility - as a missional church which is part of a 1% Christian population - to proclaim and embody peace in Japan and beyond. The article uses an integrative literature review and in-depth theological reflection as its main research techniques. The systematic review addresses the question: What is the significance and meaning of the RCJ Peace Declaration within the wider field of Peace Studies and in connection with the notion of pacifism in Japan and globally? It is argued that theological understandings of peacebuilding can indeed constructively promote peace and justice in worldwide conflicts. The article further explains how a vast corpus of knowledge and practice includes the body of Christ in Japan which, through the RCJ Peace Declaration, represents a pro-active vision of God's shalom. Public witness is not an add-on to the church's mission. Instead, the Church realizes its missional calling when it publicly engages in testifying to true Christian peace by rejecting imperial claims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to address the ways and extent to which participation in digital worship might be seen as fostering or inhibiting social inclusion and social cohesion, and to assess the current state of research on this important topic from both a sociological and theological perspective. It aims to broaden digital theological understanding beyond sacramental and ecclesiological concerns towards more wholistic concerns of participation and belonging, intersecting with the digital divide and theology of disability. Drawing on the work of Martha Nussbaum and the capabilities approach, this paper proposes consideration of digital participations with respect to their significance for cultivating participation in community by conducting a literature review of various studies. Further, it addresses ambivalences which arise out of these studies, as digital access seems to enhance certain forms of connectedness while rendering other forms less stable. Observation of these ambivalences is framed into research desiderata for future study on the interrelationship of digital participation in religious community and the facilitation of community and social resilience. With the intention of building upon this recent research to address the more specific question of what kinds of digital participation foster social inclusion with a focus on religious communities, it identifies concrete pathways for further academic inquiry, and suggests a framework for new practical theological questions centring justice and inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent prominence of advanced chatbots that greatly mimic human intelligence and conversation appears to have set a new stage in the rapidly developing field of Artificial Intelligence. Chatbots such as ChatGTP and Bard have risen to global popularity among internet users who interface with the chatbots in a nearly humanlike manner through a question-and-answer format. But such great technological developments also give rise to questions regarding theology and spirituality. Thus, this paper asks: what does it mean to be human in an increasingly AI-driven world? How can Christian communities around the globe respond to the ongoing developments in the field of AI? Based on missional anthropology, this paper argues for an understanding of humans as embodied agents of God as central in a missional strategy to respond to the proliferation of advanced AI chatbots today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article further probes three of the findings of the author's DMin project thesis, which explored God's call of racial justice in a predominantly white, affluent Episcopal church. The research revealed theological and missional challenges that inhibit the church from joining in God's mission of justice, namely participants viewing the church as the host of missional engagement, white privilege hindering the practice of listening and the reluctance of members to articulate the presence and activity of God as it relates to justice. In consideration of these obstacles, this article recommends the indiscriminate generosity of God for funding the imagination of the missional community for faithful innovation related to racial justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robert Morrison 馬禮遜, the first Protestant missionary to China, came to Guangdong as an employee of the East India Company and with the support of the London Missionary Society in 1807. Amongst his path-breaking translation work, he published the first Chinese Bible (Shen Tian Shengshu 神天聖書) in 1823. As many foreigners in Guangdong could not speak Cantonese, Morrison compiled a three-volume Cantonese learning aid, A Vocabulary of the Canton Dialect (1828), using specifically Cantonese Chinese characters and his Cantonese romanization system. In consequence, missionaries translated Christian literature and the Bible into Cantonese, for they realized that proficiency in Cantonese was essential for proselytization among ordinary people. Over the past twenty years, we have collected and identified around 260 Cantonese works written and translated by Western Protestant missionaries, and these Cantonese writings can be categorized as follows: 1. dictionaries; 2. textbooks; 3. Christian literature; 4. Bibles; and 5. miscellanea. In the study of the Western Protestant missions, their linguistic contribution is relatively under-represented. Through analyzing the phonological, lexical, and grammatical features of early Cantonese expressions in these selected missionary works, we strive to highlight the missionaries' contributions to the diachronic study of the Cantonese language in modern southern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between Christianity and Confucianism has been marked by both conflict and accommodation. In the 19th century, the discovery of the works of Mozi, a pre-Qin Chinese philosopher who was critical of Confucianism, led to a change in the approach of some missionaries. This commentary examines how 19th century missionaries strategically utilized Mohist philosophy to undermine Confucianism and promote Christianity. The implications of this commentary for religious research are significant in terms of providing context and guiding future investigations as this commentary offers new insights into the complex relationship between Christianity and Confucianism in China by highlighting the strategic use of Mohist philosophy as a tool for evangelism and the implications it had for the larger discourse on Christianity and Confucianism in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What are the origins of differences in the pace of the demographic transition across African societies, and how do these differences affect economic development? We address this question by analyzing the average and heterogeneous effects of colonial-era Christian missionary activity on human capital accumulation, fertility, and wealth in Nigeria. Our identification strategy exploits discontinuities in mission stations around the borders of some Emirates of Northern Nigeria where missions were restricted from operating by the colonial administration. We find that areas with greater historical missionary activity have higher levels of schooling, lower fertility, and higher household wealth today. The long-run effect of missions is not found in areas with early access to government schools, and is larger for population subgroups—women and Muslims—that have historically suffered disadvantages in access to education. Importantly, we show that the restriction of missions in some Emirates of Northern Nigeria has led to a reversal of fortunes, wherein areas that were more institutionally developed in the precolonial period are relatively poorer today as a result of a slower pace of the demographic transition. The findings support the predictions of the unified theory of economic growth, whereby technological advancement leads to greater demand for education, triggering a fertility decline and resulting in higher incomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses how and why Christian medical missionaries established their foothold in Chinese society through the medical career of Benjamin Hobson, who was active in China from the late 1830s to the 1850s. Apart from his evangelical work among the Chinese, one of his key contributions was the new medical vocabularies he created to communicate medical knowledge. In addition to literary considerations, Hobson had his strategies for sharing modern medical knowledge. Moreover, he was prepared to debate with the Chinese over the validity of the pulse theory. The debate did not happen, however. His intention to establish the case for the superior position of Western medicine was not contested. His medical texts, at best, became the necessary underpinning for introducing modern Western medicine to China. When Western medical college projects took place in China at the turn of the century, biomedicine took over as the key paradigm, with Hobson's medical texts being of limited use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anales del Seminario de Historia de la Filosofía is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article examines the efforts of missionaries in Cape Palmas, Liberia, to create written texts in the Grebo language using Roman script. Led by Reverend John Leighton Wilson, the missionaries printed various texts, including primers, religious books, and Bible stories, with the aim of teaching the Grebo language, Christian values, and Anglo-American social ideals. The texts also provide insights into the cultural and linguistic exchanges between the missionaries and the Grebo people. Additionally, the article discusses the smaller tracts printed at the Fair Hope mission, which were widely distributed and may have served as physical markers of affiliation with the mission and offered protection to Grebos in a politically volatile climate. Overall, the article highlights the complex relationship between missionaries, settlers, and Grebos in Cape Palmas. [Extracted from the article]

This article applies selected aspects of Depesh Chakrabarty's concept of "Provincializing Europe" to the discourse of world Christianity studies. It argues that colonial-era mission scholars constructed a grand narrative of a united Christian Europe to justify European missions to the rest of the world. Contemporary postcolonial efforts to de-center Europe now contrast a vitiated European Christianity with a vibrant nonwestern Christianity that is required to re-evangelize Europe. Paradoxically, the trope of a formerly Christian Europe merges with a caricature of its numerical failure to make European Christianity the permanent foil for world Christianity studies. The article urges that European Christianity be studied in its diverse contexts, that the distinction between migrant and missionary be queried, and that European Christianity be considered essential to world Christianity studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Christianity does not have as long of a history as other monotheistic religions and traditional ideologies in Korea, but—especially from the end of the 19th century—its new concepts have had a huge impact on the basic thoughts of Korean society. This paper focuses on the effects of Christianity and the activity of Christian communities on women's lives. According to my preliminary findings, in the late 1800s, the Christian missionaries and their newly formed communities offered opportunities for girls and women to get education, a profession, access to better health care, and learn self-care. After the complicated decades between 1910 and 1950, South Korea was experiencing remarkable changes, and Christians were an active part of this rebuilding, helping the lives of those who were struggling with poverty, lack of daily necessities, education, and health care. This paper aims to examine the thoughts and actions of Korean Christian communities towards decisions on childbirth, children out of wedlock, adoption, and single motherhood. This study investigates the approaches of South Korean Christian communities towards women related to the above-mentioned circumstances, focusing on the early examples and the last five to six decades. It is assumed that even though South Korea is now considered a modernized country, the government sometimes fails to cope with current problems, and traditional notions are still strong in familial matters. Therefore, not obeying conventional forms may cause social conflicts, or the decisions are hidden because of taboos and stigmas. This research is based on the publications of Christian communities and involves documentaries and case studies, including the baby box operation and adoption. This paper contributes to the expanding studies on Korean Christian communities, highlighting the social norms and their changes generated by new religious thoughts, while giving an insight into the daily struggles of Korean women's lives when it comes to decision-making about their motherhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the arrival of Christian missionaries in China through maritime trade networks, missionary activities have been changing from the 16th century to the 18th century. Christian missionaries faced numerous challenges stemming from cultural context and religious policies in China. Throughout history, various religious strategies have been employed to address these challenges. The use of Chinese porcelain to depict Christian imagery holds significant importance. The present study is focused on four representative Chinese porcelains dating from the Ming to Qing dynasties, each associated with specific phases of Christianity in China. Examining the connections between the Christian mission in China and Christian iconography on Chinese porcelain leads to the conclusion that the visual culture associated with the Christian mission in China is influenced by and reflects intercultural or interreligious dialogue with mutual understanding. In the meantime, it signifies an intricate process of interaction, appropriation, hybridization, and adaptation, through which Christian iconography gained new significance on Chinese porcelain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tijdschrift voor Geschiedenis is the property of Amsterdam University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An introduction is presented in which editor discusses various articles within the issue in topics including growing interference foreign, embodied by Christian missionaries; Japanese occupation policies in Singapore and civil wars that broke out in Central Africa in the heat of decolonization.

The Epistle to the Galatians, which is the richest in historical references to Paul's conversion and his apostolic activity (Gal 1:11-2:21), contains one of the most interesting remarks in Paul's letters, "I went to Arabia" (Gal 1:17b). This brief autobiographical statement is not easy to clarify. A careful consideration of all the factors leads to the conclusion that Paul travelled to the territory of the Nabatean kingdom to do missionary work there. In keeping with Paul's later missionary activity, which is oriented toward large cities, and which usually begins in a Jewish synagogue, it is plausible to assume that Paul followed a similar missionary strategy in Arabia and that he therefore focused on large cities (Petra, Hegra, Bosra) in which Jewish communities, perhaps with a certain circle of sympathizers, may also have been present. The main reason for Paul's journey to Arabia was in all probability the fact that this territory had been neglected by Christian missionaries in the early church and that he could therefore preach the gospel where the name of Christ was not yet known. Paul's missionary activity in Arabia, which undoubtedly must have involved a longer period (one or two years), as is evident from the later conflict with the governor under King Aretas after his return to Damascus (2 Cor 11:32), was probably not successful and met with considerable opposition, since there is no evidence of Christian communities having been established in the territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arts Magazine is the property of Thamar University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examines the long-term effect of Christian missionary exposure on HIV infection and related sexual behaviour in Zambia. I use distance to a historical missionary church and health facility as proxies for missionary exposure. I constructed a geocoded data set combining information on the historical locations of churches and missionary health centres with contemporary individual-level data. I find that individuals who live close to a historical missionary church have a higher likelihood of being infected with HIV. I find no significant effect of proximity to a missionary health centre on HIV. Considering that heterosexual transmission is the main channel of HIV transmission in Zambia, I analyse the effect of missionary exposure on sexual behaviour. The following patterns emerge: individuals who live close to a Protestant church are less likely to engage in premarital sexual abstinence; they also have their first sexual encounter at an earlier age, with the effect being stronger for men than women. Living near a Catholic church is associated with having a higher number of sexual partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is a book review of "Nii Ndahlohke: Boys' and Girls' Work at Mount Elgin Industrial School, 1890-1915" by Mary Jane Logan McCallum. The book explores the history of the Mount Elgin Industrial School and its impact on Indigenous children. It reveals that the school not only failed to provide a useful education but also exploited the children for free labor. The author highlights the inadequate funding and poor conditions at the school, as well as the lack of opportunities and generational wealth denied to Indigenous people by the government. [Extracted from the article]

Since the arrival of Christianity in Africa during the pre-colonial era, one of the main characteristics of its spread has been Christian Education (CE). The achievements made thus far by missionaries and African Christian communities were based on the Church-based Christian Education programs that were put into place by churches created by missionaries. Education, let alone Christian Education, has a key role to play in the transformation of every society. The problem is that the type of Christianity and Christian Education introduced sought to uproot Africans from their identity, culture, and language. Christian Education has a crucial role in changing the perspective of citizens to one that is Euro-centric and in promoting effective discipleship and strong doctrinal allegiance among members of mainline churches. Even though Christianity has undergone meaningful change over time, its many manifestations still survive in diverse 21st-century societies. Christianity, just like African Traditional Religion, has permeated every sphere and life of the Zimbabweans. The prospects of Christian Education to foster a positive society's transformation in Zimbabwe are great and accepted. Two types of Christianity were introduced to Africa: Afro-centric Christianity and Euro-centric Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Jurnal Ilmiah Islam Futura is the property of Jurnal Ilmiah Islam Futura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article provides a selection of early Christian figures from the DACB collection, spanning the 1st to 6th centuries. It discusses figures such as Simon of Cyrene, the Eunuch of Ethiopia, Speratus, Origen of Alexandria, Giyorgis of Sagla, Hadrian of Canterbury, Frumentius, Quodvultdeus, and the Sadqan. The text explores their lives, teachings, and contributions to the spread of Christianity in Africa. It also discusses the influence of Platonism on Origen's theological beliefs, the theological education in early African Christianity, and the significance of rural Christianity in Africa. The article emphasizes the cultural and historical importance of these early African Christian figures and their relevance today. [Extracted from the article]

Periodicals played increasingly an important role, particularly from the nineteenth century, within missionary circles. This paper focuses on the American Presbyterian Periodical, nur-e afshan (the refulgent light). The initial evidence presented here supports the argument that there were changes in its ownership and use over the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Initially edited by the Presbyterian missionary, Wherry, by the turn of the nineteenth century, the periodical reflected the broader change from missionary to native leadership in the Presbyterian Mission. The policy to gradually 'indigenise' the periodical went hand in hand with the native Christians replacing the missionaries as lead contributors and consumers. Nur has been dismissively described as a 'semi-secular' magazine, which undermines its significance as a forum for native agency and thought in the changing socio-political context of India. Under this agency, the periodical surrendered the traditional triumphalist polemics for a more reflective discourse leading up to India's independence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partnership in Christian missions is of great importance because of its necessity for the effectiveness of all missions engagements. Partnership in missions has a biblical basis, and it is theologically correct. The concept of Missio Dei demonstrates the Triune God as the owner of Christian missions. Likewise, as a body of Christ, the church must work together to achieve God's purpose. The church can utilise each member's gifts and virtues through partnership to glorify God. Christian missions will not be tedious with practical knowledge of partnership in missions. This paper provided vital information related to partnerships in the Nigerian Baptist Convention missions. A partnership creates an avenue for effective and holistic missions. The researcher used the descriptive research method and discovered that some challenges, such as misunderstanding, selfishness, miss-appropriateness of resources and information gap, are sometimes part of the partnership. Contribution: Apart from the challenges, partnership in missions has many prospects amid technological advancement and globalisation if the appropriate partnership models, credible partnership principles and accurate theological perspectives are inculcated. This will result in more converts, planting churches, making disciples and raising more Christian leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]