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Copyright of Journal of Social Sciences Research / Sosyal Bilimler Arastirmalari Dergisi is the property of ODU Journal of Social Sciences Research 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.)

The Great Commission is an important concept of missiological training and life wire of Christianity. This article is a critical review and reflection over the understanding and importance of this concept from the Old Testament background through the New Testament and its application to missiological training in the modern era. The article shows that the Great Commission is the singular theme that ran throughout the Scripture from the call of Abraham to the ascension of Jesus Christ and the mandate the Church is called to fulfil until the second coming of Christ. Missiological training, which is a mean to prepare labourers for missionary task of the Church, cannot be effective without a strong focus on the Great Commission mandate. Being the core of missionary task of the Church, the Great Commission should become the focus of all missiological training and dominant theme in the curriculum for the training of missionaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the role of missionaries in translation activities during the last six decades of the Ming dynasty in China and explores the motivations from a sociological perspective. The study identifies three ways in which missionaries carried out the act of gatekeeping, including the alteration of book subjects, the selection of collaborators, and the addition of religious texts. Drawing on Bourdieu's theory of social practice, the analysis reveals that these gatekeeping behaviours were motivated by the intricate interplay among habitus, field, and capital. The study suggests that missionaries adjusted their habitus to influence the choice of book subjects, carefully selected collaborators to navigate the translation field securely, and incorporated religious texts to enhance their standing in the religious field. Consequently, missionaries functioned as gatekeepers in translation, guided by their habitus and leveraging diverse capitals to advance their position in the social field of the late Ming dynasty, with the ultimate goal of spreading religious culture China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper attempts to understand the idea of readership and access to printed books in colonial South India, responding to print and missionary interventions in nineteenth-century Kerala. The paper would ask, how does one work with traces of reading in the text and construct its beyond with interest in this history, paying heed to its entanglements in desires and fears of and from the same activity of reading? Is there a potential affective space in this history, accounted by the reader between divisions of the material text and the liminalities of reading events scattered in its time and space? The paper envisions methods to study reading and its lives by imaginatively and symbolically locating "readers" and "respondents" to the changes within the nineteenth-century missionary printing exercise. The study understands the coming of Vidyasamgraham or The Cottayam College Quarterly Magazine, published between 1864 and 1867 to have set the pace for both knowledge dissemination and the making of rational modern "reading" subjects in nineteenth-century Kerala. The serialization of The Slayer Slain throughout its eight issues will be read alongside the selected entries of Vidyasamgraham to ask questions about how reading was conceived, its locations, and the nature of the book. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The episcopal service of Innokenty (Veniaminov), Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, remains a relevant topic for the researches nowadays. His ministry as the ruling bishop of the vast Kamchatka Diocese, which included great territories of the Far East, Siberia and Alaska, has been studied in a number of scientific works. Concern for the spiritual education of the clergy entrusted to the care of a diocesan bishop is always among hierarch’s most important responsibilities. The issues of organization and development of the secondary theological education in the territory of Kamchatka Diocese during the years of Archbishop Innokenty’s archpastoral ministry are undoubtedly an important area for independent analysis. In 2024, two important dates are celebrated: 145 years since the death of St. Innokenty and 200 years since his first arrival in America as a future hierarch. Since the issue of the theological seminary establishment in Novoarkhangelsk, Yakutsk and subsequently in Blagoveshchensk was not a separate area for research, it should be recognized that paying attention to this topic undoubtedly seems relevant and scientifically significant. Thus, the purpose of this work is to study Bishop Innokenty’s activities in organizing secondary theological schools in the Kamchatka Diocese. The main source became the materials of the Russian State Historical Archive of St. Petersburg as well as published sources, in particular Metropolitan Innokenty’s letters. Basing on these materials’ study, and also on contemporary researchers’ works, one can conclude that Metropolitan Innokenty paid special attention to the establishment of theological schools in his diocese, while setting as the long-term goal both the training and educating future clergy and the formation of comprehensively developed missionaries. The work reflects numerous problems that had to be faced in organizing theological seminary, which led to the fact that the theological school changed its location three times during the years of this Bishop’s ministry in the Far East. According to the results of the study, it has been possible to conclude that the theological seminary of Kamchatka diocese, thanks to the Bishop’s care, contributed to the successful development of the Orthodox mission in the region, in a fairly short time, despite numerous difficulties.

The article discusses the outstanding Russian missionary, “Apostle of Kamchatka” Metropolitan Nestor (Anisimov) and his church ministry in Novosibirsk diocese (1956–1958) and Kirovgrad doicese (1959–1962) in the period of persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church under Khrushchev. The work focuses both on the Metropolitan Nestor’s active work to preserve parish communities and churches in Siberia and Ukraine and his relations with the authorized representatives of Governmental Council for Russian Orthodox Church Affairs under the USSR Council of Ministers. The author restores the unknown details of Metropolitan Nestor’s ministry in Harbin, including the circumstances of his meeting with USSR Marshall R. Y. Malinovsky, based on documents from personal files of the hierarch (Fund “Council for Religious Affairs under the USSR Council of Ministers”. State Archive of Russian Federation. Stock P-6991. L. 7. Dos. 83). Furthermore, the author analyses Metropolitan Nestor’s relationships with Patriarch Alexis I, on the one hand, and with V. A. Kuroedov — Chairman of the Governmental Council for Russian Orthodox Church Affairs, on the other hand. Soviet authorities reacted negatively to the activity of Metropolitan Nestor during the period of Khrushchev’s anti-religious campaign. The elderly hierarch was perceived by authorities solely as “a disguised enemy of Soviet power” and “a hardened monarchist”. These circumstances entailed negative consequences for the metropolitan’s future ministry in Novosibirsk diocese, from where he was removed. In addition, Metropolitan Nestor was subject of harassment in the Soviet press in the later period of his career — during the governance of Kirovgrad diocese. Unfortunately, the campaign of metropolitan’s discrediting, organized by the Governmental Council for Russian Orthodox Church Affairs both at the regional and national level, led to the deterioration of his health and largely hastened his death.

From its foundation in 1622, the Congregation de Propaganda Fide held supreme jurisdiction over all missionary activities of the Catholic Church at the global level, with authority coming directly from the pope. Its main goals were the expansion of the Catholic faith, the reaffirmation of papal spiritual primacy, and the promotion of Indigenous clergy throughout the world, which put Propaganda Fide in direct competition with secular rulers who also wanted to control missionary activities in their overseas territories. This article will examine one such conflict, namely that regarding Portugal and its royal patronage system in China. The Historical Archive of Propaganda Fide in the Vatican City holds extensive material concerning Portuguese patronage and China, which has remained relatively unknown and understudied. Through an examination of several of the most significant documents, such as the formal terms sent by the Portuguese court to the Holy See, the response of Propaganda Fide, and the final declaration of the Holy See, which would become the cornerstone for all future decisions over the patronage system, it is suggested that these negotiations about China are in fact central to a wider shift in global Catholic policy and politics in the field of missionary activity. [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]

The aim of this article is twofold: first, to challenge the white reading of the book of Acts, and second, to offer an alternative reading by placing the story of the marginalized people, the colonized people, at the center. The first part of this article interrogates how white pentecostal scholars read the book of Acts as a missionary book and identify themselves with the disciples in the book of Acts. After presenting the problems with this reading, I propose an alternative interpretation of the movement in Acts as a migration movement instead of a missionary movement. Reading it from a migration point of view centers on the story of a marginalized group of people trying to find a safe place to live because of the sociopolitical instability in their homeland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent scholarship examining enslaved people's marriages in the Anglophone Caribbean highlights the need to consider the Church of England's influence over conflicts with the plantocracy. This article examines responses to a proposed marriage between a free man of colour, William Harris, and an enslaved woman, Betty Cudjoe, in Montserrat in 1828. Occurring during the period of 'amelioration', this article considers the changing perspectives of ecclesiastical authorities, missionary clergymen, the plantocracy, free people of colour, and enslaved people. It draws upon under under-consulted sources of 'The Conversion Society' held at Lambeth Palace Library alongside ecclesiastical correspondence to highlight the gendered property concerns of enslavers that were exacerbated in mixed-status marriages. This article contends that during the period of amelioration, Anglican marriages became an attractive option to free and enslaved people in comparison to nonconformist unions. While this came into conflict with the property rights of enslavers, ultimately a specific definition of marriage was acceptable and enforced by the Church of England, pursued in this case by Rev. Benjamin Luckock. This enforcement came from the authority of the newly established colonial bishoprics, who held substantial influence over sacramental affairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1622, a counter-reformist concept of the mission led to the foundation of Propaganda Fide, a congregation to which the Supreme Pontiffs entrusted various tasks at the global level, including the reassertion of the pope's authority over missionary activities, which had previously been dominated by European secular powers using the patronage system. In carrying out its mandate, the new Congregation also charged apostolic nuncios, almost entirely Italian, with collecting information from and establishing direct contacts with the states of Catholic Christianity and of missionary territories beyond. These nuncios not only performed activities of a religious nature but also served as diplomats and representatives of the pope, endowed with particular powers and faculties. This article introduces the role of apostolic nuncios and analyzes the results of the first of these sent by the Propaganda Fide to China, Charles Thomas Maillard de Tournon. It will show that, as the first papal legate to China, he was not entirely successful in his objectives, but his mission can be seen as a turning point in the history of relations between the Holy See and China and as an important episode which helps us to understand not only early Sino–papal relations but also the development of the new global vision of the Catholic Church as it was formulated by the Propaganda Fide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the XIXth century, colporteurs had a great share in the intellectual and spiritual evolution of Ottoman Protestants. This was a priority task for the educational organization of the missionaries. Especially, the works published in the Istanbul American Bible House transported to cities and villages in Anatolia through colporteurs promoting the publication of books from chemistry to mathematics, natural philosophy to ethics were indicators of Protestant missionary work improvement. While the distribution of the Torah or Bible did not cause issues for the state, works highlighting sectarian differences were considered objectionable. The study emphasizes transformative effects of translation, book sales and distribution on Anatolian Christians between 1850 and 1900, which have a significance in terms of missionary work, beside comparing the policy of Protestant missionaries with the reform efforts of the Ottoman Empire. The memoirs and reports of the missionaries, "Missionary Herald" bulletins, and the correspondence between the center and local administrations in the Ottoman Archives provide rich data for understanding the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the history of Korean colporteurs is relevant to recreate their important role in the spread of education in Korea and their impact on the present, as well as to understand the intercultural influence and innovative approaches to education. The purpose of the article is to identify the educational activities of Korean colporteurs. In the course of the study, a number of methods of theoretical cognition were used, such as analysis, synthesis, comparison, specification and generalisation. As a result of the study, the following conclusions were reached: the colporteurs were the first to translate the Bible into Korean and played an important role in spreading Christian teaching and educational activities in Korea. Сolporteurs played a key role in training and supporting local colporteurs and new believers, providing them with education and training to become spiritual and educational leaders in an environment where the majority of the population rejected Christianity. Acting as intermediaries between foreign missionaries and Korean women, biblical women expanded the church’s influence and, with special training, were prepared to preach the Gospel and distribute the Bible to non-Christians, introducing new perspectives on the role of women in a society where Confucian tradition had limited their activities. Colporteurs also contributed to the preservation of the Korean language and culture in the face of Japanese colonisation by promoting and maintaining the Korean Hanguel writing system and facilitating the creation of a standard Korean language. This article will be useful for historians studying missionary activity in general, as well as for scholars studying the history of 19th-century Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

James Gray was for most of his professional life a school master in Dumfries and Edinburgh. He was also a poet in touch with the major talents of his day. Of humble Scottish origins, in later life he was ordained as an Anglican priest and was for three years a chaplain in the East India Company, serving in the remote post of Bhuj in Cutch. His short ministry was remarkable as he translated the Gospels into Hindustani and the local language of Kachchi, founded a school, and was private tutor to the local ruler or Rao. In many ways he was far ahead of his time. He died in Bhuj after only three years of service there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the research paper is to highlight the activities of Bible societies in Ukrainian territory at the beginning of the 19th century. The scientific novelty is in the first-time study of the history of Bible societies at early 19th century, the determination of their place in the social life of Ukrainian gubernias, and links with related organizations in Europe. Conclusions. In the process of study, it was uncovered that the following branches of the Russian Bible Society (1812-1826) - British and Foreign Bible Society (BFBS, 1804) were established in the territory of Ukraine: Volyn (Zhytomyr), Katerynoslav, Kyiv, Odesa, Podillia (Kamianets-Podilskyi), Poltava, Slobidska Ukraine (Kharkiv), Tavriia (Simferopol), Feodosiia, and Chernihiv. A special place was taken by branches in the colonies of foreign settlers near Odesa and in Molochni Vody. Correspondents first, and later - associations operated in the povits. Student and children's communities were also established. Missionaries of the BFBS (Pinkerton, Paterson, and Henderson) made a significant contribution to the Bible societies' movement in Ukraine. The main goal of the Bible societies was to distribute (sell or give free of charge) books of the Holy Scripture - the Bibles and the New Testaments - in the native language of those ethnic groups living in Ukrainian lands, regardless of religious denominations, gender, wealth, etc. At the same time, the gubernia branches supported the translation activities of Kyiv Theological Academy, and the seminaries of Kyiv, Katerynoslav, Podillia, and Poltava. Bible societies under Alexander I were supported by the emperor and the senior officials of the empire. Therefore, they included all administrative resources, both secular and religious. It is important, that in the activities of Bible societies, the representatives of educational and cultural circles were involved, among which in Kharkiv there were Kvitka-Osnovianenko, Karazin, Osypovskyi, Dzhunkovskyi, and others and in Poltava there was Kotliarevskyi. It was thanks to their efforts that in the circles of the Ukrainian intelligentsia a firm conviction emerged in the need to have a translation of the Holy Scripture in their native Ukrainian language. Funding. The paper is prepared on the results of the study conducted as part of the research work: 'Formation of National Identity in Ukraine in the 16th - early 20th century: Sources and Archeography'. M.S. Hrushevskyi Institute of Ukrainian Archeography and Source Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Electronic Turkish Studies is the property of Electronic Turkish Studies 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.)

Missionary encounters were often characterised by shifting and multilinear intents within the broader global spaces. In Africa, the 19th-century missionary encounter happened concomitantly within the nexus of Christianisation, colonisation, and civilisation agendas. Succinctly put, missionaries sent by the London Missionary Society who came to South Africa and had encounters with the Batswana people were equally agents of cultural transfer and imperialism that were linked to Christianisation, colonisation, and civilisation processes. Thus, the missionary mandate was entrenched in evangelisation that constructed and portrayed to Africans the imagery of a monotheistic and monopolistic God, and in the deformation and classification of African cultural practices and religions as heathen, barbaric, and uncivilised. Consequently, the dividing line between Christianisation, colonisation, and civilisation was blurred. This study used desk research to examine the nexus of missionary encounters among the Batswana in South Africa. The findings were that the understanding of Christianity and the imagery of God depicted by the missionaries still has a grip on contemporary Africa. Therefore, there is a dire need to problematise the narrative because it has continued the colonial aspirations of the past. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The study used intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches by engaging the intersectional and decolonial theories together with insights from theology and missiology. This was done to delineate the problem and to argue for the need to decolonise the current narrative. This can, perhaps, transform the status quo and provide opportunities for Africans to define their beings and understanding of God in their terms.

Çalışmanın konusu kıyamet beklentisi üzerine kurulan, köktenci ve lider eksenli bir grup olan Yehova Şahitleri hareketinin günümüzde internet ortamında sürdürdüğü misyonerlik faaliyetlerinin değerlendirilmesidir. Şahitler, Armageddon (kıyamet savaşı) sonrasında hayatta kalacak olanların sayısını artırmak için vaazlarını yoğunlaştırma ve çeşitli araçları bu amaç doğrultusunda kullanma çabasındadırlar. Bu bağlamda çalışmanın amacı bir yandan Yehova Şahitleri’nin misyonerlik faaliyetleriyle ilgili bilgi sunmak diğer yandan başta web tabanlı dijital mecralarda olmak üzere kendileri tarafından üretilen ve akıllı cihazlara yüklenebilen aplikasyonlar aracılığıyla hareketin üye kazanma stratejilerini değerlendirmektir. Burada hedef, Yehova Şahitleri özelinde dinî grupların yoğun enformasyon ve teknoloji çağında misyonerlik faaliyetlerini yürütme şekilleri üzerine bir bakış açısı sunmaktır. Bu amaç ve hedefler çerçevesinde çalışmada karşılaştırma, betimleme, metin analizi ve yorum geliştirme gibi yöntem ve tekniklerden yararlanılmaktadır. Mesih beklentisi içerisinde olan ve kendilerini onun gelişine hazırlayan bir grup olarak Yehova Şahitleri, özellikle son dönemlerde dijital ortamda yürüttükleri üye kazanma yöntemleriyle hedeflerine ulaşma çabasındadırlar.

This paper is a historical analysis of Missionary activities in Bakunduland in the southwest region of Cameroon in the 18th and 19th Centuries. These activities such as Christian proselytization, Western education, health care took place in a context of opposition from the Bakundu local population. This opposition can be explained as a from of resistance to what was perceived by Western colonists and missionary officials as a civilizing mission, and by the same token considered traditional culture of the Bakundu inferior. As a result of these missionary activities, the Bakundu society was transformed. But this transformation was never complete for as the paper highlights, there is a blend of Western and African cultures expressed in syncretism, a situation that still prevails among the Bakundu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay examines the decolonization of the Puerto Rican Christian-Presbyterian liturgy, focusing on the historical relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States and its impact on Christian worship. It explores the early history of Presbyterianism in Puerto Rico, including the merging of local movements with Presbyterian ideas. The essay highlights signs of liturgical resistance, such as the incorporation of Puerto Rican rhythms and instruments in hymnody. While acknowledging the colonial nature of the Presbyterian liturgical legacy, the article calls for a decolonization of Christian worship in Puerto Rico, promoting the inclusion of indigenous and African religious wisdom and advocating for shared power and representation in future liturgies. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Religious Studies / Dini Araştırmalar is the property of Diyanet Isleri Baskanligi Yayinlari 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 research explores the intricate topic of the relationship between the sending church and the missionary, its complexities, inherent benefits, and exemplary methodologies for building a relationship that is not only healthy, but also fruitful. The main scope of this research lies in the in-depth discernment of how this partnership can be optimized, therefore increasing the effectiveness of the missionary endeavor and the achievement of the Great Commission. Numerous challenges emerge in this connection, highlighting cultural disparities, discrepancies in expectations and communication that, at times, proves to be inept. Furthermore, pecuniary issues and the missionary's maintenance can have an adverse impact on the recommended relationship. In contrast, the dividends of symbiotic coexistence are notable through collaborative synergy and mutual support. The sending church and the missionary, through this coalescence, can achieve unique effectiveness in carrying out missionary work, culminating in a more prominent impression on local communities. Exemplary practices encompass participatory governance on the part of the issuing church, enhancing the perspectives and needs of the missionary, thus fostering an environment permeated by trust and mutual respect. In this way, the present study aims to contribute to a critical analysis and improvement of missionary practice, aspiring to greater harmonization and cooperation between the issuing church and the missionary, with the aim of, at the same time, fulfilling the imperative of disseminating the saving and loving message of Christ for all nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The papal Sacred Congregation de Propaganda Fide, founded in 1622, marks a milestone in the history of Christianity by promoting a new way of organizing "apostolic missionaries", which represented a major shift from colonial missions to purely ecclesiastical missions. The emphasis on the indigenization of clergy was a central element in its vision right from the founding documents. Propaganda Fide, bypassing the old patronage system, sought to extend the indigenization policy worldwide, though it faced difficulties and obstacles from religious orders and secular powers. This article introduces the history of the development of Propaganda Fide's indigenization policy and analyzes the early attempts to apply the policy in China, evaluating both its effectiveness and limitations across the first 120 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Faculty of Letters / Edebiyat Fakultesi Dergisi is the property of Hacettepe University Faculty of Letters 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.)

Copyright of Tarih İncelemeleri Dergisi is the property of Tarih Incelemeleri Dergisi 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.)

The experience of the colonial and the missionary intervention in the Naga Hills left long-lasting impacts on the communities that peopled these hills. The changes that followed the establishment of the colonial government and the Mission, manifested in the form of getting modern education for the first time, getting converted, joining government service or getting involved with the rising 'nationalist' movement in the Naga Hills. Set against this background, this paper attempts to trace the people's voices. Often labelled as 'primitives' in colonial, and 'savages' in missionary records, the voices of the locals often tend to be subdued and pushed to the background in the colonial and missionary narratives. However, this paper argues and attempts to show the nuances that can be brought to the study of the Naga Hills by incorporating the local voices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Ilahiyat Researches / Ilahiyat Tetkikleri Dergisi is the property of Ataturk University Coordinatorship of Scientific Journals 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.)

In the spring of 1947, a meeting of religious publishers took place in Shanghai, which entrusted the cultural activities department of the Central Catholic Bureau, which had just been created, with the task of drawing up a list of the best and the best “adapted to the mentality of non-Christians” likely to be translated and published in Chinese. A first inventory was prepared by a college of missionaries from different orders, but things went little further: the current climate in China and the political changes that were coming overcame the project. It is this inventory that we will find here, accompanied by the necessary corrections and clarifications.

Copyright of Revue d'Histoire Moderne & Contemporaine is the property of Societe d'Histoire Moderne et Contemporaine 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 explores missionary medical discourses in three Telugu journals published in the early twentieth century, to analyse how caste pivoted denunciations of alcohol, especially toddy and arrack, in the Madras Presidency and the Hyderabad state. It argues that one women's missionary journal, Vivekavathi , deployed medical knowledge to formulate subtle and occasionally explicit condemnations of toddy and arrack as unclean and unhealthy substances. The journal relied on universal medical and missionary, British and American knowledge frameworks to mark out Dalits and other marginalised castes as consumers of these local beverages. This stigma was conjured through medical narratives of marginalised castes as lacking in the knowledge of alcohol's relation to digestion, toddy's role in ruining maternal and child nutrition, the unhygienic environment of arrack shops and their propensity to 'alcoholism'. However, this article also traces counter-caste voices who too invoked 'the power of the universal' to dispel caste stigma against marginalised castes. While both sets of voices deployed medical 'enslavement' to alcohol as an interpretive move, they differed in their social imperatives and political imaginaries, defined in caste terms. This article explores a third set of implications of the term 'universal' by analysing global medico-missionary narratives of alcohol in two other Telugu journals. On a methodological plane, this article also pushes for a hybrid reading of what counts for 'scientific instruction', where hymns, catechisms, parables and allegories are considered alongside conventional scientific experiments. In that sense, it upholds vernacular missionary publications as an invaluable resource for the social history of medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The article introduces into scientific circulation a set of documents contained in Collection 597 — ‘Astrakhan Diocesan Committee of the Missionary Orthodox Society’ — of the State Archive of Astrakhan Oblast to examine translation and publishing activities of Orthodox missionaries in Kalmyk Steppe during the 19th – early 20th centuries. Materials and methods. The method of comparative historical analysis proves instrumental in investigating unpublished archival files from Collection 597 of Astrakhan Oblast’s Archive dealing with translation and publishing endeavors of Astrakhan Diocesan Committee during the mentioned period, namely: reports by individual missionaries, annual activity reports of the Committee, interdepartmental correspondence, correspondence of the Committee with regional branches of Orthodox Missionary Society, Kazan Theological Academy and its representatives sent to Kalmyk Steppe, Translation Commission affiliated to the Orthodox Christian Brotherhood of St. Gury, the Holy Synod, and Russian academic Mongolists K. Golstunsky and A. Pozdneev. Results. The paper introduces documents covering the main stages in translation and publishing activities of Astrakhan Diocesan Committee during the 19th – early 20th centuries. Conclusions. The study of the documents discovered in Collection 597 makes it possible to consider translation and publishing activities of the Committee members in their evolution, interregional interaction between missionary committees aimed at exchanging and clarifying Kalmyk translations of Orthodox Christian texts, identify impacts of the Holy Synod into the mentioned processes, including those made by teachers of Kazan Theological Academy, St. Petersburg University, and outstanding Russian Mongolists.

The Bible was a new phenomenon among African cultures that treasure the oral traditions governing their moral and spiritual life. Many African communities were reluctant to welcome the biblical discourse because it not only disagreed with traditional African religious practices, but it was also imposed on them by foreigners laden with negative political motives. This article examines the difficulty of distinguishing between the coloniser and the missionary as an initial conflict in biblical reception among the Agĩkũyũ of central Kenya. The article analyses how the missionaries inculcated the biblical message and how the Agĩkũyũ gradually shifted from their initial belief that "there is no difference between a White coloniser and a White missionary" to a friendly relationship with missionaries and acceptance of Christianity. To explore these dynamics, the article employs witness accounts from African scholars, intertextual analysis of texts regarding Agĩkũyũ beliefs, and biblical texts. The article contends that there was a conflict in biblical reception among the Agĩkũyũ because of the initial challenge of distinguishing British colonialists from missionaries. The results will contribute to understanding the dynamics of conflict in the reception of the biblical discourse and the reception of people by others in the world nowadays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several publications are devoted to John Nepomucene Neumann (1811-60), bishop of Philadelphia and the first American male saint. The emphasis in these texts is mainly on his time in the United States since 1836. On the contrary, the time of his youth and maturation in Europe, in Bohemia, is somewhat neglected. However, his decision to pursue the priesthood, becoming a missionary, and going to the United States before receiving holy orders were the most significant events preceding everything else which followed in the young man's life. In the hagiographic and professional literature, these decisions are mentioned in various contexts and often contradict each other. Based on research from contemporary sources stored in European and American archives, this study shows the accurate chronology of Neumann's decisions, as well as their demonstrable causes, based not only on his decisions but also on the specific situation in his native Diocese of Budweis, and also complicated relations between the Catholic Church and the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a Vietnamese autochthonous religion, Cao Ðài was first meant to address Vietnamese people, who received the mission to spread out humanistic and salvationist messages all over the world. Cao Ðài expanded overseas, with few hundreds of them settled in France. Firstly, I will clarify the profile of few French sympathisers in colonial and postcolonial times. Secondly, I will examine ethnographic data collected in the two main Caodai temples of Vitry-sur-Seine and Alfortville from 1996 onwards. This extended fieldwork gave me the possibility to follow the membership logics, the different challenges and obstacles they face in terms of conversion and community life in the French context of religious freedom. The organization (or not) of spirit-medium séances, and the tactics of some Caodai missionaries will reveal some of the tensions between the pastoral and missionary dynamics of Cao Ðài in France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I give an account of the development of church and humanitarian activity in Leopold II's Congo Free State as it shaped the life of a Congo-born woman, Lena Clark. In her movements between Africa, Europe, and America, and in and out of mission service, Lena Clark's life captures the motivations, frustrations and ironies of religious and humanitarian interventionism in the Congo. Circumstances surrounding her controversial departure from missionary service reveal pressures felt by Protestant missions in central Africa as locally based critics under public and political scrutiny. Lena Clark's story reveals new questions on Protestant missions and humanitarian campaigning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Religious Studies / Dini Araştırmalar is the property of Diyanet Isleri Baskanligi Yayinlari 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.)

Copyright of Journal of Social Sciences Research / Sosyal Bilimler Arastirmalari Dergisi is the property of ODU Journal of Social Sciences Research 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.)

Copyright of Artuklu Akademi is the property of Artuklu Akademi 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.)

New nation-states established in the Middle East after World War I under the mandates of European states generally connect the origins of their national communities with ancient "ancestors" in order to ground and legitimize their unique existence. The "founding myths" used in these linking processes function to distinguish the territorial characters of nation-states from other identities and to strengthen the unique existence of these nation-states. The Lebanese thought also gains meaning around such a "founding myth" and the raison d'etre of the modern Lebanese state is read in the context of Lebanon being free from the Arab-Islamic character around it and having an exceptional culture based on Phoenicianism. One of the most influential actors in the formation of this exceptional character, which Lebanon has through its matching with Phoenicia, is the missionaries in Beirut. In this study, the contribution of Jesuit and Protestant missionaries in Bilad-i Sam to the Phoenician myth of the founding of Lebanon, and on this occasion to the idea of Lebanon, will be emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Celtic Christianity significantly contributed to the medieval Christian mission in the Christianization of Britain and Ireland. The Celtic missionary monks, particularly in the sixth century, set out in groups, traveled across Europe, and carried out the most remarkable missionary movement. The Celtic missionaries employed preaching methods that included non-Christians as well as Christians whom they saw as corrupted. This study examines the introduction of Christianity to Britain and Western Europe, as well as the religious and political developments that occurred in these regions until the seventh century. It also discusses the concept of peregrinatio, which describes the journeys of Celtic missionaries to spread the message of Christ. It analyzes this movement through the three key figures of the Celtic missionary movement: St. Columba (520-597), St. Aidan (590-651), and St. Columbanus (543-615). Finally, it highlights the similarities and differences among the names mentioned above in carrying out their missionary activities, including the materials they used, the problems they encountered, and the methods they used to achieve the missionary objective.