Missionary responses to tribal religions at Edinburgh, 1910
Book Description
At the dawn of the twentieth century, Christian missionaries found themselves at the crossroads of faith, culture, and emerging scientific understanding. This scholarly exploration examines a pivotal moment in religious history: the First World Missionary Conference held in Edinburgh in 1910, where representatives grappled with profound questions about how to engage with indigenous spiritual traditions.
J. Stanley Friesen unveils five distinct approaches that missionaries of the Imperialist Era employed when encountering tribal religious practices. Rather than presenting a simple narrative, this work reveals the complex interplay between Christian evangelism, anthropological inquiry, and the political currents of the early 1900s. The author demonstrates how missionaries became unexpected contributors to the developing fields of anthropology and comparative religion, particularly through their documentation and interpretation of tribal societies.
This examination offers valuable insights into the tensions between religious conviction and cultural understanding that shaped interfaith encounters during this transformative period. Friesen presents both the interdependence and critique that characterized missionary responses to animistic traditions and nature-based spiritualities.
For readers interested in the evolution of religious thought, cross-cultural spiritual dialogue, and the historical foundations of modern interfaith relations, this study provides a thoughtful analysis of how different worldviews intersected during a crucial era of global missionary expansion.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~6 hours)
🕉️ Tradition: Christianity
📄 Length: 222 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Naturreligion
- ✓ Strengthen your faith journey
- ✓ Explore Animism
- ✓ Discover Zen principles and teachings
- ✓ Explore Missions, theory
- ✓ Explore Theory
- ✓ Explore History
- ✓ Explore Christianity
