A New Vision for Missions: William Cameron Townsend, The Wycliffe Bible Translators, and the Culture of Early Evangelical Faith Missions, 1917-1945 / Edition 1

by William Lawrence Svelmoe

Overview

“Cam” Townsend is rightly known as the visionary founder of the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) and the Wycliffe Bible Translators. This joint effort is now the largest Protestant mission organization in the world, a mission which has dramatically changed the culture of what used to be known as faith missions.
 
Townsend revolutionized Protestant missions by emphasizing that missionaries needed to learn the language of the people to whom they were sent and to live among them in order to understand their communities. His system stressed training the missionaries in public health, basic education, and agricultural skills. The demonstrated success of missionaries who followed Townsend’s plan led to SIL/WBT influence in the larger societies in which the organization was present. Townsend was non-dogmatic in seeking allies to pursue his objectives, including local political movements and power structures, academics, and other religious faiths, increasing the influence of his group to the point that SIL/WBT became a major factor in the national affairs of the countries in which they were active, particularly in Latin America.
 
The very success of Townsend’s methods led to trouble with his base in the United States. As conservative and evangelical financial backers and prospective missionaries saw the organization and Townsend working amicably with Roman Catholics, leftist political groups, and atheist and agnostic academics, the SIL/WBT ran into trouble at home.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780817315931
Publisher:	University of Alabama Press
Publication date:	10/12/2008
Series:	Religion and American Culture
Edition description:	First Edition, First Edition
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

William Svelmoe is Associate Professor of American History, St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations     vii
Note to Reader     ix
In Which Townsend Drops Out of College and Decides to Be a Missionary for a Year, 1896-1917     1
In Which Townsend Shares His Faith, Battles Roman Catholics, and Learns about Indians, 1917-1918     21
In Which the Reader Learns a Great Deal about Evangelicals and Faith Missions, While Townsend Takes a Wife, Builds a Cornstalk House, and Meets Some Important People, 1919-1921     54
In Which the Central American Mission Finds Trouble, Trouble Everywhere and Dr. Becker Makes a Brief but Memorable Appearance, 1922-1924     112
In Which Council Members Sail to Guatemala to Save the Mission, Mrs. Townsend Makes Some Practical Suggestions, and R. D. Smith Has Some Surprise Visitors, 1925-1928     165
In Which Townsend Makes Everyone Nervous with Another Wild Idea and R. D. Smith Has a Nightmare, 1929-1932     210
In Which Townsend Mixes Science with Faith, Writes an Audacious Letter, and Recruits a Few Geniuses along with More Than a Few Girls, 1933-1945     237
In Which Townsend Goes Pioneering, Makes Some Strange Bedfellows, and Starts an Odd New Mission, 1935-1945     269
Epilogue: In Which Townsend Decides Catholics Are Okay After All and the Reader Gets a Glimpse of the Future     308
Notes     321
Bibliography     355
Index     363

Editorial Reviews

This book is well-written and makes an original and significant contribution to the field of writing on Townsend and SIL. A New Vision for Missions is based on sound research and scholarship. The Christian public, both evangelical and mainstream, will want to read this book.”
—Ralph R. Covell, Senior Professor of World Christianity, Denver Seminary

From the Publisher