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

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:	9780817380656
Publisher:	University of Alabama Press
Publication date:	10/12/2008
Series:	Religion and American Culture
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	369
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

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

Table of Contents

Contents List of Illustrations 000 Note to Reader 000 1. In Which Townsend Drops Out of College and Decides to Be a Missionary for a Year, 18961917 000 2. In Which Townsend Shares His Faith, Battles Roman Catholics, and Learns about Indians, 19171918 000 3. 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, 19191921 000 4. In Which the Central American Mission Finds Trouble, Trouble Everywhere and Dr. Becker Makes a Brief but Memorable Appearance, 19221924 000 5. 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, 19251928 6. In Which Townsend Makes Everyone Nervous with Another Wild Idea and R. D. Smith Has a Nightmare, 19291932 000 7. In Which Townsend Mixes Science with Faith, Writes an Audacious Letter, and Recruits a Few Geniuses along with More Than a Few Girls, 19331945 000 8. In Which Townsend Goes Pioneering, Makes Some Strange Bedfellows, and Starts an Odd New Mission, 19351945 000 Epilogue: In Which Townsend Decides Catholics Are Okay After All and the Reader Gets a Glimpse of the Future 000 Notes 000 Bibliography 000 Index 000

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