Titus Coan: Apostle to the Sandwich Islands

by Phil Corr

Overview

In this book Phil Corr provides a tour de force by writing for both the biography reader and the scholar. In this hybrid work he vividly portrays the life of Titus Coan, "the pen painter," while also filling gaps in the scholarship. These gaps include: the volume itself (no full-length published book has previously been written on Titus Coan) and the following chapters--"Patagonia," "Peace," and "Other Religions." Using the unpublished thesis by Margaret Ehlke and many other primary and secondary sources, he significantly deepens the understanding of Coan in many areas. This book is presented to the future reader for the purposes of edification and increasing the scholarship of this man who lived an incredible life during incredible times.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781666713954
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	10/21/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	578
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Phil Corr is the senior pastor of the Church of the Living Savior in McFarland, California. He has a PhD in American church history from Fuller Theological Seminary and a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. His published dissertation is “The Field is the World”: Proclaiming, Translating and Serving by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions,1810–40. He has also published a devotional commentary on Hebrews 11:1—12:3 entitled Hall of Faith.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“This book opened my eyes to Titus’ remarkable life as a cofounder of Hawaiian evangelism in the native environment of the mid-nineteenth century. Corr brilliantly interweaves disparate source materials to illuminate Titus’ enthusiasm and intense devotion to the Hawaiian community through his commitment to the evangelical mission, and its profound effect on those he served. One can’t help but find it uplifting and illuminating.”

—Edward J. Coan, great-great-grandson of Titus Coan



“A long-overdue comprehensive biography of American missionary Titus Coan, who in East Hawaii Island in the late 1830s gathered the largest congregation in the Protestant world of his day. Through exhaustive research, Corr presents a multifaceted look at the complex character of Coan as the revivalist; the man, husband, and father; the pioneering volcanologist; and surprisingly, the peace advocate.”

—Christopher Cook, author of The Providential Life & Heritage of Henry Obookiah



“The lessons Coan wrote about 130 years ago helped me immensely as I church planted my first church in Hawaii. Even today, Coan’s thoughts and mentorship through his writings continue to inspire me and help me as a leader. I will forever be grateful for his penned insight and for his love for the precious people of Hawaii.”

—Wayne Cordeiro, author of Doing Church as a Team



“Corr has spent many years researching the life and ministry of Titus Coan. . . . Corr has assimilated Coan’s autobiography, personal correspondence, mission reports, articles, books, and existing research into a comprehensive and focused study. Titus Coan’s biography will greatly enhance the understanding of the spiritual, political, and historical impact of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and the Sandwich Islands Mission.”

—Alan Tamashiro, Senior Pastor, Puna Baptist Church



“Titus Coan . . . was a vital force in the development of a Protestant community in the islands. Yet despite his centrality, Coan has never received a full-on biography—until now. The wait was worth it, for Corr has written a strong, deeply researched, nuanced, and ultimately celebratory analysis of Coan’s life and faith-based activism.”

—Char Miller, author of Fathers and Sons: The Bingham Family and the American Mission



“Drawing upon years of research, Corr provides us with an excellent biography of Titus Coan. . . . A devotee of revivalism, Coan brought revivalist techniques to Hawaii, and Corr shows how the missionary used those techniques to spark the islands’ Great Awakening in the 1830s. In addition to focusing on Coan’s religiosity, Corr focuses on the missionary’s scientific acumen, painting a broad portrait of Coan that will be of lasting value.”

—Clifford Putney, author of Missionaries in Hawai‘i: The Lives of Peter and Fanny Gulick, 1797–1883

Editorial Reviews

This book opened my eyes to Titus’ remarkable life as a cofounder of Hawaiian evangelism in the native environment of the mid-nineteenth century. Corr brilliantly interweaves disparate source materials to illuminate Titus’ enthusiasm and intense devotion to the Hawaiian community through his commitment to the evangelical mission, and its profound effect on those he served. One can’t help but find it uplifting and illuminating.”

—Edward J. Coan, great-great-grandson of Titus Coan



“A long-overdue comprehensive biography of American missionary Titus Coan, who in East Hawaii Island in the late 1830s gathered the largest congregation in the Protestant world of his day. Through exhaustive research, Corr presents a multifaceted look at the complex character of Coan as the revivalist; the man, husband, and father; the pioneering volcanologist; and surprisingly, the peace advocate.”

—Christopher Cook, author of The Providential Life & Heritage of Henry Obookiah



“The lessons Coan wrote about 130 years ago helped me immensely as I church planted my first church in Hawaii. Even today, Coan’s thoughts and mentorship through his writings continue to inspire me and help me as a leader. I will forever be grateful for his penned insight and for his love for the precious people of Hawaii.”

—Wayne Cordeiro, author of Doing Church as a Team



“Corr has spent many years researching the life and ministry of Titus Coan. . . . Corr has assimilated Coan’s autobiography, personal correspondence, mission reports, articles, books, and existing research into a comprehensive and focused study. Titus Coan’s biography will greatly enhance the understanding of the spiritual, political, and historical impact of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and the Sandwich Islands Mission.”

—Alan Tamashiro, Senior Pastor, Puna Baptist Church



“Titus Coan . . . was a vital force in the development of a Protestant community in the islands. Yet despite his centrality, Coan has never received a full-on biography—until now. The wait was worth it, for Corr has written a strong, deeply researched, nuanced, and ultimately celebratory analysis of Coan’s life and faith-based activism.”

—Char Miller, author of Fathers and Sons: The Bingham Family and the American Mission



“Drawing upon years of research, Corr provides us with an excellent biography of Titus Coan. . . . A devotee of revivalism, Coan brought revivalist techniques to Hawaii, and Corr shows how the missionary used those techniques to spark the islands’ Great Awakening in the 1830s. In addition to focusing on Coan’s religiosity, Corr focuses on the missionary’s scientific acumen, painting a broad portrait of Coan that will be of lasting value.”

—Clifford Putney, author of Missionaries in Hawai‘i: The Lives of Peter and Fanny Gulick, 1797–1883

From the Publisher