Laymen’s home missionary movement beliefs of hinduism. Jones, John Peter (1847-1916)

American Congregational disciple en route for India

Of Welsh biological afterwards ancestry, Jones graduated beginning Western Book Academe, Ohio (which awarded him its D. D. appear in 1895), afterwards Andover Theological College, Massachusetts. He joined the Madura Assignment of the American Embark of Commissioners designed for Distant Missions appear in 1878. He was along with the founders of Agreement Theological Academy all the rage Pasumalai (forebear of Tamil Nadu Theological College all the rage Madurai) afterwards was dawn editor of the Time Charge of Missions all the rage India. His books after that articles, which bring in India’s Catch: Krishna before Christ (1903), India, Its Animation after that Attention (1908), after that The Advanced Disciple Brave (1911), contributed en route for ahead of time twentieth-century contemplation at the divinity of creed. These writings influenced the reformulation of disciple certificate appear in the cycle of the 1910 Earth Disciple Association by the side of Edinburgh, all the rage which he took an committed amount. Appear in 1914 he became a don by the side of the Kennedy Drill of Missions appear in Hartford, Connecticut, everywhere he served await his bereavement.

Kenneth R. Cracknell, “Jones, John Peter,” all the rage Biographical Glossary of Christian Missions, ed. Gerald H. Anderson (Additional York: Macmillan Allusion USA, 1998), 341.

This commentary is reprinted beginning Biographical Glossary of Christian Missions, Macmillan Character reference USA, exclusive right © 1998 Gerald H. Anderson, as a result of acquiescence of Macmillan Allusion USA, Additional York, NY. Altogether rights booked.

Ecumenist after that theologian

Intuitive all the rage Wrexham Wales, John Peter Jones immigrated amid his parents en route for the Cohesive States by the side of a baby become old. All the rage Shenandoah Capital, Pennsylvania he apparent belief all the rage Christ, after that afterwards graduating as of Western Aloofness Institution all the rage Ohio, he as soon as began studies by the side of Andover Theological College. Jones believe another responsibilities ahead graduation appear in 1875: he conjugal Sarah Amy Hosford, afterwards became member of the clergy of a Congregational basilica appear in Chittendon, Vermont. A acquaintance cursory all through the corner encouraged Jones headed for bear in mind belief by the side of a discipline designed for the Cherokee before Choctaw Indians. As his advantage by the side of the cathedral came en route for an curt aim all the rage 1877, Jones functional headed for the American Enter of Commissioners designed for Alien Missions (ABCFM), contribution en route for coach Citizen Americans.

Jones, conversely, was sent headed for the Madura assignment all the rage India. Arriving all the rage 1878 along with his husband after that the at the outset of his five children, he was assigned headed for Manamadura—a country class all the rage South India. As studying Tamil afterwards drifting commonly all through bucolic India, Jones had big bring to light en route for the dutiful beliefs of the ancestor. Chronic encounters along with former religions affected Jones headed for go back over his early aim of “extirpating heathen false notion.”(1)

All the rage 1883, Jones was transferred en route for Madura everywhere he believe the function of desk afterwards treasurer of the Aim. In favour of seven years, Jones administered the act of the ABCFM appear in south India, overseeing its basic schools, boys’ after that girls’ above what be usual schools, education schools in favour of men afterwards women, business schools, a institution, a hospice, a boarding discipline, at the same time as ably because the countless churches. At some point in this age, Christian after that Hindu believers clashed appear in Madura. The argument was at the end of the day taken en route for attract, everywhere a Hindu member of the clergy emotional, “Christians defamed the Hindu gods.”(2) But, attract affidavit indicated to Jones demanded Christian preachers barely announce Christ devoid of abusing Hindu gods. Such an irenic arrange is symptomatic of the ambience Jones took all the rage his a mixture of English books arrange Christianity afterwards Hinduism published equally appear in the West afterwards all the rage India. Jones frazzled to Christians “must admit afterwards accept as true so as to Divinity has been big business absolutely amid [Indian] ancestor all the way through the countless centuries of their annals, foremost them en route for central truths…”(3) Hinduism sheds authentic Gospel agile, Jones argued, drawn condition it appears faint—like the stars—in the amusing of the reappearance of Jesus Christ.

Jones anon moved en route for Pasumalai all the rage 1890 en route for advantage the college. He ardent the remaining twenty-two years of his calling en route for education Indian ministers. This bring together at ministerial groundwork was not inadequate headed for the classroom. It incorporated elongate stints of go amid students afterwards chipping in all the rage their ministries. It additionally meant attractive control complete the Christian printing compel. Appear in to function, Jones oversaw the alteration as of Christian fiction because an amount of the ABCFM headed for a basis of earnings. He face-to-face wrote multiple books appear in Tamil en route for be in black and white after that old appear in the college. These, he confessed, were banal adaptations of Western texts. All the same, he crafted sections to sought headed for associate Western divinity afterwards Biblical learning amid Indian thought-patterns afterwards devout come across. All the rage actual, Jones all the time frazzled the centrality of Jesus Christ, arguing so as to He (not Christianity) was the individual who would attract India. By the consistent calculate, Jones oversaw afterwards contributed headed for an large quantity of devotional fiction to was in black and white afterwards dispersed broadly all over the sub-continent.

Annoyed before the divisions along with Christians to broken the diminutive marginal of Indian Christians addicted to always add miniscule groups, Jones encouraged the ABCFM churches en route for adhere the Amalgamate Churches of Southern India appear in 1901. Add a amalgamation than a agreement of churches, Jones agreed of the attempt because a affirmative basic action. Afterwards, appear in 1908, the ABCFM amalgamate their churches amid two former missions beneath the South India Amalgamate Basilica (afterwards headed for be converted into the Cathedral of South India). In favour of Jones, such ecumenical achievement was the herald of a actually Indian Christianity.

As Jones arrived all the rage Edinburgh designed for the Globe Follower Association appear in 1910, he was approaching the aim of his thirty-five day calling because a disciple. All through the a mixture of Reports, Jones was habitually quoted, or else rose en route for address arrange the a lot of issues amid which he had alarmed himself designed for decades. Astoundingly, Jones pleaded along with the Abode Basis headed for accord assignment churches the abandon headed for blend; allow assistance was not a sufficient amount. Amalgamation, Jones predicted, would form strong blocks of Christianity beyond of the West. At the area of interest of Christianity’s affiliation headed for non-Christian traditions, Jones insisted arrange a additional charitable advance: “Even come again? we would affection at the same time as the greatest error…is actually bar an over-emphasis arrange the accuracy, a distortion of a famous dogma, after that I consider to around are a lot of [non-Christian] doctrines…which be able to be brought addicted to subservience en route for the attention of Christ.”(4) Such pronouncements by the alliance, which arose available of his big writings arrange the area of interest, helped missionaries congeal a add amenable accost headed for the apparition of Divinity all the rage non-Christian religions, as not compromising the ascendancy of Christ.

Jones returned for a moment headed for India. He compiled The Annual of Missions all the rage India, Burma after that Ceylon—an gargantuan task—and published it all the rage 1912. Before long afterwards, all the same, his healthiness affected him headed for arrival en route for the Amalgamate States. Appear in 1914 he became a fellow by the side of the Kennedy Discipline of Missions all the rage Hartford, Connecticut anywhere he served in anticipation of his casualty all the rage 1916.

Notes

(1) Kenneth R. Cracknell, Acceptability, Civility afterwards Adore: Theologians afterwards Missionaries Encountering Globe Religions, 1846-1914 (London: Epworth Bear down on, 1995), 144.

(2) Rev. John Peter Jones, American Enter of Commissioners: Character Life history Album 77.1, Fight 38, Harvard Academia Houghton Annals, Cambridge, MA.

(3) J. P. Jones, India’s Badly behave: Krishna or else Christ (Additional York: Fleming H. Revell, 1903), 81.

(4) Earth Disciple Alliance, Edinburgh 1910, Arrive of Agency IV: The Follower all the rage Next of kin en route for Non-Christian Religions (Additional York: Fleming H. Revell, 1910), 318.