Faith and Knowledge

Biographical Studies of Missionaries


How the Great Commission of Jesus Christ has been carried out by the agents of missionaries throughout history?



-   To demonstrate the devotions and commitments of missionaries for the sake of the Gospel.

-   To familiarize the students with the major issues in doing Christian missions and to reflect various principles in mission theories and practices.
-  To assist the students to become world Christians with global vision with local sensitivity


[Recommended Books]

Tucker, Ruth A. From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya: A Biographical History of Christian Missions. Grand Rapids: Academie Books, Zondervan Publishing House, 1983.

Anderson, Gerald H., ed. Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.



Anderson, Gerald H., Robert T. Coote, Norman A. Horner, and James M. Phillips, eds. Mission Legacies: Biographical Studies of Leaders of the Modern Missionary Movement. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1994.



1.      Introduction

a.       Biographical approach to mission historiography

b.      Discussion and presentation

c.       Elements of biographical studies




2.      Missionaries in the Early Church Period

a.       Missionaries to the Jews and the Gentiles

·   Jesus the Missionary and His disciples, Apostle Paul

b.      Discussion and presentation

c.       Missionaries to the Pagans: Roman Empire and beyond

·   Martin of Tours, Ulfila, Patrick





3.      Special Presentation I: St. Patrick




4.      Missionaries in the Early Medieval Times

a.       Missionaries to the Barbarians: Europe and beyond

·   Augustine of Canterbury, Boniface, Anskar, Cyril and Methodius

b.      Discussion and presentation

c.       Celtic and Nestorian missionaries

·   Columba, Aidan, Alopen




5.      Missionaries in the Late Medieval Times

a.       Missionaries to the Infidels (Muslims)

·   Francis of Assisi, Raymond Lull

b.      Discussion and presentation

c.       Missionary monks to the East and the New World

·   William of Rubruck, John of Montecorvino, Bartolome de Las Casas




6.      Missionaries in the Early Modern Era

a.       Jesuit missionaries

·   Francis Xavier, Matteo Ricci, Robert de Nobili

b.      Discussion and presentation

c.       Protestant harbingers

·   Adriaan van Saravia, Justinian von Welz




7.      Missionaries in the Early Protestant Mission Era

a.       Missionaries to the American Indians

·   John Eliot, David Brainerd

b.      Discussion and presentation

c.       Pietist and Moravian missionaries

·   Bartholomew Ziegenbalg, Count Zinzendorf and Moravians





8.      Special Presentation II: Zinzendorf and the Moravians




9.      Missionaries in the “Great Century” of the Protestant Mission

a.       Missionary pioneers

·   William Carey, David Livingstone, Hudson Taylor

b.      Discussion and presentation

c.       Missionaries with the Enlightenment ideas (medical, education, social relief)

·   Albert Schweitzer, Alexander Duff, Timothy Richard




10.  Special Presentation III: William Carey/Hudson Taylor


11.  Women and Student Missionaries


a.       Invincible women


·   Mary Slessor, Lottie Moon, Amy Carmichael, Helen Roseveare


b.      Discussion and presentation


c.       Student Volunteer missionaries


·   C. T. Studd, Robert Wilder, John Mott


12.  Special Presentation IV: The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (Gladys Aylward)


13.  Missionaries of the Non-Western World


a.       Missionaries from the non-Western world


·   Samuel Ajayi Crowther, Ko Tha Byu, Chou Wen-Mo


b.      Discussion and presentation


c.       Missionaries from Korea


·   Yi Ki-Poong, Bang Ji-Il, Choi Chan-Young, Chun Chae-Ok


14.  Missionaries in the Global Age


a.       Missionaries to the every tribe


·   Donald McGavran, Ralph Winter, Don Richardson


b.      Discussion and presentation


c.       Missionaries with innovative methods (Bible translation, aviation, etc.)


·   William Cameron Townsend, Acua Five


15.  Conclusion


a.       Contemporary missionary martyrs


b.      Discussion and presentation


c.       Who is a missionary?