5Cp — 7 ^ The PREPARATION^fc^i- MISSIONARIES APPOINTED TO THE NEAR EAST BOARD OF MISSIONARY PREPARATION 25 Madison Avenue, New York PRICE 10 CENTS BOARD OF MISSIONARY PREPARATION The Rev. James L. Barton, D.D. Prof. Harlan P. Beach, D.D. David Bovaird, Jr., M.D. Prof. O. E. Brown, D.D. Prof. Ernest DeWitt Burton, D.D. Miss Helen B. Calder Prof. Edward W. Capen, Ph.D. Prof. W. O. Carver, D.D. The Rev. Wm. I. Chamberlain, Ph.D. The Rev. George Drach The Rev. James Endicott, D.D. The Rev. F. P. Haggard, D.D. Pres. Henry C. King, D.D. Prof. Walter L. Lingle, D.D. The Rt. Rev. Arthur S. Lloyd, D.D. The Rev. R. P. Mackay, D.D. Pres. W. Douglas Mackenzie, D.D. John R. Mott, LL.D. Bishop W. F. Oldham, D.D. Principal T. R. O’Meara, D.D. Pres. C. T. Paul, Ph.D. Prof. Henry B. Robins, Ph.D. Prof. G. A. Johnston Ross, M.A. Dean James E. Russell, LL.D. T. H. P. Sailer, Ph.D. Miss Una Saunders Prof. E. D. Soper, D.D. Robert E. Speer, D.D. Pres. J. Ross Stevenson, D.D. Fennell P. Turner Pres. Addie Grace Wardle, Ph.D. The Rev. Charles R. Watson, D.D. Pres. Wilbert W. White, Ph.D. Pres. Mary E. Woolley, Litt.D. W. DOUGLAS MACKENZIE, Chairman FENNELL P. TURNER, Secretary WILLIAM I. CHAMBERLAIN, Treasurer REV. FRANK K. SANDERS, Ph.D., Director 25 Madison Avenue, New York THE PREPARATION OF MISSIONARIES APPOINTED TO THE NEAR EAST THE REPORT OF A COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY THE BOARD OF MISSIONARY PREPARATION Reverend James L. Barton, D.D., Chairman President Howard S. Bliss, D.D. Miss Helen B. Calder Reverend F. F. Goodsell Reverend M. G. Kyle, D.D. Mrs. Mary Labaree Platt Professor Duncan B. Macdonald, D.D. President Mary Mills Patrick, Litt.D. T. H. P. Sailer, Ph.D. Reverend Charles R. Watson, D.D. Reverend Samuel M. Zwemer, D.D. PRESENTED AT THE FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING IN NEW YORK, DECEMBER, 1914 Board of Missionary Preparation 25 Madison Ave., New York City Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 https://archive.org/details/preparationofmis00boar_1 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE SPECIAL PREPARATION NEEDED FOR MISSIONARIES APPOINTED TO THE NEAR EAST. The following report was prepared by a committee of the Board of Missionary Preparation of which the Reverend James L. Barton, D.D. of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions was the chairman. Some thirty-three specialists, all of whom have spent more or less time within some one or more of the countries named, or have had protracted experience in observation and administration of work carried on in those countries, have been consulted by the committee, and their judgments em- bodied in this report, which seeks to be the expression of the broadest experience of the present day. The committee has prepared its report to serve as a guide to those who contemplate missionary service in the Near East. To some it may seem to present such a formidable ar- ray of requirements as to discourage those who otherwise might offer themselves for service in that large and im- portant field. The committee has taken counsel of perfec- tion rather than of the ability of a single candidate. The ideals here set forth can be realized by none except through years of reading, observation, study and practice, while working among those peoples and during furlough periods. The task is great and so is the challenge. It should be stated at the beginning of this report that it is not anticipated by any Missionary Society that all who enter upon work in the Near East will be able or expected to take the full courses of training here suggested. There will neces- sarily be many calls from the highly organized departments of education, medicine, industrial and evangelistic work in 3 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST all of these countries for an increasing number of men and women prepared for some special forms of service. Spec- ialists and assistants, as well as workers in circumscribed localities, will undoubtedly be demanded in the diversified activities of the Near East. Many who are not equipped in the broadest manner will be able to do effective work. Every candidate contemplating service in the Near East should con- sult his Board before deciding against it. A. The Complex Conditions of the Near East I. The Countries Included The territory covered by this report differs from any and all other mission fields of the same area in the number of dif- ferent peoples and languages and religions to be dealt with. We assume that the field to be investigated includes the Bal- kan Peninsula, embracing^ Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, New Greece, and Turkey in Europe; and on the Asiatic side of the Bosphorus, Asia Minor, Armenia, Kurdistan, Mesopotamia, Syria, Arabia and Persia; and in North Africa, Egypt and the North African Littoral, Tripoli, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. At the time of this writing, Turkey in Europe, Asia Minor, Armenia, Kurdistan, Syria, Mesopotamia and Arabia com- prise the Turkish Empire. Persia is a country by itself. Egypt has been taken under the control of England, while Tripoli is under the control of Italy; Tunisia, Algeria and a part of Morocco are under France, and the rest of Morocco is under Spain. In the Balkan Peninsula, Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece are independent countries, while Albania is at present under consideration as to what its future government is to be. II. The Diverse Populations Occupying These Countries For the purpose of considering the best kind of prepara- 4 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST tion for missionary work in the districts above outlined, we need to classify the populations, which naturally divide them- selves into three general groups, namely: Mohammedans, Christians and Jews. In addition to these there are some minor races, like the Yezidis, the Gypsies, etc., which need not now be considered independently, because they cut but little figure in the total population. It should be stated here that among all classes in the coun- try covered by this study there are wide extremes of civiliza- tion. The Albanians, Kurds, Circassians, etc., have an un- enviable reputation for their lack of civilization, but even in these, as well as in other races, are found large numbers who are highly educated and bear all the marks of pleasing re- finement. The widest and most divergent extremes prevail in all religions and in all parts of the country. 1. The Mohammedan Peoples . — The Mohammedan Peo- ples include Albanians, Turks, Kurds, Circassians, Persians, Arabs, Druzes, Egyptians, Kabyles and Berbers. While all of these people are classified as Mohammedans, they do not present by any means imiform or homogeneous character- istics. (1) The Albanians . — The Albanians, a very ancient race, occupy that part of the Balkan Peninsula which borders upon the Adriatic Sea, between Montenegro and Greece, many of this race, however, being found in different parts of Greece and New Serbia, while a large number are in Italy. Al- though two-thirds of the Albanians are nominally Moham- medans, the great mass know little about the religion of Islam, many of them not being capable, unaided, of going through the orthodox form of prayer. They adopted Mo- hammedanism five centuries ago and have for the most part remained Mohammedan under compulsion, without a strong passion for their religion. While this is true of most of the 5 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST Mohammedan Albanians found in the Balkans and else- where, a small minority are stanch Mohammedan leaders. (2) The Turks . — We first hear of the Turks at the begin- ning of the thirteenth century. Their growth in numbers and in political power was rapid, and to-day they furnish the rulers not only for Turkey but many for Persia as well. They are a mixed race. They were found in considerable numbers widely scattered through the Balkans, but since the second Balkan war, the European Turks are largely concentrated in what is left of Turkey in Europe. Turks dwell throughout Asia Minor, fairly evenly distributed, in some places occupy- ing great plains with their towns and villages, and in others sharing their villages and towns and plains with Armenians, Greeks and Syrians. They extend southward to the northern borders of Syria and into Syria to some extent, and are found in considerable numbers in Persia, Russia and Central Asia. (3) The Kurds . — The Kurds dwell for the most part in the eastern sections of Turkey, Western Persia and Southern Russia, extending south in Turkey nearly to Bagdad on the Tigris River and in Persia to the province of Luristan. They do not hold any territory exclusively, but are mingled with Turks and Armenians in the west, and with Nestorians and Persians in the east and south. The northern tribes have little education, are among the wildest and most untutored races of the Turkish Empire, a hardy, vigorous, sturdy peo- ple, given much to robbery and disinclined to prolonged in- dustrious occupations. The southern tribes are of much higher grade. They are not as a class stanch Mohammedans, so far as their knowledge and practice of Islam are con- cerned. (4) The Circassians . — The Circassians, imported into Turkey after the Crimean war, are limited in number, not dwelling in any particular locality in Asia Minor, but having unusual alertness and ability, inclined to robbery but possess- ing elements of leadership and much native force. 6 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST (5) The Persian Moslems. — Persian Moslems comprise the principal population of Persia, a nominally independent Mohammedan country. They are mostly Shiahs and com- prise the chief center and body of that particular sect, al- though a considerable number of Shiahs are found in differ- ent parts of Turkey. Those south of Teheran are distinc- tively Persian, while North Persia is chiefly Turkish. The reigning dynasty is Turkish, of the Kajar tribe ; the language spoken is Turkish, sometimes called Azerbayan after the name of one of the provinces. The Persians are as advanced and enlightened, especially the oflicial classes, as any Mo- hammedan people, yet vast populations are still untouched by the influences of Christian civilization. Few of the edu- cated know the Arabic language to use it fluently. (6) The Arabs. — The Arabs are too well known to need description here, being almost the exclusive occupants of Arabia, extending north in diminishing numbers into Syria and Mesopotamia, and reaching across North Africa, where they give place to the Berbers and Kabyles, also Mohamme- dans, who constitute the principal populations of Tunisia, Al- geria and Morocco. They are the classic people of Moham- medanism. (7) The Druses. — They are a small group or race, dwell- ing largely by themselves in Syria and affiliated with the Mo- hammedans, but often engaged in violent strife with them. (8) The Mohammedan Egyptians. — ^These stand largely by themselves, although intermixed with a strong Arab ele- ment. (9) The Kabyles and Berbers. — Under these terms are grouped a number of tribes presenting various modifications of the ancient Libyan and Numidian people, and the Arab and Negro races. They are Mohammedan but somewhat in- dependent in their faith. They form 75% of the population of the North African States and possess many commendable qualities. 7 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST Nearly all of these various peoples here named have a lan- guage of their own. The Circassians in Turkey commonly use the Turkish language, while the Arabic language is used by the Arabs and the Egyptians, it being the tongue of North Africa, Egypt, Arabia, Mesopotamia and Syria. 2. The Christian Peoples . — The Christian populations of the Near East include, in the Balkan Peninsula, the Serbians, the Bulgarians and the Greeks; in Asia Minor, Armenians and Greeks, and in Persia, the Armenians; in Persia and Eastern Turkey, the Nestorians; in Mesopotamia and Syria, the Syrians; and in Egypt, the Copts. Each one of the classes named represents a separate and independent ancient Church that had its origin during the first centuries of the Christian era. It should be stated that the Nestorian Church and race are actually Syrian, and the Bulgarian and Serbian Churches were not formed until the second half of the ninth century. In these Churches the spirit of Christ long since ceased to exercise its power, and formalism and nationalism took the place of personal Christianity. These Churches have been perpetuated in the midst of many difficulties. All have been, with few exceptions, in contact with Islam during the stages of its great advance and subsequent decline, and have been somewhat influenced by the practices and teachings of Mohammedanism. While they bear the name of Chris- tian, there was little in their practice and teachings, before modern missions were begun among them, that bore a clear semblance to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Their lack of unity was enhanced by their differences in language which, taken together with the earlier theological controversies, accentuated the diversities existing between them. These differences have been so great that co-opera- tion among different Christian Churches was as unthink- able as co-operation between one of the Churches and the fol- lowers of Islam. Each of the Churches named has a lan- guage of its own which is embodied in the ancient ritual and 8 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST records of the Church but which, except in the case of the Coptic Church in Egypt, is so different from the modern spoken language that the Church services are not usually un- derstood by the common worshiper. It is this divorce be- tween the teachings of the Church and the knowledge pos- sessed by the people of what those teachings consist, that has led to the necessity of reforms within the Church. These Churches early became national and are regarded as heretical by both the Greek Orthodox Church and by Rome. Through the labors of missionaries some of the members of these an- cient Churches are in communion with the Roman Catholic Qiurch, and some with the Protestant Churches. 3. The Jews . — The descendants of the Children of Israel are found in all parts of the Near East, being most numerous naturally in the vicinity of Palestine. There is also a large Jewish population in Constantinople and other coast cities, as Salonica and Smyrna, as well as in Yemen, Baghdad, Cairo and Morocco. While emphasizing in a marked degree the use of their racial language, they also speak the language of the people among whom they dwell. In Western Turkey the Jews make much use of the Spanish language. In order to avoid confusion, we mention here but the three classes above indicated. They constitute the great mass of the population of the entire field covered, the other races be- ing small and with slight influence upon the country. They include the populations of the Near East among whom and for whom missionary work has been inaugurated. Each class constitutes a specific mission problem, requiring special preparation to meet its peculiar requirements, as will be ap- parent, when we take into consideration the different relig- ious and historic points of view of the three classes. There is a certain similarity running through the Mohammedan peo- ples, while there exist many racial differences. The same is true of the Christians, thus constituting an extensive variety within a single class. We cannot at this time undertake to 9 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST clear up the race confusion that exists in Syria, Mesopotamia, Egypt and North Africa. For centuries there has continued a mixing of races, not necessary to trace in this paper, but of great interest to the missionary and not without deep sig- nificance to his work. It would be difficult, probably impossible, for one to pre- pare himself for the most successful missionary work among all three classes. The missionaries in these fields, as well as the experts who have been consulted, are generally agreed that the missionary preparing himself for work in the Near East should do so with one of these specific classes of popu- lation in view. He should prepare primarily either for work among Mohammedans, for work among Christians, or for work among Jews. And yet for some time to come one who contemplates work for Moslems may be compelled to begin work among some one of the Christian races. The fact must not be lost sight of, indeed it should be strongly emphasized, that these races are in many different particulars the open door of approach to the Mohammedans. Very generally they speak the language of the Turkish Alohammedans or the Arabs. Hitherto in the Near East there has been little direct, open, special preparation for work among any of the Mohammedan races. For some of those mentioned above, such as the Al- banians, Kurds, Circassians and Druzes, there has been al- most no sustained effort, while the work that has been done for the Turks, Egyptians, Persians and Arabs has hardly as- sumed, even to the present time, the form of a specific move- ment under a fixed plan and policy. Nearly all of the Ameri- can missionaries to these countries have prepared themselves for work among the Christian races rather than among Mo- hammedans and Jews. This has been done with the primary aim of preparing Christian leaders to become direct pro- moters of Christianity among the Moslem races, the mission- aries therefore reaching the Moslems only indirectly. Many 10 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST of these missionaries do not speak any of the languages spoken by the Moslems and have little or no contact with them. Only in comparatively recent years have these mis- sionaries, whose primary attention has been directed toward Christian peoples, begun to plan for and develop a work for Mohammedans. In Persia, perhaps more than in any other region north of Arabia, the missionaries learn mainly the language spoken by Moslems and work primarily for them. The statement will probably be unchallenged, that one who is going out with a definite purpose to reach the Jews will need to prepare himself especially for that particular people. Among all these peoples there are marked national char- acteristics and a great variety in the degrees of civilization and education which characterize each race, and the different peoples within each race. These differences have become more marked in the last generation than before. Modern education and Western enlightenment have entered all of these countries to a greater or less degree, and out of each one of the races there have come conspicuous leaders who have been quick to catch the spirit of the times, while other great sections of the race or nation have remained in their original Oriental darkness. These facts, together with the variety of languages and local political conditions, have their bearing directly on the necessary missionary preparation for work among these peoples. B. Courses of Study for Candidates for Mission Service in the Near East I. The Requirements for Work Among Moslem Peoples 1. A Mastery of the Language . — It is impossible to over- emphasize the necessity of a complete mastery of the lan- guage of the Mohammedan race one wishes to influence. For work among Moslem peoples some knowledge of Arabic is of primary importance. This is pre-eminently true for all of 11 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST North Africa, Arabia and Syria. It holds good also in per- haps a lesser degree for the Mohammedans of Turkey, since Arabic enters to a considerable degree into the vocabulary and construction of the Turkish language, and most educated Turks know some Arabic. Whoever can show that he has an accurate knowledge of the Arabic language, and can quote correctly from the Koran and from other Arabic books, com- mands an avenue of approach to any educated Mohammedan throughout the Near East. Arabic is the religious language of the Moslems. The Persians do not speak Arabic, and few of them are able to read it. The use of this language would be of less immediate value in Persia, and among the Kurds and Al- banians, than among any other Mohammedan race named. Yet even in Persia the ability to quote the Koran in the origi- nal is of value, while where Arabic is the vernacular it is of great importance. Discussing the necessity of a thorough knowledge of the Arabic language, one who has spent many years among educated Moslems in Egypt declares that the misquotation of a passage from the Koran on the part of a missionary would impair, if not completely destroy, that per- son’s influence over the Moslem with whom he was talking, or the congregation whom he was addressing. To a Moham- medan the mispronunciation of any syllable or word in their sacred book is as much of a sin as breaking a commandment of the Decalogue. He says : “I have seen a whole congrega- tion of Moslems rise and leave the room merely o;n account of the inaccuracy of quotation and pronunciation of a speak- er.” An experienced missionary from Constantinople states that he has always found the Mohammedans uniformly cour- teous to a foreigner’s mistakes in accent and pronunciation and ready to listen to one showing idiomatic use of the lan- guage. In Egypt an immense mass of Moslems know noth- ing of literary Arabic, to work among whom only ordinary Arabic preparation is demanded. 12 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST Whatever other preparation may be demanded for work among Mohammedans in the Near East, there must be a painstaking and careful preparation in the mastery of the languages they speak, and in many cases this means a thor- ough foundation knowledge of the Arabic, accompanied by some vernacular, as, for instance, that spoken by the Turks. The principal exception, as above named, would be for work among Persians, Albanians, uneducated Egyptians, the Kurds and peasant Turks. 2. A Thorough Knowledge of the Life of Mohammed, including that Life as Written by Mohammedans and Ac- cepted by the Sect among Which One Works. — This means more than a superficial knowledge of the dates of his birth, of the Hejira, and of his death. It must include the careful, analytical understanding of his development and experiences, so that allusions made by the Mohammedans to some detail in the life of their prophet may be quickly comprehended. Such a knowledge will be immediately and always useful to a mis- sionary who has occasion to refer to the prophet of Islam in conversation and in public address. The life of Mohammed should be studied sympathetically, not with a view to criticiz- ing or condemning, but with a view to understanding him in the period in which he rose and in the midst of the surround- ings in which his life was passed. 3. A Knowledge of the History of Islam. — It is approxi- mately as necessary for a missionary working among Mo- hammedans to know the story of the rise and development of that religion as to know the history of the Christian faith which he is commissioned to teach. It is not impossible that one of the main reasons why Mohammedans have as yet been so little influenced by Christianity is that the Christians who have come closest in touch with them have generally been so out of touch with the story of their Moslem faith. As in the life of Mohammed, so in the history of Islam, the student should study its development in relation to the times in which 13 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST it was established, should trace its growth and the reasons therefor, should master its principles as applied by its various successive leaders, as well as know the changes that have come over Islam in its contact with other races and its de- velopment under different governments. In a word, the one who expects to exert a dominant and permanent influence over Mohammedans must have a wide knowledge of the his- tory of the religion in which Mohammedans believe, which they are eager to propagate, and for which so many of them are ready to die. 4. A Knowledge of the Content of Mohammedanism as set forth in the Koran and in T radition . — It is impossible for one to get into sympathic relations with a Mohammedan until he is able to look upon the Mohammedan’s religion from his point of view. Whoever is able to prove to the Mohamme- dan that he knows his religion and the traditions that sur- round it, will from that very fact exercise an influence that can be obtained in no other way. A missionary should be able to quote from the Koran and from the sacred writings of Islam with facility and accuracy. An eminent worker among Mohammedans writes : “The missionary to Moslems must be familiar with the Koran, especially those parts of it in which are mentioned the doctrines, the practices, or the history of the Christian religion. He ought to be thoroughly prepared to meet all the attacks usually made by the Moslem sheikhs against the Scriptures of the Christians and the Christian religion, being able to quote from memory and with- out making the slightest mistake in the words or in the pronuncia- tion, passages from the Koran in confirmation of his arguments.” 5. A Knozvledge of the References of the Koran and of Moslem Tradition to Christ and the Christian Scriptures . — A correct and properly pronounced quotation from the Koran always appeals to the Moslem. If the Christian missionary makes himself familiar with the references to Christ and Christianity in their sacred book and in their almost equally sacred traditions, and if he knows the interpretation put upon 14 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST these passages by the great commentaries on the Koran, he will be armed with a weapon of tremendous power to use in his personal contact with individual Mohammedans, as well as in public preaching. 6. The History and Peculiarities of the Particular Branch of Moslems Among Whom One Works . — If one is to work in Arabia he will necessarily deal with the foundations of Islam primarily, and he should know the story of the development of Islam in Arabia to the present hour. In Persia he needs to know in what respect the Mohammedans of Persia differ in their fundamental beliefs from the Mohammedans of Tur- key or of Arabia. He should understand the development by which Sheikhism passed into Babism and Babism into Baha- ism. He must be able to do justice to the ordinary character- istics and devotion which these different groups show. If he is among the Turks, he should know the peculiar beliefs of this race, their development and growth, wherein they differ from other Mohammedan races, their claims as keepers of the sacred relics of Mohammed and as possessing in their Sultan the true Caliph. If among the Albanians, he should know the story and history of their development and their peculiarities as Mohammedans, as well as their Christian his- tory before their compulsory conversion to Islam. So one must study any and all of the Moslem races. 7. An Acquaintance with the Different Sects of Islam, with Their Ideals and Literatures . — This is of real impor- tance, since Mohammedanism is broken up into many differ- ent sects, brotherhoods, or classes, each with special leaders and with a variety of ideals and rituals and practices. There is much of this knowledge yet to be investigated, calling for careful research upon the part of one who would influence Mohammedans in the highest degree and become their re- ligious leader. He should understand their ritualistic and sacramentarian forms of religion. These will give him a new breadth of sympathy, and introduce him into their dis- 15 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST tinctly mystical ways of thinking. Even systems of educa- tion and methods of instruction must be adapted to local con- ditions. 8. The Capacity for Sympathetic Consideration of the Mohammedan Point of View . — If the topics above men- tioned are carefully studied, the student will inevitably come into sympathetic relations with those for whom he is to work and will obtain, in a measure at least, the Mohammedan point of view regarding God, redemption, Mohammed, Christ, the Koran, the New Testament, life, sin and immortality. With- out this sympathetic approach it is not too much to say that his time will be wasted and his life and effort thrown away in endeavoring to lead the Moslem races into a sympathetic con- sideration of the claims of Jesus Christ to be the Saviour and Redeemer of men. Too much emphasis cannot be laid upon this attitude and frame of mind. It is of more importance than any intellectual mastery of Islam. 9. Some Knowledge of the Historic Relations Existing at the Present Time Betzveen Islam and the Churches with Which It Has Come in Contact . — There is no doubt that the contact of Islam with Christianity has had its effect upon both religions. Some influence from Christianity and Chris- tian practices has crept into Islam because of centuries of re- lations with the Christian Churches of the Near East. This aspect of Mohammedanism has not been widely investigated, and calls for careful study upon the ground. 10. A Knowledge of the Attempts Already Made to Lead Moslems to Christ, and the Successes and Failures of These Attempts . — Efforts in this direction have been made within the Near East, as well as in India and the Dutch East Indies, and therefore have special relations to the work yet to be done in that direction within the same territory. 11. A Knowledge of Islam as Modified by Contact with the West During the Nineteenth Century . — The Mohamme- danism of Constantinople differs materially from that of 16 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST Persia and Arabia, and much of the difference is due to the Europeanizing of Constantinople and the education in Euro- pean institutions of many leading Moslems. There is a marked difference between the Mohammedanism of the west- ern part of Turkey and that at Cairo, the latter having pre- served more fully the traditions of Islam and having more successfully checked the inroads of Western scientific, philo- sophical and religious teaching. One cannot obtain a com- plete knowledge of Mohammedanism to-day in the Near East from books, especially those that deal with its early history and the claims and content of its faith. The modern mission- ary meets and deals with a modified Mohammedanism, and it is this he should know and understand. 12. Modern Languages. — A knowledge of French, Ger- man or Italian will greatly increase the influence of a mis- sionary among educated Moslems in large cities. Much re- cent literature on Islam exists only in these languages. 12>. A Thorough and Comprehensive Knowledge of the Christian Bible. — This means a quoting knowledge of the important passages that lie at the foundation and centre of the Christian plan of redemption, or, in other words, a work- able Biblical Theology. One who has spent nearly fifty years in Turkey in con- spicuously successful work writes : “In these discussions it seems to be tacitly taken for granted that Christianity, in order to succeed, must make its entrance through the highest and most intellectually cultivated classes, and work down- ward. We who are the most earnest advocates of liberal education in missions, and have struggled — almost fought for it, feel, at the same time, the tremendous significance of the simple Gospel among simple-minded peoples.” II. The Requirements for Work Among Christian Churches As has already been stated, most of the missionary work hitherto carried on in the Near East has been among and 17 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST through some of these Christian Churches, a list of which has already been given. The effort has been directed to two spe- cific ends. First, the reformation of the Churches them- selves, by providing their members with the Bible in the modern spoken language of their people, which they did not have previously, and by elevating the standards of education and moral character in their clergy. Such a policy has sought to provide wholesome general Christian instruction, and it alone was an adequate and worthy end of missionary endeavor. At the same time there has always been a pur- pose, underlying all and running through all, to make these Churches when reformed the basis for a Christian advance upon the surrounding Mohammedan populations. These Churches are scattered throughout most of the Near East and are all directly in contact with their Mohammedan neighbors. As the membership of these Churches has been unusually alert to catch the spirit of modern education, and to develop educational institutions and systems of schools for their own membership, an unusual opportunity has been pre- sented to raise up from among the Christian populations edu- cated men and women, ready to take up evangelistic work for the Mohammedans and to become the nucleus and centre of a real Christian advance among all the Moslem populations. The endeavor has not been without many examples of marked success. In Persia, Protestant Nestorians have exhibited much readiness and adaptability in evangelizing Moslems. The failure of the Christian Churches to exemplify vital Christianity has been a great stumbling-block in the approach to the Moslems. Undoubtedly this method of approach to the Mohammedans will still be employed in some sections, since it is impossible to think of an extensive propaganda, carried on among the large Mohammedan populations wholly by foreign missionaries. We may therefore expect that the work within the Churches and for them will need to be pressed throughout the present missionary generation. The IS PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST question therefore is : What special preparation is necessary for one who contemplates work among and through the Christian Churches ? The following subjects connected with the Oriental Churches require special consideration : 1. The History of Each Church. — A candidate should make himself familiar with the history of the origin, develop- ment and life of the Church or Churches with which he is to be connected and in which and through which he is to work. Each one of the Oriental Churches has had a distinct history of its own, covering the period of its organization, develop- ment and decline. While general Church history is of very great importance to all missionaries, and equally if not un- usually necessary to those who are planning to work within one of the ancient Churches, the detailed history of the Church with which he is to be closely connected is of even greater importance. 2. Its Creeds and Practices. — One should not only make himself familiar with the history of the Church with which he is to work, but he should make himself master of the creed of that Church and the practices which have grown out of this creed, from the earlier time down to its present life and development. The reason for the separation of these Churches into different groups can in most cases be found in their differences of belief and can be traced back to some ecclesiastical council. These differences of belief have had much to do with shaping the life of the Church itself, and no one can hope to put himself into sympathetic relations with any one of these ancient and important ecclesiastical organ- izations without being familiar with its religious life and un- derlying beliefs. 3. The Ecclesiastical System. — Each Church has its sepa- rate organization and its separate method of ecclesiastical control. For instance, the Old Armenian Church, with its 19 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST system of patriarchs and bishops and lower clergy, is in itself a most fascinating and interesting study, without which it would be impossible for any one from the West to under- stand the Church or the phenomena of church life with which he will come constantly into contact, if he lives among the Armenian people. The same is true of the Nestorian, the Greek, the Bulgarian and the Coptic Churches. 4. Present Strength or Weakness . — An estimate of the causes of the present strength or weakness of any one of these Churches would include the actual relations existing be- tween belief, practice and teachings and the life of the people constituting the Church’s membership. It would include also the relation of the Church as an ecclesiastical organization to education, ancient and modern. It would involve the study of the character of the clergy, from the lowest order to the high- est rank, and the amount and character of the religious in- struction which the membership of the Church receive at the hands of their clergy, and the extent to which that instruction is put into practice in the life of the people as a whole. 5. The Effect of Islam . — The character, strength and weakness of the Churches of the Near East cannot be under- stood except as taken in connection with their relation? to Islam. Within a century after the death of Mohammed, Mo- hammedanism had come into close and vital contact with them. For centuries they have carried on their work in close relations with Mohammedans of all classes and every rank under the control of a Mohammedan government. Many of the practices of these Churches, if not some of their beliefs, have been modified by the beliefs and practices of Moham- medanism. In other words, Mohammedanism has materially modified the life of the Oriental Churches. To what extent, and at what points this has taken place, should be understood. 6. Relations to the Life of the Nation to Which They Be- long . — These Churches have under Mohammedan control 20 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST been in a large measure national. They have kept up their national organization and have exercised many functions which in other countries belong to the State. Those that have come under the government of Turkey have been granted capitulations giving them certain national authority and power. The Bulgarian Church is now a State Church. The Nestorian Church in Persia has had certain national re- lations to the government which have affected its Church life. The same is true of all the Oriental Churches. 7. The Results of the Century of Missionary Activity . — The effect upon these Churches of the missionary work car- ried on among some of them for nearly a century and among all for two generations must be studied by the new mission- ary. The form this work has taken and the response it has awakened in the Church as a whole is a theme of funda- mental importance. 8. Their Relation to Modern Education. — The relation of these Oriental Churches to modern education ; how far they have endeavored to adopt and use it for the development of their own intellectual life, how far they have blocked it in their endeavor to retain their old traditional existence, the character of the education they have supported and are sup- porting ; the extent to which they have responded to modern education, — all are points of vital interest. 9. Prospects of Perpetuation. — This is a question to which no final answer can be given but it is worthy of sober study. Have these Churches the elements of strength that will ensure their continuation, or is there a tendency gradu- ally to approach one to another as they cease to maintain the national relations that they have hitherto sustained? Will less emphasis be laid upon form and more placed upon spirit- ual power? These are questions that cannot be settled for the present, but are worthy of consideration, surely of inves- tigation. Upon the conclusion reached will depend the rela- 21 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST tions of the missionaries to these Churches and the nature and character of their work. In other words, will the mis- sionaries endeavor to draw out from these old Churches a separate body of evangelicals, or should the endeavor be di- rected to their reformation from within — that they may meet the twentieth century requirements of their membership? There is a strong conviction among many native leaders that only through an independent evangelical body can the Orien- tal Churches be led to the true spiritual conception of the Church. This is a line of study for the missionary during his years of service and while upon successive furloughs. III. The Requirements for Work Among the Jews One contemplating missionary work among the Jews could not expect to give himself to any other class or race. The field is almost an exclusive one requiring special preparation at the outset and persistent application thereafter, and yet in Persia the regular missionaries to the Persians have begun and developed an important and successful work among the Jews. A candidate preparing himself for successful work among the Jews would need: 1. A Mastery of the Hebrew Language . — He would need to be able to read the Hebrew Scriptures, Biblical, Talmudic and modern alike, in their own tongue, and so enter with them into a fellowship upon the basis of their most sacred possessions. The missionary to Eastern Jews should be able to speak ancient Hebrew as revived recently and used in ordi- nary life by the Jewish colonists in Palestine. The Jews of Turkey speak either Spanish or German. 2. A Good Knozvledge of their History . — A missionary to the Jews should be familiar with their history, not only as set forth in the Old Testament but during the subsequent life of the race. This would require special study and investigation covering the entire modern history of the race as a whole, and especially of that part now occupying the Near East. 22 PREPAR*\TION FOR THE NEAR EAST 3. A Knowledge of their Religious Divisions. — Such a missionary would need to know the modern divisions among the Jews and their particular doctrinal significance. This would include their attitude toward Jesus Christ and the Christian Church as well as their arguments against Chris- tianity and the Gospels. A. An Understanding of ‘"Zionism.” — He should under- stand the modern movement of the race back to Palestine: the origin of the movement, its development, purpose and present state, its leaders and the probable outcome of its policy. 5. A Review of the History of the Attempts to Christian- ise Jews. — He must familiarize himself with the different attempts during the last century to Christianize the Jews of the Near East, noting the successes and failures of these at- tempts and the reasons therefor. 6. A Sympathetic Attitude. — He must possess a real af- fection for that ancient people and a burning desire to lead them to a true knowledge of the Christ. This necessarily means that he has studied their characteristics, appreciates their worth and understands their weaknesses. C. The Special Qualifications Required for Mission Service to the Near East As the countries covered in this investigation differ so widely from all other missionary fields in their racial, lin- guistic and religious characteristics, it is necessary that spe- cial consideration be given to requirements needed for mis- sionary work in this field which might not be needed in other countries. We will consider these qualifications under the head of the different kinds of missionaries needed for these countries. I. The Ordained Missionary In the Third Report of the Board of Missionary Prepara- tion, page 10, the subject of the Present Place and Need of 23 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST Ordained Missionaries is given careful and thorough con- sideration. The emphasis there laid upon the place of the ordained missionary in the general missionary work of the world should be especially emphasized with reference to the needs of the ordained missionary in the Near East. It is a region of religion and religions. Every individual has a re- ligion in which he professes to believe. The place of the professional religious leader has long been recognized here. The Mohammedans have their religious teachers to whom great respect is shown, and the Oriental Churches have their ecclesiastics of all grades whose leadership is conceded. The same is true of the Jews. It is important, therefore, that among the missionaries there should be an unusual propor- tion of recognized religious men who have received all of the instruction and training given men of their class in the mis- sionary-sending countries, men who go to the field with all of the religious authority which can be given them by the Churches they represent. In what follows the word “should” is constantly used, not in a dogmatic sense, but only to express the high desirability of the qualification or attainment mentioned. 1. A Real Mastery of the Bible . — An unusual knowledge of the Bible and the essential teachings of Christianity, while of great importance to all missionaries, is of supreme im- portance to one contemplating work in the Near East. Large numbers of the members of the Oriental Churches have a widely extended knowledge of the Bible. This has been mostly obtained during nearly a century of modern missions and as the result of prolonged controversies over the Bible in the earlier period of missionary work. The missionary who under any circumstances should reveal a lack of knowl- edge of the Bible itself among Oriental Christians would thereby immediately lose standing. At the same time, he should know what are the essential teachings of the Bible, since he is to deal with Churches that have put emphasis on 24 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST non-essentials, and with Mohammedans who, by their tradi- tions, have exalted the non-essential in Christianity into prominent place and have lost sight of that which is funda- mental. He should also have in a special degree the power to impart his knowledge to others as preacher, evangelizer and teacher. Mere knowledge of the Bible, without ability or passion to impress its truths upon others, would be of little value to the people or the country. 2. A Great Capacity for Friendship . — The ordained mis- sionary should have an unlimited capacity for friendship. He should not allow differences of belief or of custom or of temperament to present any barrier to his personal friendly relations with the people, and especially with the religious leaders. He must have not only a capacity for friendship, but he must have a passion for it. Probably this is one of the most powerful means by which the ordained missionary can get into close relations with the Moslem. He must show himself a friend and prove himself to be a friend, before he can be in a position to discuss the deep things of religion with the alert Mohammedans and especially with their lead- ers. While this capacity is of great value to every mis- sionary throughout the world, it is a supreme necessity for one who is seeking to reach Moslem peoples. 3. A Thorough Grounding in Theology . — The ordained missionary who is to work among the Oriental Churches should thoroughly understand the fundamentals of the Christian faith, and especially its more conservative doc- trines. The Oriental Churches are conservative by tradition — on the divinity of Christ, the inspiration of the Bible, the Trinity, the future life, etc. Any candidate who conceives it to be his mission to attack the foundations of these ancient institutions, because the leaders in the churches are bound by tradition, should pause before entering upon work in the Near East. The ordained missionary should not hold such theological views that he will not be able to work in harmony 25 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST with the native leaders who, viewed from our Western stand- point, are extremely conservative. A constructive Gospel and theology is required for all classes. The Mohammedans also are conservative in temperament and practice. They believe in a book which they eagerly defend, and expect Christian leaders in a like manner to* stand by their book. They are profound believers in the divine in- spiration of the Scriptures, the future life, in sin and its dis- astrous consequences and in the prophetic mission of Jesus Christ. 4. A Passion for Evangelism. — The ordained missionary must have a passion for leading the Moslems to Christ. No one could expect to succeed who goes to the Mohammedan with a gospel that he believes will merely improve his ex- ternal surroundings, exalt his intellectual life, and make the community more civilized. The good Mohammedan believes in his religion, and he respects and honors the Christian who manifests at the outset a passion for the Christ and a burning desire to reveal Him in His beauty to everybody else, in order that all may see Him exalted and be led to exclaim, “My Lord and my God.” A general desire to do good and to help the people will not be enough to sustain one in a life work among the Mohammedans. Nothing short of a “Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel” will meet the requirements of the Mohammedan world. He should also possess the ability to lead others into the field of evangelism and to instruct them in the best methods of irenic controversy and persuasive presentation of Christian truth. 5. Ability in Patient, Dignified Controversialism. — The ordained missionary should be a good controversialist in the best sense of the term, in private conversation as well as in public address. This presupposes not only a thorough knowledge of his subject, but also the ability to carry on a prolonged discussion without loss of patience, much less of temper. For an ordained missionary to lose his temper in 26 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST the presence of Orientals is for him to commit a grievous sin and to prove himself a man of weakness. Infinite patience, unceasingly persisted in, backed by the real and true spirit of the Christ, the friend and brother of all men, will inevi- tably win its way among Moslems. The missionary needs also to appear to have ample leisure. One who is constitu- tionally in a hurry cannot hope to come near to the inner life of a Mohammedan. 6. A W ell-grounded Knowledge of Islam and the Oriental Churches . — We would mention as one of the most important lines of preparation required of the ordained missionary in the Near East, a knowledge of the subjects already referred to under the head of Preparation for Work among Moham- medans and the Oriental Churches. A large field of inves- tigation and study is there opened up, not demanded for or- dained missionaries to other countries, but essential to those who desire to win a strong hold and to maintain a command- ing position among these different classes of people in the Near East. The following are named as topics or subjects requiring the special consideration of those who contemplate work in the Near East as ordained missionaries. 7. An Acquaintance with the Philosophy of Islam . — The ordained missionary who contemplates work for Moslems should have some knowledge of the philosophy of the East, and especially the philosophy of Islam. This should be equally true of one going to India, and perhaps the Farther East, but it is of great importance for one who is to work among Mohammedans. Many Moslem leaders have been and are masters of their own philosophy. 8. The Ability to Shape the Changing Social Life . — The ordained missionary should have some knowledge and ex- perience in sociology and its application to life. The Near East at the present time hardly calls for experts in sociology to the exclusion of other lines, but missionary work among 27 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST both Christians and Mohammedans calls for social empha- sis at every point. The message that appeals to the people of the Near East is the message of the changed life brought about by Jesus Christ. The ordained missionary, therefore, should understand the sociological aspect of his own religion and the application of the same to the life of others. 9. The Habit of Accuracy. — The ordained missionary should have the habit of accuracy in all things, especially in his pronunciation of the vernacular and in quotation from the Koran. This has already been referred to under the head of special preparation for work among Moslems, but it needs to be re-emphasized. The missionary of slovenly habits of speech and of quotation should not undertake work among Moslems or other Orientals. His influence would be greatly impaired at the outset by his mispronunciation of the language which he uses in dealing with the Moslems, and practically destroyed by misquotation from their sacred books or their traditional sayings. 10. Organizing Capacity. — The ordained missionary should have organizing capacity. He is not simply a preacher but an organizer, and he should be so able to organize and use the forces that become accessible to him, both in the church and in the Moslem communities, as to produce the largest and most far-reaching results. 11. Literary Ability. — The ordained missionary should have literary ability. The more pleasingly and forcefully he is able to use the vernacular language in dealing with the Moslems — and this is especially true if the language he uses is Arabic — the more powerfully will he grip his hearers. He must, moreover, be prepared to write, probably more in the future than in the past, for Mohammedan readers; and in order to do this he must have a literary instinct and abil- ity to command attention with his pen. 12. An Acquaintance with Arabic. — If the ordained mis- sionary is planning to go into North Africa, Egypt, Arabia, 28 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST and many parts of the Turkish Empire for work among Mo- hammedans, a foundation in the Arabic language is a sine qua non. Even if he is to use the Turkish language (that spoken by the Turks throughout Asia Minor) a foundation in Arabic is of great importance, in order to enable him to speak a high and educated Turkish, which would cause him to be respected even by the more ignorant Turks. 13. A Knowledge of Political Conditions . — All mission- aries should be generally informed regarding the develop- ment of the existing political and governmental organiza- tions, their relations to foreign countries and the history of governmental and diplomatic intercourse. 14. A Wife and Home . — The ordained missionary should be married and establish his home in the country. While a single man may do some lines of educational and medical work, and can do effective work in touring, he can- not do the necessary work of an ordained missionary living among and working for either Moslems or Christians. II. Women Evangelists The woman evangelist is probably needed in the Near East almost if not quite as much as the ordained missionary. The homes are open; calls are incessant; the opportunities unlim- ited. The woman evangelist requires a special preparation, much of which has already been included under the head of the ordained missionary. The report of the Committee on Preparation of Women for Foreign Missionary Service, be- ginning on page 106 of the Third Report of the Board of Missionary Preparation, should be read in connection with this report. Most of the details under the preceding section apply as directly to the woman evangelist as to the ordained missionary. There is no need therefore of further enlarge- ment here. III. Educational Missionaries Again we refer to the report of the Committee on the Prep- aration of Educational Missionaries, beginning on page 50 of 29 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST the Third Report of the Board of Missionary Preparation. To the general requirements there set forth we would add the details already referred to under C. I. (see pp. 23-29), if the candidate is looking forward to permanent service. While the educational missionary need not necessarily be ordained, nor have had a full theological course, if he is to give his whole time to teaching, there is a general consensus of opinion that one taking up educational work in the Near E^st should have the following special preparation : 1. Biblical Training. — He should have at least two years of special Biblical training, in order that he may be thor- oughly familiar with the history and the fundamental ideas of Christianity. 2. Experience in the Organisation and Direction of Edu- cational Work. — He should have some experience in the or- ganization and direction of educational work, or at least in the study of such lines of work. We are speaking now of the general educational missionary, not of the specialist who goes out for some particular department. The East is call- ing for general educators who will be able to organize and direct systems of education. This is true in the work for men as well as the work for women. He should also under- stand the possibilities of the Christian school as a social force in the community. This is one of the most hopeful recent developments of the school in America and needs to be care- fully studied by all prospective missionaries. 3. Mastery of the Science of Education. — He should be well versed in the science of education. The whole East is calling for teachers, and the call is increasing rapidly from year to year. These teachers are demanded for Moham- medan as well as Christian schools, and the call is directed to the Christian missionary institutions as the only source they know where they are likely to find what is required. The normal college is rapidly coming to the front and is of almost equal importance with the theological college. 30 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST 4. Special Training . — Expert preparation is required for special positions. The existing colleges in Turkey are con- stantly calling for experts for important positions on their staff of instruction. This covers the whole range of spe- cialties that are found in most of our American institutions. These need not be mentioned in detail, but perhaps it is well to refer to the kindergarten teacher, now more and more in demand, as one of the present peculiar needs. 5. A Passion for Evangelism . — The educational mission- ary should have the same passion and desire to lead his pupils to an adequate knowledge of Jesus Christ as the ordained missionary. He has opportunities which the ordained mis- sionary does not have. He reaches his hearers at the most susceptible period in their lives. If his studies can be so ar- ranged that he can visit the fields from which his pupils come, he will have unlimited opportunity for speaking on relig- ious and educational subjects and of being a real preacher of righteousness. One going into the East should go with a passion to reach all classes with the simple, saving Gospel of Christ. 6. The Ability to Train Leaders . — Perhaps more in the East than other mission countries, the educational mission- ary should not for a moment lose sight of the fact that he is training the men and women who are to go out as the leaders of their own people, that he is the teacher of teachers, the leader of leaders, and that in this way he multiplies himself and his teaching a thousandfold. The Near East will be led to Christ by the people of the Near East. While this is not true only of the Near East, it is preeminently true of this part of the missionary world. The work of the permanent and general educational missionary is so nearly akin to that of the evangelistic or ordained missionary, that, in order to achieve the widest in- fluence and highest success he should prepare himself in 31 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST nearly all that is mentioned under B. I, and II or III as well as under C. I. IV. Medical Missionaries The medical missionary for the Near East requires prac- tically the same preparation that is required in other mission fields. There is only one judgment expressed and that is, that the medical missionary should have a full four years’ course, with a four years’ medical course, to be followed by two years’ hospital experience, with unusual emphasis upon surgery and the eye. The report of the Committee on Quali- fications and Preparation of Medical Missionaries, begin- ning on page 86 of the Third Report of the Board of Mis- sionary Preparation, summarizes the matters chiefly de- manding the attention of the medical missionary who would prepare for the Near East. There are, however, details al- ready treated under the head of preparation for ordained missionaries that demand some attention at least from the medical missionary. These are the requirements mentioned for work among Moslems (pages 11 to 17), especially the mastery of the language; also some of the requirements for work among Christians (pages 17 to 22), or, if he is to work among the Jews, the requirements for work among that peo- ple (pp. 22-23). He should also aim to secure many of the special qualifications required in an ordained missionary in the Near East: A grounding in theology. A mastery of the Bible. A passion for evangelism. A capacity for friendship. Ability for dignified controversy. Some knowledge of Islam and the Oriental Churches. An acquaintance with Arabic, if he is to work in Africa. Practically every other qualification mentioned. There is little call for the study of tropical medicine on the part of the medical missionary in the Near East, except for those who are going to Arabia, Syria and North Africa; 32 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST there tropical medicine will be essential. There is a general consensus of opinion, that the medical missionary must get his principal hospital practice in the home-land before going out; the hospitals in the field cannot be depended upon to furnish an adequate training. Under present conditions the medical missionary in Turkey is compelled to take his ex- amination for license at Constantinople in the French lan- guage. A knowledge of French therefore will be of special value to the medical missionary going to Turkey. V. Industrial Missionaries There is considerable and increasing demand in the Near East for industrial missionaries. Although in not a few cases up to the present time some missionaries have given considerable attention to this phase of the work, industrial training has been taken on as something additional, usually by ordained or educational missionaries. There is, how- ever, an increasing demand for industrial missionaries along some of the following lines : 1. Agricultural Superintendents . — The agricultural con- dition of the Near East is backward in the extreme. Un- doubtedly, in the future, agricultural schools and experiment farms will need to be started in order to develop the latent resources of each country. There is already a call for ex- perts in agricultural training and for some kind of agricul- tural schools in which modern and western methods can be practically taught and introduced into the country. Some of the existing educational institutions are contemplating adding agricultural departments. These will require experts in charge. 2. Experts in Work for Women. — Lace- and embroidery- making has already been taken up extensively as a means of providing the poor women of the country with an opportunity for honorable self-support. Under the leadership of mis- sionaries who have had no particular training in this line be- fore going out, great good has already been accomplished 33 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST through this work. The call for this line of work will prob- ably be more in the future than in the past. It would be well, therefore, for a few women candidates for missionary appointment to these countries to look into the subject of lace-making and embroidery, even if they do not themselves become experts. 3. Teachers of Carpentry, Cabinet Work and Trades . — This form of industrial training has already grown up in connection with many of the educational institutions, and will probably be more developed in the future. For one who is inclined to industrial work and has capacity for it, it might be well to spend some time in additional preparation along that line, for undoubtedly within the lifetime of any educa- tional missionary going out at the present time there will be a call for the direction of industries, not only along the line of carpentry and cabinet work, but along a great many other lines, like printing, iron work, tailoring, shoemaking, etc. VI. Social Workers There seems to be a general opinion that there is no call at the present time for missionaries to go out simply for so- cial work, but methods of social approach are developing in the form of Young Men’s Christian Association and Young Women’s Christian Association methods, the organization and development of clubs for men and clubs for women, ex- tension lectures by which remote communities are reached from educational centres, and many other varieties of ap- proach to the people in which the evangelistic, educational and medical missionaries must necessarily take the lead. But this has already been referred to under the head of Prepara- tion for Evangelistic Missionaries. D. General Qualifications of Missionaries to THE Near East I. Physical Characteristics With reference to the physical equipment of missionaries for the Near East, several details may be mentioned which 34 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST are of importance, revealing a need in this part of the mis- sionary world which may not, however, be wholly unlike the need of other parts. 1. Sound and Steady Nerves . — There are countries where people nervously inclined can go with a fair degree of safety, but hardly to the Near East. Most of Persia and the eastern section of Turkey have a high elevation reaching from four to seven thousand feet above the sea. This elevation has a deleterious effect upon some sensitive nervous organisms. The entire country is far from quiet politically. The con- flicts that take place between the different nationalities all tend to upset people of delicate nervous organism. The climate of North Africa and Arabia would probably have something of the same effect as the high altitudes of the Northeast. The general conclusion, therefore, is that mis- sionaries should have a sound and not very sensitive nervous system. 2. Good Digestion . — They should have good stomachs, capable of digesting a great variety of food. While the foods eaten by the native populations of the Near East are probably as wholesome and nourishing as the foods eaten by any Asiatic people, yet because of the large quantity of fat used throughout the northern section of the country, and for other reasons, the digestive system is often put to severe tests. There is little opportunity also, because of the remote- ness of the interior from the markets of the world, to secure Western foods. Missionaries are very dependent upon the native products. While a good stomach is an excellent asset anywhere, it is of peculiar importance in these countries. A missionary’s teeth should be put into good order before he leaves his home-land, 3. Ability to Sleep . — Some of the correspondents have put emphasis upon the necessity of the missionary being a good sleeper. This might be, and probably is, a part of 1 above. The sleeping facilities for the traveler in the country districts 35 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST are generally primitive, and often extremely trying. The Turkish and Persian inns are known to tradition. The evan- gelistic missionaries, and often the educational and the medi- cal missionaries, travel more or less over the country, and are compelled to put up with these accommodations, and if one cannot sleep under circumstances that would keep some people awake, he cannot continue that line of work. 4. Ability to Ride . — He should be physically able to endure and enjoy horseback riding. The common means of commu- nication in the interior over parts of the countries named is still by horseback. Many missionaries are compelled to take frequent long horseback journeys. Some missionaries almost live in the saddle. Candidates contemplating work in these countries should test themselves to know whether or not they are able to make long and frequent journeys on horseback, comfortably and safely. To those who enjoy horseback riding, it is a source of great recreation and satis- faction ; to others it can be a burden beyond endurance. II. Linguistic Abilities The linguistic requirements for missionary work in the Near East are large and exacting. North of Syria most of the people are bilingual and some peasants speak three lan- guages. Not a few missionaries acquire two of the vernacu- lars, especially where they contemplate work for Christians and for Moslems. Some of these languages, like the Bulga- rian, Serbian, Albanian, Greek, Armenian and Kurdish, are not especially difficult; the Turkish, Persian and Arabic are harder to master. One should have good linguistic ability for a life work in these countries, and in preparation should give close attention to phonetics and especially to that of the Arabic language under a properly qualified teacher. Ancient Greek is of great aid to one in the mastery of Modern Greek and Armenian, and Arabic is an excellent foundation for Turkish and Persian. There is a general agreement that, apart from phonetics and the structure of the Arabic lan- 36 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST guage, all vernaculars should be studied in the main upon the field and not undertaken in the home-land, except in cases where superior teachers can be secured here. Conclusion It must be well understood that no one candidate can right- ly expect to make himself master during the years of his preparation of all of the different subjects here suggested. At the same time there is a real value in holding up a strong standard of equipment for service towards the realization of which the endeavors of an active life may be directed. Many missionaries have not achieved that influence and strength in the work of which they were fully capable, because they have failed to continue their studies in wise, persistent fash- ion after entering upon their life in the field and during fur- lough periods at home. Aimless study and misguided efforts account for not a few missionary failures, where planning and persistence would have assured conspicuous success. The first furlough should be of special significance in the line of added preparation. During the first term of service the missionary has learned some of his own deficiencies as well as the peculiar needs of his special field and work. He is well prepared to take up lines of study and investigation that will materially increase his effectiveness during his second term. A Student Volunteer contemplating work in the Near East, by careful planning of his theological or professional course, and with industry and persistence, may easily achieve an admirable beginning along the lines of special preparation set forth in this Report. If he is to give himself wholly to work for Moslems, it is the general opinion of competent ad- visers that an extra year of special preparation in some of the subjects referred to may well be taken in some school or schools at home where they are satisfactorily taught. The conclusion of the matter is that the Near East is in- 37 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST creasingly demanding expert Christian leaders, especially trained for the task they are set to perform, with capacity effectively to execute the task. We make this statement with full recognition that the source of all power is in God and that in His Spirit alone will permanent success be achieved. E. Bibliography The attention of every student is called to the bibliography published in the Third Report of the Board of Missionary Preparation, beginning on page 183, where many of these books are given a brief characterization. The following books are suggested as of special value upon different sub- jects connected with this report. The books of general value are mentioned first. 1. Margoliouth, D. S. Mohammed and the^Rise of Islam. Putnam. 2. Muir, Sir Wm. Life of Mohammed. .^Edin., Grant. 3. Muir, Sir Wm. The Caliphate. Lond., Smith. 4. Sale, G. Preliminary Discourse on the Koran. Lond., Tegg. 5. Rodwell, J. M. Koran. Williams. 6. Wellhausen, J. Article on Mohammed in 9th Edition Encyclo- pedia Britannica. 7. Sell, E. Essays on Islam. Simpkin. 8. Zwemer, S. M. Arabia : the Cradle of Islam. Revell. 9. Zwemer, S. M. Islam, a Challenge to Faith. New York S. V. M. 10. Zwemer, S. M. Our Moslem Sisters. Revell. 11. Gairdner, W. H. T. Reproach of Islam. Young People’s Mis- sionary Movement. 12. Rice, W. A. Crusaders of the Twentieth Century. C. M. S. 13. Tisdall, W. St. C. T. Mohammedan Objections to Christianity. S. P. C. K. 14. Burton, R. F. A Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. Putnam. 15. Arnold, T. W. The Preaching of Islam. Scribner’s. 16. Macdonald, D. B. Aspects of Islam. Macmillan. 17. Macdonald, D. B. Religious Life and Attitude in Islam. Uni- versity of Chicago Press. 18. Macdonald, D. B. Muslim Theology. Scribner’s. 19. Smith, R. B. Mohammed and Mohammedanism. Lond., Smith. 38 PREPARATION FOR THE NEAR EAST 20. Lucknow Conference Report. English edition “Lucknow, 1911.” Christian Literature Society for India. American edi- tion “Islam and Missions.” Revell. 21. Zwemer, S. M. Life of Raymond Lull. Funk. 22. Speer, R. E. Christianity and the Nations. Revell. 23. Becker, C. H. Christianity and Islam. Harper’s. 24. Herrick,' G. F. Christian and Mohammedan. Revell. 25. Pears, Sir Edwin. Turkey and Its People. Lond., Methuen & Co. 26. Eliot, Sir C. N. E. Turkey in Europe. Lond., Arnold. 27. Ramsay, W. M. Impressions of Turkey. Hodder & Stoughton. 28. Shedd, W. A. Islam and the Oriental Churches. Presby. Bd. 29. Richter, J. History of Missions in the Near East. Revell. 30. Barton, J. L. Daybreak in Turkey. The Pilgrim Press. 31. Dwight, H. O. Constantinople. Revell. 32. Dwight, H. O. A Muslim Sir Galahad. Revell. 33. De Bunsen, V. The Soul of a Turk. Lond., Lane. 34. Garnett, L. M. J. Turkish Life in Town and Country. Lond., Newnes. 35. Gibb, E. J. W. History of Ottoman Poetry, Vol. I. Luzac. 36. Speer, R. E. The Foreign Doctor. Revell. 37. Wilson, S. G. Persian Life and Customs. Revell. 38. Wishard, J. G. Twenty Years in Persia. Revell. 39. Tisdall, W. St. C. T. Conversion of Armenia to Christianity. Lond., R. T. S. 40. Malcolm, N. Five Years in a Persian Town. Dutton. 41. Jessup, H. H. Fifty-three Years in Syria. Revell. 42. Bliss, F. J. Religions of Syria and Palestine. Scribner’s. 43. Jessup, H. H. Women of the Arabs. Dodd & Mead. 44. Lane, E. W. Modem Egyptians. Ward, Lock & Co. 45. Cromer, E. B. Modem Egypt. Macmillan. 46. Cairo Conference Report. American edition, “The Mohamme- dan World of To-day.” Revell. 47. Watson, C. R. In the Valley of the Nile. Revell. 48. The Mohammedan Encyclopedia being published at Leyden in English, French, and German editions. 49. Jewish Encyclopedia. Funk & Wagnall’s. 50. Hughes, T. P. Dictionary of Islam. Scribner’s. 51. The Moslem World. A Quarterly. Christian Literature So- ciety for India. 39 . V '■»*? n/H*/ .'Vrv^fc ) ... ;J' ■f'5 "C* . ' * ' j'iRl'. < ' '^'.'fr. ;^Kl .OSk . .;';r '•'■ ihr*- ■ . . ■• , . .. . . 'iDj/trr^iin Vo ‘lU- i .Ij^. " Tr’t\>-/’A' V*'^* .'■.'o I 'vi L<' »; ./'• .ci» J'Sr^iH .rr«bjj?r^ '> tV.’^.'* ,’I ■ ' ■ ■ iu:.f AJouVi ..jl v - f*.;:, .fir>.Vv3 X* , -..I-,' ' . • .1 .t, . , . ■- ' '.x,' * . .*.• -y/rLfP ' .wf .V’. ' 'ttr .kjriSV :.. V ‘ f/ /. i .•x.Akiiu'HM."- ,.V .VXS /> * .Si; ..J.rJr:*'' ,v. ;b .uC' i ^ . A. , -V ,bl. ••? raJt.V'X jii ’ • Jfo’oJ? .!»tq . ) •.!; .“■f.^rw.Cl ..H ;;'.oH /. • ' .tdl/wd: Sf, bi'v>. ■ ' ./■?jXtu«0 jt ,M, ,fiirn;;0 -N. '■' '“ ■ ■■' ' ' '■ ' ■'' ' * '■ •■ ‘ .fcony/ir* J .( 0 / , /V.t .ff?v35? .ioto6 .nilU v«ii ii ;.<3 .irdjftA r)if! 1-» iynnvW .H .li ,fitw'»l'.' .tk , ' neiri.M-.jU/. uv):»nj/. .si xi* .il i '* ,rw'‘:iba rtr'Jf-.i'i/v ■' »tV) .:.^1 ', • , , • ...f!.j;v'-!:V. nib. .;: ' altY s.'riq ‘{•>lh ' jil ) .?f, ,>S iti 111 '>ai!e»H'w: ^nh^f ' mlN (:4«.Vu{tJaBrfnM »dT . ,5 ^ ‘ .avwv'ib;) ,s ■--n isO ^rt>^,rf•x^'Jt‘^ l/m! ..yirnf J'rW 'fl ,rttvKjofv{7rt'T dsi>r ;b .CS ). . • 'V-. fij v)!j-jK L'4,; 3* ’ , “t ..'••■'U'j-'jH .0^*. cH ■''■ fiphot^ f j/’f- s . ■ .'•' ; .' '.iiibrtr‘'»'i? ybji j • PUBLICATIONS OF THE BOARD OF MISSIONARY PREPARATION The Second Annual Report (1912) Containing the reports on “Fundamental Qualifications for Missionary Work” and on the “Facilities for Training Missionary Candidates.” Paper, price 25 cents, postpaid. The Third Annual Report (1913) Rich in suggestions concerning the special training which evangelistic, educational, medical, and women missionaries should seek. It also contains a report on the use of the missionary furlough and a list of the institutions which offer special courses for candidates along these lines and suggests valuable courses of reading. Paper, price 25 cents,, postpaid. The Fourth Annual Report (1914) Containing reports on preparation for different fields, such as China, India, Japan, Latin America, the Near East and Pagan Africa. It also in- cludes full reports of the two important Conferences on Preparation of Ordained Missionaries and Administrative Problems. Paper, price 50 cents, postpaid. The Fifth Annual Report (1915) Containing reports of two important Conferences on Preparation of Women for Foreign Service and Preparation of Medical Missionaries, be- sides other reports. Paper, price 25 cents, postpaid. CONFERENCE REPORTS. Report of the Conference on the Preparation of Ordained Missionaries, held December, 1914, in New York. Paper covered, price 10 cents. Report of the Conference on the Preparation of Women for Foreign Service, held December, 1915, in New York. Paper covered, price 10 cents. Report of the Conference on the Preparation of Medical Missionaries, held April, 1916, in New York. Paper covered, price 10 cents. REPRINTS OF SPECIAL REPORTS. How Shall the Missionary Spend His Furlough? Price 5 cents. The Preparation of Ordained Missionaries. Price 10 cents. The Preparation of Educational Missionaries. Price 10 cents. The Preparation of Medical Missionaries. Price 10 cents. The Preparation of Women for Foreign Service. Price 10 cents. The Preparation of Missionaries Appointed to China. Price 10 cents. The Preparation of Missionaries Appointed to India. Price 10 cents. The Preparation of Missionaries Appointed to Japan. Price 10 cents. The Preparation of Missionaries Appointed to Latin America. Price 10 cents. The Preparation of Missionaries Appointed to the Near East. Price 10 cents. The Preparation of Missionaries Appointed to Pagan Africa. Price 10 cents.