Conversion and conflict in Palestine : the missions of the Church Missionary Society and the protestant bishop Samuel Gobat

Doctoral Thesis

On 30 December 1846 Samuel Gobat (1799-1879) arrived in Jerusalem. This was the start of almost thirty-five years in office as bishop of the Protestant bishopric in Jerusalem. Throughout his episcopate Gobat closely cooperated with the missionaries of the Church Missionary Society (CMS), who were on the same wavelength in their missionary activities and objective: the evangelization of Christians from other churches. Gobat and the CMS missionaries had a shared background in the intercontinental Evangelical movement. Evangelicalism strongly influenced their missionary work, expectations and the way they perceived the other churches. Their writings contain many manifestations of their Evangelical principles regarding their work in the mission field and reflect a strong rivalry with the other denominations. Their accounts are interspersed with criticism of the other churches in Palestine. This constant censuring of the other churches and the efforts to make converts among their...Show moreOn 30 December 1846 Samuel Gobat (1799-1879) arrived in Jerusalem. This was the start of almost thirty-five years in office as bishop of the Protestant bishopric in Jerusalem. Throughout his episcopate Gobat closely cooperated with the missionaries of the Church Missionary Society (CMS), who were on the same wavelength in their missionary activities and objective: the evangelization of Christians from other churches. Gobat and the CMS missionaries had a shared background in the intercontinental Evangelical movement. Evangelicalism strongly influenced their missionary work, expectations and the way they perceived the other churches. Their writings contain many manifestations of their Evangelical principles regarding their work in the mission field and reflect a strong rivalry with the other denominations. Their accounts are interspersed with criticism of the other churches in Palestine. This constant censuring of the other churches and the efforts to make converts among their members resulted in conflicts ranging from small wrangles to terrible riots. The missionaries__ Evangelicalism and the rivalry they felt were inextricably bound up with each other. This book concentrates on both the influence of the Evangelical principles on the missionary efforts of Gobat and the CMS missionaries, and the competition they experienced with the other churches.Show less

Church Missionary Society

Evangelicalism