Description
By (author) Shattuck, Jr., Gardiner H.
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Christian Homeland focuses on the involvement of clergy and prominent laity of the Episcopal Church in Middle Eastern affairs, both religious and political, between the Greek War of Independence (1821-1829) and the Second Arab-Israeli War (1956-1957), with a brief epilogue covering additional events up to the present day. As the birthplace of the Christian faith, the Middle East had always been an area of fascination to church people in the West, and with the expansion of American diplomatic and commercial interests into the Mediterranean in the early nineteenth century, Episcopalians and other American Protestants felt called to similarly export their religious values into the region. Beginning in the 1830s, Episcopalians established mission posts in Athens and Constantinople (Istanbul), from which they sought to convert Muslims and Jews to Christianity. Having failed to achieve any appreciable evangelistic success with non-Christians, they soon turned their attention to reforming the ancient churches of the East instead. Later assisted by the Church of England”s missionary bishopric in Jerusalem, a small, but influential corps of Episcopalians dedicated themselves to keeping church members informed about the Middle East, particularly the status of the region”s Christian population, well into the twentieth century. This book analyses how the theological ideas held by Episcopal church leaders not only guided missionary and religious activities, but also influenced their denomination”s response to major social and political questions of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries issues such as immigration into the United States, genocide, wartime refugee relief, anti-Semitism, Zionism, and the Palestinian Nakba.
Table of contents:
PrefaceAbbreviationsChronology (1820-1958)Introduction Chapter 1: Pure and Undefiled Religion: Horatio Southgate and the Mission in ConstantinopleChapter 2: Alive in Many a Dark Place: Saving the Christians of the EastChapter 3: Afflicted Peoples: Genocide, Humanitarian Relief, and Ministry to the Foreign-BornChapter 4: Remaking a Nation: Episcopalians and the Post-Ottoman Middle EastChapter 5: Palestine Problem: Charles Bridgeman and the Anglican Campaign against ZionismChapter 6: Emotional Typhoon: War and Crisis in the Holy LandChapter 7: Extinction in the Land of Its Birth: Israeli Nationhood and the Future of Middle EasternChristianityEpilogueBibliography
Review quote:
In Christian Homeland, Shattuck fills a gaping hole in historical studies of American missions in the Middle East, which until now have focused primarily on Egypt, Syria/Lebanon, and Iran and have given little attention to Episcopalian activities. Anchored in American religious history, this meticulous research draws on untapped American and British archival materials. The book unearths new information about Episcopalian missionary encounters with the Christians of Anatolia, Persia, and Mesopotamia, about Episcopalian support for refugees from these communities in the early-twentieth-century United States, and about later Episcopalian engagements with Palestine.” -Deanna Ferree Womack, Associate Professor of History of Religions and Interfaith Studies, Candler School of Theology, Emory University
Review quote:
Gardiner Shattuck, a well-respected historian of the Episcopal Church, here unravels the neglected story of the role of Episcopalians in the Middle East-first as missionaries, later as political advocates who sought to influence American policy in that region”s always-convoluted affairs. He is particularly effective in highlighting the anti-Jewish stance of many church members as Israel attained nationhood following World War II.” -Peter W. Williams, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Comparative Religion and American Studies, Miami University
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