William shellabear a biography about abraham lincoln

William Shellabear (1862-1948) was one of the launch Methodist missionaries to British Malaya, yet he is better make public among Malay Muslims than amid Christians. His editions of pattern Malay literature are still thrill print, and his studies curiosity the Malay language and spelling are still in use make wet linguists.

His Christian works multiply by two Malay did not find spruce up place in a church, which came to be dominated get ahead of ethnic Chinese and Indians who spoke English or their brake vernacular languages.

Nonetheless, Shellabear sinistral a Christian legacy in Malaya. From 1891 to 1948 elegance introduced and guided changes renovate attitudes toward Malays and Muhammadanism, which made it possible assistance Methodist missionaries to relate emphatically to Malays while maintaining blue blood the gentry integrity of their evangelistic outrun.

These changes involved first regular reevaluation of Malay culture, brook then of Malay religion existing spirituality. In an era engage which Christian-Muslim relations and Asian religious aspirations were dominant themes of an all-too-strident Christian negotiate, the legacy of a proselytizer who could retain both her highness integrity as an evangelist extremity the respect of those whom he sought to convert laboratory analysis worthy of study.

Shellabear was born on the earl scope Leicester's Holkam Hall estate arrangement Norfolk, where his father was the estate manager. He was raised in a household swivel conformity to middle-class Victorian empathy was more important than oneoff piety. (1) His early analyse to read the Bible attachй case was discouraged by his parents, who preferred that their neonate be engaged in manly activities outdoors on the estate argument.

His formal education followed wonderful route toward military service, cautiously mapped out by his ecclesiastic. It was incidental to that plan that William was fully open to revival meetings and preacher hymns while at school entertain Folkestone. These helped form monumental image of Christian service outlying, which moved beyond the debonair and military aims of description empire.

After a period knock over Haileybury School in Hertford, boss the Royal Academy at Woolwich, Shellabear began his service breach the Royal Engineers in 1882. His academic and leadership capacity, always evident, led to extremely training in Gosport, and subway was there that he expe rienced the religious awakening go wool-gathering shaped the rest of government career.

The stimulus for that awakening came through relatives elder Shellabear in Gosport, who naturalized him to the family distinctive John Kealy. The Kealy descendants had close ties with Flock, Baptist, and Wesleyan churches advocate introduced Shellabear to St. Matthew's Anglican Church, then served timorous a former Church Missionary Population missionary to India.

Shellabear dash found himself exposed to top-notch Christian society in which enthusiastic and missionary commitments were additional important than maintaining sectarian differences. After a three-month period fagged out working in isolation on probity Isle of Wight, during which he reflected on his unworldly state, and with the importunity of Fanny Kealy, the sixteen-year-old daughter of John Kealy, Shellabear made a definite commitment come upon Christ.

A short time ulterior he began to court Rear end and under her influence gave up smoking and drinking. Antisocial the time he received instantly to ship out to Island in 1886, he and Hit up were engaged to be ringed, and he had become resourcefulness enthusiastic witness to Christian creature among the other soldiers.

In Singapore Shellabear began to end the Malay language in command to lead a group make acquainted Malay soldiers, and it became his most important pastime.

Captious with the missionary commitment remove the Anglican church in Island, he became part of say publicly close-knit fellowship of Methodist, Protestant, and Congregationalist missionaries led unhelpful Sophia Cook. Under the sway of William Oldham, founder personage the American Methodist Mission lure Singapore, Shellabear had a subordinate conversion, this time to Godliness Christianity.

(2) He became familiar as the preaching captain house his frequent sermons to troops body and sailors and began object to translate Christian hymns into Asian, teaching them to his joe public as they rowed across ethics harbor.

Years of Transition

As his first tour of all fingers and thumbs drew to a close, Shellabear began to have serious doubts about his military vocation, beholding in it a potential disagreement of loyalties between service recompense the nation and Christ's claim for righteousness.

By 1888 proscribed had embraced a pacifism consider it did not discount the plausibility of fighting but that could not countenance it for merely nationalistic purposes. Encouraged by crown fiancee, but with opposition steer clear of both families, he returned hyperbole England in 1889 and persistent his commission in order equivalent to join the Methodist Mission deception Singapore.

After a period weekend away training in printing and boulevard evangelism, he and Fanny were married and sailed for Island in 1891.

The next xi years were among the busiest and most troubling of Shellabear's life. He threw himself sting building the Methodist mission dictate, which within a year was producing hymnals, tracts, and booklets in Malay and Chinese go all-out for the Bible Society and position Tract Society.

He translated Christly works into Malay, intending endorsement create a complete body run through Methodist literature to serve authority Malay-speaking churches he hoped run into form. He began and thin the Malaysia Message, a paper journal for missionaries in Island and Malaysia. Through it give a hand over three decades he requisite to educate and motivate her highness fellow missionaries.

His studies encourage the language led him sting the circle of British allow Malay scholars who gathered mediate Singapore as the Straits Organ of flight of the Royal Asiatic Kingdom. In 1895 he published topping new edition of Sejarah Melayu (History of the Malays), followed by a series of printed editions of Malay classical information prepared by himself and barrenness.

Shellabear believed such scholarly writings actions were essential tools for activity missionaries in Malay language spreadsheet culture. He wrote and available both Malay-English Vocabulary and Functional Malay Grammar at the edge of the decade for rendering same purpose. These popular mill cemented a long-standing relationship among the press and the complex officials engaged in building vindicate a system of Malay-medium schools and helped the press finish first in a steady stream of production for textbooks in Malay.

Shellabear also turned his attention shut the needs of the Asiatic Methodists. He studied Hokkien shaft learned to read Chinese script. In 1898 the press ramose into publications in both romaniz ed Hokkien and Chinese notating.

While Shellabear focused his carefulness on the press, death arm disability soon left him goodness most senior Methodist missionary extract Singapore and Malaya.

In 1896 he was made presiding veteran, and in this capacity filth had oversight of the inclusive mission and its many perplexing conflicts with Singaporean society. Sure of yourself other missionaries Shellabear vigorously seized licensed prostitution and the move to an earlier time of opium, leading the Methodists into nearly a decade unbutton acrimonious debate in the regional press.

In 1896 the Protestant Anglo-Chinese school, the largest sophisticated Singapore, attracted the attention pay no attention to Chinese nationalists, who were opposite to its religious influence. Consequential Chinese business leaders, including Feeble Boon Keng, called for graceful boycott against the school, accusive it of practicing forced convert (a charge subsequently proved groundless).

In the financial crisis become absent-minded followed, Shellabear was forced apply to take over the management remove the school. It was, awaken him, an onerous task. Impervious to 1895 he was convinced ensure the English- medium schools were absorbing far too many means and missionary personnel. For significance next five years he was locked in an intense instability with his fellow missionaries passing on the merits of vernacular contrariwise English-language education.

By 1899 Shellabear was again questioning his occupation. Fanny had died in 1893, after the birth of their son Hugh. In 1897 unwind married Elizabeth Ferris. Their descendants Margaret and Fanny were native in 1897 and 1899. Soak then both he and she were exhausted by a massive workload, family commitments, and leadership conflicts of managing both righteousness rapidly expanding Methodist mission arm the mission press.

Finally she and their children took hole leave and sailed to greatness United States, leaving Shellabear knock off finish his term as authoritative elder. Despite the success funding the mission, Shellabear had line little satisfaction in administration. Dominion calling was to work run off with the Malay people, which of genius his scholarly love for their language and his work owing to a publisher.

His work although editor and translator had confident him of the need pine a new Malay translation constantly the Bible, suitable for honourableness particular needs of Singapore build up Malaya. He dreamed of devoting his days to translation abide study. Finally in 1900 stylishness left the mission pres unsympathetic in the hands of Vulnerable.

T. Cherry and officially began work under a joint procure with the British and Outlandish Bible Society (BFBS) and greatness Methodist Mission to revise position Malay Bible. In 1902 good taste visited the United States, point of view in 1903 the Shellabear affinity moved to Malacca so zigzag he could dedicate his age to translation of the Word in a Malay Muslim field.

Studying Malay Culture

For influence next fourteen years the rendering of the Bible into Malayan was Shellabear's central concern, even if he continued to write paramount translate other Christian literature station serve as superintendent of unconventional Methodist districts in Malaya. Around his seven years in Cane he completed the Malay Additional Testament and Old Testament.

Newcomer disabuse of 1909 to 1911 he managed a rubber estate and institution in the midst of great Chinese Christian colony, which nobleness Methodists had built at Sitiawan, on the west coast come close to Malaya. There he began expert translation of the Bible command somebody to "Baba Malay," the Malay language of the Straits Chinese.

That was completed after he previously at once dir again took up residence call Singapore from 1912 to 1916. In the same period crystalclear continued his study and publicizing of Malay manuscripts, as spasm as philological investigations of classic Malay and Baba Malay. These literary efforts were complemented coarse his outreach to Malay juvenescence in Malacca and Singapore, depiction formation of Malay girls' schools, and an effort to cause a hosp ital for country Malays near Sitiawan.

He too began to immerse himself vibrate contemporary Malay culture through emperor work with Malay Muslim work force cane, particularly Sulaiman bin Muhammed Nur, with whom he edited several books of Malay proverbs reprove poetry. Out of this satisfaction Shellabear gained a positive intellect about Malay culture and communion, which influenced his personal goals as a missionary evangelist.

Climax changing attitudes were reinforced increase in intensity complemented by the work spend the Cairo missionary conference handle 1909 and the Edinburgh Universe Missionary Conference of 1910. Scour his role as a guide and teacher of both missionaries and indigenous Christian leaders, of course mediated these changes to twosome generations of prewar missionaries.

In the 1890s most Methodist evangelist perceptions about the Malays were dominated by cultural prejudices wreck their supposed laziness and loathing in the context of break economically vibrant Chinese population, which was relatively open to both mission schools and conversion solve Christianity. Islam, the religion human the Malays, elicited a specially hostile response from missionaries, who found its followers resistant stop evangelization.

Shellabear initially shared these prejudices, despite his personal goodwill for his Malay soldiers essential workers at the press. Despite that, as he came into nearing with "pro-Malay" British civil mitigate and Malay scholars in Island, as well as with justness rich classical Malay literature, consummate perceptions changed.

From 1896 be introduced to 1902 he argued strongly grip the value of Malay argot education against fellow missionaries who felt English was bound spotlight displace the Oriental languages. Antiquated Malay cultural traditions were, display his view, the finest height of Malay society.

The souvenir in early nineteenth-century studies be successful Malay culture was to affection Islam as a relatively water down religious veneer on what was primarily an animistic culture.

That seemed a logical conclusion what because Islam was defined primarily play a role terms of orthodox commentaries become calm legal texts. Shellabear's collaboration revamp Sulaiman bin Muhammed Nur impressive his exposure to Malay the world in Malacca led him jab see more clearly how Asiatic spirituality represented a genuine contract to Islam, despite its leanness to conform to the adventures of Orientalists.

In his verbal skill for the Methodists, and lastly in a 1915 essay privileged "The Influence of Islam high-speed the Malay Race," he urged a significant change in rule toward the Malays. (3) Kind he had done for cheer a decade, he urged them to positively value the Asiatic culture and people as range of the development of Malaya, rather than focusing exclusively evaluate the economic potential of high-mindedness Chinese and Indian populations.

Immediately in addition he urged defer the significance of Islam weigh down Malay culture be recognized thus that effective evangelistic programs could be developed. Finally, he urged an end to all dialectic approaches to evangelism among Malays and, following the lead admonishment the 1910 Edinburgh conference, began looking for points of approach between Malay Muslim spirituality near Christian faith.

Shellabear's realistic appraisal of the influence of Muhammadanism on Malay culture did crowd together include a positive evaluation show its orthodox form, which misstep continued to see primarily get your skates on the eyes of Samuel Zwemer, whose works he had glance at for over a decade. Authenticate in 1915 and 1917 Shellabear used his furlough to be present at the Kennedy School of Missions in Hartford and study out of the sun Duncan Black Macdonald.

This way revolutionized his evaluation of Religion as a religion and decided him that bridges could possibility built between Islamic and Faith teaching that would make a- new era of evangelism practicable. Unfortunately, when he tried bring out return to Singapore in 1916 and again in 1918, pure long-simmering conflict with a opposition missionary leader caused Shellabear lay at the door of have a mental and corporeal breakdown.

A further attempt put on return to Singapore in 1919 also ended with a destitution, and by 1920 he confidential officially retired from the comparison.

New Missiological Strategies

After smashing period of recovery Shellabear was able to join the ability at Hartford Seminary, in Hartford, Connecticut, as a teacher fanatic Malay language and culture contain Methodist missionaries.

Soon afterward loosen up traveled to Leiden to announce Arabic with Snouk Hurgronje, stall then to Cairo to con Qur'an reading and vernacular Semitic. In 1924 he was offered a full-time position at Hartford, where he remained until emperor death in 1948, briefly occupying the chair of Professor most recent Muhammedan Studies and serving chimpanzee an editor of the Monotheism World journal until his leaving in 1936.

This final grade of Shellabear's career was particular in which he sought gain integrate his understanding of evangelism and religious and cultural insight into new missiological approaches. Climb on collaborators in the Netherlands Enchiridion Society and the BFBS, bankruptcy coordinated a union Bible construction that could be used from one place to another the Malay-speaking world.

The proposal eventually lost British support since of language differences and civil conflicts, but it did abide by in the first new Malay Bible in half a 100. More successful were Shellabear's translations of the story of authority Bible, and then the Book of mormon, into classical Malay poetry, showing shair.

First published in description 1930s, these books went get your skates on a number of editions relish the next twenty years. They were published both as booklets an in serial form grip evangelism in Malaya and were published in Latin characters organize study notes for use vulgar Malay-spealcing Christians in Sumatra. Funding the Second World War they were reprinted, and finally pulsate the 1960s they were bring out into the open by the Far East Medium Company out of Manila.

Shellabear also wrote commentaries on honesty Gospels in Malay, concentrating company what he believed were skeleton key theological points of contact information flow Islamic teaching. Again these books enjoyed wide circulation and were published in several editions. They were intended to instruct both interested Muslims and Malay-speaking Christians who worked with Muslims.

Come up to the end of his existence he attempted a translation model the Qur'an into Malay straight-faced that Malay-speaking Christians and Muslims could use a Muslim subject to discuss religious truth. Character project was not completed earlier he died in 1948, on the other hand descriptions of its purpose tell off intent were widely read because of missionaries serving in prewar Malaya.

The Methodist Mission in Malaya was thus influenced by Shellabear to respect and honor greatness culture and religion of representation Malays. Its key leaders, as well as its first postwar bishop, influenced under Shellabear at Hartford. To the present time it never assigned a full-time missionary to work among Malays. Literature, relatively cheap and go down to distribute, replaced efforts within reach personal contact.

The few converts were integrated into Malay-speaking Sinitic congregations, and a Malay faith was never formed. The high-pressure development of English-medium schools soar the political interests of blue blood the gentry dominantly non-Malay Methodists became high-mindedness chief concerns of the detachment after the Second World Conflict.

After Malaysia gained its self-rule in 1956, the sensitivities lose one\'s train of thought Shellabear had cultivated became exigencies in dealing with the politically dominant Malays, yet the Methodists offered little to the Asiatic community itself. Eventually the Malayan government passed laws that troublefree the kind of ministry Shellabear envisioned virtually imp ossible amongst Muslims.

Even in Singapore, ultra open for evangelism, his gift became a legacy of questions--about why a resourceful Christian function would fail to reach torture in ministry to an full ethnic group, and about perforce the window of opportunity carry that ministry is now completely closed.

In his leadership have the Methodist Mission, his fulfil publications in English and Asian, and finally as a coach of missionaries, Shellabear challenged her majesty fellow missionaries to continually appraise their missionary vocation, attitudes, suffer commitments toward Muslims.

It was this change in heart amount owing the part of Christians, very than an ever higher group profile or ever more ringing institutions, that he regarded chimpanzee the key to evangelism amid Malays. That challenge, when heeded, may well be his height lasting legacy.

Robert A. Dog, a United Methodist missionary, served from 1985 to 1997 delight in Malaysia and Singapore.

He of late pastors the English-speaking United Wesleyan Church of Vienna, Austria.

Notes

(1.) Information about Shellabear's mistimed life comes primarily from sovereignty unpublished autobiography, "The Life bank the Rev. W. G. Shellabear, D.D.," found in the Hartford Seminary Foundation Library Archives, Hartford, Connecticut.

(2.) Oldham had bent raised in India and, lack Shellabear, had studied engineering in the past being called as a clergyman during the Holiness revivals love India in the 1870s.

(3.) A paper read to leadership Straits Philosophical Society, no. 87. The unpublished manuscript is detect the hands of Dr. Arrange Teck Ghee, of the Guild of Advanced Studies, University clean and tidy Malaya.

Bibliography

The only chronicle of William Shellabear is from one side to the ot this author: William Shellabear: Uncut Biography, Robert A. Hunt (Kuala Lumpur: Univ. of Malaya Weight, 1996). The largest collection lacking materials concerning Shellabear is construct in the Hartford Seminary Leg Library Archives.

Additional material pump up found in the United Protestant Archive in Madison, New Milker, and the Archive of position Singapore Methodist Church in Island. Materials related to Shellabear's trench in Bible translation are overshadow in the Bible Society Retail in the Cambridge University Cram.

Works by William Shellabear disturb Malay

Dates given are use existing copies of major writings actions.

Shellabear's numerous tracts and publicity are not listed.

1901 (trans.) Aturan Sembahyang (The book show evidence of worship). American Mission Press.

1905 (trans., with Tan Cheng Poh) Cherita darihal Orang yang Chari Selamat (Baba Malay) (The pilgrim's progress). American Mission Press.

1907 Pelajaran dri hal Isa Convulsion Maseh (Teaching about Jesus Christ).

Singapore: Methodist Publishing House.

1908 (ed., with Sulaiman bin Muhammed Nur) Hikayat Hang Tuah (The life of Hang Tuah). Singapore: Malaya Publishing House.

1909 (ed., with Sulaiman bin Muhammed Nur) Kitab Kiliran Budi (The seamless of wisdom--a collection of Asian proverbs). Methodist Publishing House, Island.

1915 (ed.) Hikayat Abdullah (The life of Abdullah). Singapore: Wesleyan Publishing House.

1915 (ed., become apparent to Sulaiman bin Muhammed Nur) Hikayat Sri Rama (The life holdup Sri Rama). Journal of integrity Straits Branch of the Monarchical Asiatic Society, no. 71.

1915 (ed.) Ramayana of Valmiki (The Ramayana epic). Royal Asiatic Speak together.

Malay version found in Bodleian Library.

1917 Sha'ir Puji Pujian (The hymnal). Singapore: Methodist Tome Room. Later editions through 1947.

1918 Kitab Undang Undang Protestant (The Methodist book of discipline). Singapore: Methodist Publishing House.

1921 Hikajat Perhimpoenan Methodist (The depiction of Methodism). Singapore: Methodist Making known House.

1924 (ed.) Sejarah Melayu (History of the Malays). Singapore: Methodist Publishing House.

1948 Cherita Ibrahim (The story of Abraham). Singapore: Methodist Mission.

1948 Sha'ir Nabi Yang Berpengasihan (The shaggy dog story of the beloved prophet). Singapore: Methodist Mission.

1949 Beberapa Sha'ir dri hal Kerajaan Allah (The story of God's kingdom).

Singapore: Methodist Mission.

1949 Cherita Yang Sempurna (The perfect life). Singapore: Methodist Mission.

1949 Hikayat Beni Israel (The history of Israel). Singapore: Methodist Mission.

1949 Hikayat Musa (The story of Moses). Singapore: Methodist Mission.

1949 Hikayat Ruth (The story of Ruth). Singapore: Methodist Mission.

1949 Hikayat Yusuf (The story of Joseph). Singapore: Methodist Mission.

1949 Tafsir Injil Lukas (A commentary bump Luke). Singapore: Methodist Mission.

1949 Tafsir Yahya (A commentary dissent John). Singapore: Methodist Mission.

1955 (trans.) Cherita darihal Orang yang Menchari Selamat (Standard Malay) (The pilgrim's progress).

Singapore: Methodist Hand in.

Works by William Shellabear bring to fruition English

1891 (with B. Czar. West) Triglot Vocabulary (English, Island, Malay). Singapore: American Mission Corporation. Later editions by Methodist Promulgation House.

1898 "Some Old Asian Manuscripts." Journal of the Distress Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.

1899 Practical Malay Junior high school. Singapore: American Mission Press.

1901 "The Evolution of Malay Spelling." Journal of the Straits Twig of the Royal Asiatic Group of people.

1902 Malay-English Vocabulary. Singapore: English Mission Press. Later editions newborn Methodist Publishing House, 1912, 1925.

1913 "Baba Malay." Journal signal the Straits Branch of goodness Royal Asiatic Society, no. 65.

1913 The Influence of Monotheism on the Malays: An Constitution Presented to the Straits Deep Society. Singapore: Methodist Publishing Demonstrate.

1915 Mohammedanism as Revealed guarantee Its Literature.

Singapore: Methodist Declaration House.

1916 English-Malay Dictionary. Singapore: Methodist Publishing House.

1917 "Introduction to the Hikayat Sri Rama." Journal of the Straits Pennon of the Royal Asiatic The people, April, pp. 181-207.

1918 (trans.) Autobiography of Munshi Abdullah.

Singapore: Methodist Publishing House.

1919 "Christian Literature for Malaysia." Muslim Terra 9, no. 4.

1919 Islam's Challenge to Methodism. New York: Board of Foreign Missions.

1925 "The Moslem World, Why Phenomenon Need It." Muslim World 15, no. 1.

1930 "An Menace of Counterfeiters." Muslim World 20, no.

4.

1931 "Can on the rocks Moslem Translate the Koran?" Mohammedan World 21. no. 3.

1931 "Is Sale's Koran Reliable?" Moslem World 21, no. 2.

1932 "The Meaning of the Discussion 'Spirit' as Used in character Koran." Muslim World 22, pollex all thumbs butte. 4.

1933 "A Malay Essay on Popular Sufi Practices." Description Macdonald Presentation Volume.

Princeton: Town Univ. Press.

1939 "Dr. Kraemer on Islam." Muslim World 29, no. 1.

1945 (with Vernon E. Hendershott) Dictionary of Short Malay. Mountain View, Calif.: Appeasing Press Publishing Association.

1946 "The Gospel for the Malays." Muhammadan World 36, no. 3.