“Let me burn out for God!" exclaimed Henry Martyn when he arrived in Calcutta in April of 1806. Little did he know just how fast the blaze would consume him. Six years later at the age of 31, Jesus took Henry home. Yet, Henry, eager to devote his life to Gospel work to the Muslims in India and Shiraz, and with an incredible determination and unselfish dedication, compressed a lifetime of service into those six years.
Born February 18, 1781 in Cornwall, England, Martyn began studying law at Cambridge. However, together with the prayers of His sister Sally, Pastor Charles Simeon of Holy Trinity Church stirred Martyn's interest in the Far East with stories of William Carey's work who had gone to India in 1792. Within ten years, Carey established a strong gospel witness in the Bengal region. Martyn was also deeply moved by reading the journals of men like David Brainerd, who labored passionately among the Native Americans.
Perhaps more interested in monetary profits, than the eternal destiny of people, the British East India Company did not want their missionaries upsetting the population and trade. Charles Simeon, however, quietly working with Charles Grant on the East India Company board had evangelical men appointed as chaplains to the East India Company. Henry Martyn became one of these young men who Pastor Simeon sent to India as East India Company chaplains. July 10, 1805, Henry Martyn left for India, leaving behind a young lady whom he dearly loved, but who refused to leave the shores of England.
Upon arriving in India, Henry spent five months in Serampore, waiting for his assignment from the East India Company. He lived with the Rev. David Brown and his family, another protégé of Pastor Simeon’s. A chaplain of Fort William in ...
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... about Jesus. Even when his life was threatened and his journeys difficult, Henry pressed on so that the Muslims might hear the truth of Jesus and the Gospel. It can be easy for us to make excuses why we cannot go, but Jesus says, “Go, go!
Lastly, Henry Martyn recognized that a missionaries work will die with him unless the people have the eternal Word of God. He spent many hours with his Greek Testament and Hebrew Bible not only gleaning its treasures for himself, but translating it into the language of the natives. It is this lasting legacy, that perhaps was his greatest among the people. Though Language learning is tough and labor-some, we ought not to set them aside. If God calls you to a country where they do not have the Word of God in their own language, give all diligence to accomplish that end. In so doing, you are giving them God, the greatest gift of all.
All in all, this short selection of Usama’s writings does much to further the understanding of the effects on the crusades on many Muslims during this period, though since this was written by an affluent elite it does not describe much of the general populous’ experience. It also provides a good overview of the interactions between Muslims themselves. This was a time fraught with danger and division but Usama’s work shows that a common thread kept many together and preserved a civilization that still exists to this very day.
Henry is somewhat naïve, he dreams of glory, but doesn't think much of the duty that follows. Rather than a sense of patriotism, it is clear to the reader that Henry goals seem a little different, he wants praise and adulation. "On the way to Washington, the regiment was fed and caressed for station after station until the youth beloved
preached against abuses in the church and attempted to shift the focus of religious faith
Pope Urban II naturally had a religious control over his people and when he gave his speech at the Council of Clermont in November 1905, he constantly referred to it as the will of God. His speech reminded them that the Crusades were their “concerns as well as God’s” . Throughout his speech, the Pope is constantly trying to align the need for men to fight with t...
Reverend Josiah Strong's Our Country: Its Possible Future and Its Present Crisis inspired missionaries to travel to foreign nations.
Since this paper is my reflection, I will be honest by stating that I am nineteen years old, white, a male, and have been raised in a Catholic family just outside of Louisville, Kentucky. Now why is this important? This is important because the only viewpoint of the crusades that I have studied, prior to my experience with Maalouf, has been from the Christian point of view. Until now, I have yet to place myself in the shoes of those on the opposite end of the sword, shields, and Jihad. History is a touchy subject for me because I have come to learn there is always another side of the story to learn from. This fact leads to the first main thesis of Maalouf’s adventure.
In the bible we see that one of the first well-known missionaries was the Apostle Paul. Even though we see that Paul had background work in taking care of or killing those who did not share the same mind set as he did, he did however experience a life changing moment where he was able see the importance of acceptance and bringing Christianity into ones own identity. The work of the Apostle Paul was given by God to serve all people and share with them God’s grace and message through Jesus Christ. 3 This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for[a] Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— 2 for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you,.” Paul traveled to many places and was known for sharing the...
The year was 1095; Pope Urban II was caught in a war with Germany, and he had multiple conflicts in France as well as amongst his countrymen. In the midst of all this chaos, the Pope still wanted to recapture Jerusalem from the Muslims who occupied the city. So he decided to start a pilgrimage to the holy land in order to regain it back. This pilgrimage was called The First Crusade. The Pope led a rally at Claremont, a town in France in 1095, to gain the support of the christian community. In his speech he said, “Arm for the rescue of Jerusalem under your captain Christ. Wear his cross as your badge. If you are killed your sins will be pardoned." He made men feel obligated to fight for this cause as if Christ himself was being defiled. These pilgrims were also given benefits such as exemption from taxes and their protection by the church. The trip to the Holy land proved to be difficult, for the Crusaders could not use the Mediterranean Sea because it was controlled by the Muslims. Instead they had to cross the land in scorching heat and also deep snow in order to reach their destination. They soon ran out of fresh water and had to resort to drinking blood and their own urine in order to survive. They suffered from heat stroke and dysentery caused by drinking the di...
Moreland, J.P., and Wilkins, Michael, ed. Jesus Under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents the Historical Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995.
The book consists of three parts. The first part has five chapters of which focuses on explaining what the key questions are and why we find them difficult to answer. The second part has nine chapters explaining in detail what N.T. Wright considers Jesus’ public career and the approach he had in first century Palestine. The third part of the book, the last chapter, challenges readers to wrestle with the questions of Jesus’ life and ministry.
In order for the crusades to begin, the Christians needed to gather an army to travel and fight the forces of Muslims. With all the power being held by monarchies at this time, the church needed to be cleaver in order to gain troops to put their lives on the line. To gain the support of these warriors and dedication of men, Pope Urban II (1088-1099) challenged those morals of men by telling them to grab their weapons and join the holy war to recover the land of Jerusalem. It was not the challenge that convinced men to take part in this war. The promise of “immediate remission of sins” attracted the men to stand up for their religion and beliefs while at the same time, promising them a trip to heaven when life comes to an end. With this statement, men instantly prepared for battle which in a very short period of time gave the church power which has been held by the monarchies. Men of rich and poor prepared for battle, some wearing ...
Riley-Smith, Jonathan. The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading. The United States of America: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1986.
The Sovereignty and Goodness of God is a primary source document written in the 17th century, by a well-respected, Puritan woman. This book, written in cahoots with Cotton and Increase Mather, puritan ministers, tells the story of her capture by Indians during King Phillip’s War (1675-1676). For three months, Mary Rowlandson, daughter of a rich landowner, mother of three children, wife of a minister, and a pillar of her community lived among “savage” Indians. This document is important for several reasons. First, it gives us insight into the attitudes, extremes, personalities and “norms” of the Puritan people we learn about in terms of their beliefs, and John Calvin’s “house on a hill”. Beyond that, despite the inevitable exaggerations, this book gives us insight into Indian communities, and how they were run and operated during this time.
Asbridge, T. (2010). Crusades: The War for The Holy Land UK. Simon and Schuster UK Ltd.