Customer Reviews

From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya: A Biographical History of Christian Missions

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a very readable account of the history of missions. The author seemed to recount history without any favoritism, something that I could not easily do (there were a lot of pathetic missionaries in the past.) The book really showed the amazing sacrifice that many missionaries have made in the past to spread the Gospel.

The only major complaint I would have about this book can be found in the title. Irian Jaya no longer bears that name. The area is now known as West Papua. This shows that the book is fairly old and there has been a lot of exciting missionary activity since the writing of the book (1983).

This is a great book on the history of missions. The author starts with the apostle Paul and works her way all into the 1980's. Ruth Tucker writes in a very easy-to-read style. The book recounts many amazing stories about amazing people who desired to bring the gospel to the `ends of the earth'. Most of these men and women were faithful, effective missionaries. But others have been faithful but ineffective. As a missionary in training, I found the book helpful as I analyzed all the different situations and encounters that the missionaries found themselves in. I can learn from their successes and their mistakes. I would recommend this book to anyone (should be everyone) involved in missions.

This book was required for a college class at Moody Bible Institute (www.moody.edu). The author did a great job of caputring some of the interesting missionary characters over the years. No life is glossed over with flowery words or unrealistic statements. The good and bad facts are presented here.

Definitely an interesting read if you like history and missions. Good to read in short spurts as its set up similar to an encyclopedia. You can look up your missionary, read his or her blurb, and then skip around without missing much. I cannot think of a missionary that Ruth Tucker missed. She did a great job researching this book. Many missionaries I had never heard of with awesome stories are recorded here.

Enjoy a well written text book of Christian missions, from the eariliest beginnings to modern history. From the Apostle Paul, to Jim Elliott, each story will help you understand what the mission field is all about. It is so exciting to read about Patrick becoming a missionary to Ireland or Hudson Taylor going to China. It is exciting to read about David Livingston exploring Africa and William Carey in India. The book has exciting sections about Medical Missions, Single Women Missionaries, Twentified Century Martyrs and my favorite Missionary Aviation. Reading this masterpiece, you will learn by about these great men and women of God, how you too, can be an effective missionary. Learn about their trials they had to experience. From the South Seas, the Americas and to the remotest places on earth these missionaries traveled. Some lived long lives and others died for the cause of Christ. Some were even eating by cannibals. You can learn alot from their lives. This is must reading for every Christian in the world!!!

Ruth Tucker clearly tells the stories of many missionaries of the past two centuries. Her summaries are concise, and packed full of useful information to help prospective missionaries avoid mistakes. Am not sure how biased her focus on women is, but the stories are amazing nonetheless. It has been amazing to see what God has done through our brothers and sisters! Remember the persecuted!

Ruth Tucker traces the spread of Christianity from its very beginning to the present time. Rather than a dry, academic approach dealing with dates and concepts, she captures the very heart of mission by exploring the eras of Christian mission by recounting the lives and experiences of the people who defined them. Her book treats the human dimension of the mission endeavor by delving into the lives of missionaries, some well-known, some all but forgotten. In all, Tucker offers an often compelling narrative that adds drama to an otherwise unexciting topic

This is an excellent and engaging book about the history of Christian missions. It is composed of short biographies of missionaries (a few pages each) arranged in topical chapters (about certain areas of the world, or movements). This format makes it easy to pick up the book and read a few pages or chapters anywhere in the book.

The book covers missions from all over the world and from every denomination. It is refreshing to read the biographies because they show both sides of each missionary. Tucker writes about the accomplishments as well as the flaws of everyday missionaries and well-known heros alike.

I read parts of the original edition of this book earlier this year, which prompted me to buy my own copy. However I was disappointed to find some changes in the new edition. I don't have the original edition now, so I can't pinpoint all of the changes. I do know that a chapter I was looking forward to reading (about Bible translation) was gone.

Even so, this is an excellent book and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about the history of missions. It would be a great addition to any church (or personal) library.

This is an excellent book to portray where missions began and where it is going. It is a book that my husband uses in the college classroom and is also a book that we used for devotions in our home for our older children. The long term commitment of missionaries of past eras has spoken loud and clear to us that today's method of "doing missions" has drastically changed, at times for the better and at times not so. All laymen should read this book to see what obstacles those of the past overcame. We have the same God and similar or even greater challenges in missions today but with the promise that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world!

I have read, reread, and taught from this book and it is an inspiring discourse on how God uses ordinary men and women to advance the gospel. I find it very interesting to see the progression of Christianity into the modern world and to imagine our own personal impact on our generation.

It is an easy read that can be read by chronological order, by geographic regions, or by individual missionaries. Every time I pick up the book I am inspired to live a radical life of love in this broken world.

Ruth Tucker makes world missions more interesting than most writers I've read. Some want to glorify missionaries and present them as almost infallible in their devotion, spirituality, and mission practices. But I think most missionaries would rather be presented realistically, as fallible humans who are simply trying their best to spread the Gospel by whatever means possible.

I once tried to team up with a writer to write world missions curricula for schools. This book was one of my sources. But when the co-author realized I was approaching missionaries, not as perfect angelic beings, but as dedicated but fallible Christian saints, she tore into me with the most vicious dressing down I've ever received. I actually respect Christian leaders more when they're willing to admit their weaknesses and imperfections, but I guess there are some who find this unpalatable.

I am not a history reader by choice, but this book makes it easy to track the development of the major missional keys to the advance of the gospel from Jesus to now.