Elwood Morris Wherry
Rev. Elwood Morris Wherry (1843–1927) was an American Presbyterian missionary to
Biography
Wherry was born in
For 5 years (1883-1888) Wherry taught Old Testament literature and church history as professor at the theological seminary in Saharanpur. His contributions there included translating textbooks into the vernacular, engaging in debates, and giving lectures. In 1888 Wherry resigned from the Mission Press of which he was in charge, and the family returned to the United States for his family's education, as his six children ranged from five to sixteen years of age at this time. He spent from 1889-1896 as the district secretary of the American Tract Society in Chicago. He wouldn't return to India until 1898, where he would remain until 1923, teaching and debating during his village tours. Wherry suffered from diabetes and rheumatic gout, and so retired, returning from his active missionary service to spend the last 4 years of his life in Cincinnati, Ohio. He died of heart failure on October 5, 1927.
Contributions to Christian-Muslim relations
The theology that Wherry developed at Princeton Theological Seminary was one that stressed Biblical authority.[4]
Wherry's textual focus led him to produce a Roman
Another major contribution that Wherry offered was his production of a commentary of the Qur'an, a four-volume series completed in 1886. Wherry's leadership at the theological seminary in Saharanpur produced pastoral leadership to north Indian churches, whom he exhorted to take part in evangelistic activities. His affinity for "controversy" with Muslims was evident in his tutelage, as his students would often engage in interreligious dialogue in bazaars and village itinerations.
Works
- Zeinab, the Panjabi: A Story Founded on Facts, 1895
- A Comprehensive Commentary on the Qur'an, 1896
- Methods of Mission Work Among Moslems, 1906
- The Moslem World: The Mohammedan World of To-Day, 1907
- The Moslem World: Islam and Christianity in India and the Far East, 1907
- "Islam and Missions", 1911
- The First American Mission to Afghanistan, 1918
- Our Missions in India, 1834–1924
References
- ISBN 978-0-313-26788-8.
- ^ Matthew Ebenezer, "American Presbyterians and Islam in India 1855-1923: A Critical Evaluation of the Contributions of Isidor Loewenthal (1826-1864) & Elwood Morris Wherry (1843-1927)" (Ph.D Dissertation, Westminster Theological Seminary, 1998), 218-224.
- ^ Our Missions in India, 1834-1924, E.M.Wherry
- ^ Alan M. Guenther, "The Image of the Prophet as Found in Missionary Writings of the Late Nineteenth Century," The Muslim World 90 (Spring 2000): 57.
- ^ J.J. Lucas, "Literary Work of the American Presbyterian Mission, North India, Including Bible Translation and Revision, and Circulation of Religious Books and Tracts", Indian Evangelical Review 13 (July 1886): 43-63.