by Ron Stansell

See this item in the bookstore...

review by C. Wess Daniels

The study of Christian missions has been on the rise over the last few decades. Leslie Newbigin and David Bosch are two of the better known missiologists who have helped put this field of study on the map and make it reputable in the eyes of the not just the academy, but the church. A question we all face now is: How can the church learn to be missional in its very orientation?

Apart from some dissertations, pamphlets, and academic journal articles, Quakers are still scrambling to answer this question. And Quakers have written very little that takes into account what culture change means for our tradition. Missionaries like Everett Cattell and Anna Nixon (who worked with the Cattells) have written some of the only missiological texts available to Friends. Ron Stansell’s new work, Missions by the Spirit, helps fill in this unfortunate gap and offers insights into these important questions.

Missions by the Spirit covers the life of four Quaker missionaries: Arthur Chilson, Esther Smith, Everett Cattell, and Jack Willcuts. These are all people who play important roles in the ongoing narrative of Quakerism around the globe. These missionaries are known for helping start and extend missions in countries like Africa, Bolivia, Guatemala, and India. They were leaders whose accomplishments include:

• Creation of wholistic ministries that emphasized evangelistic as well as development work
• Cultivation of ecumenical relationships
• Establishment of schools
• Formation of independent churches and yearly meetings
• Commitment to the equality of men and women
• Practice of indigenous principles.

What I find particularly useful about the book is the theology that Stansell extrapolates from the stories. In his concluding chapter Stansell sketches what he sees as “Timeless Principles and Practices.” While his list is certainly not exhaustive, he shows that “principles” cannot be isolated from the stories. Stansell’s summary of the lives of the people who lived out these principles is helpful for anyone considering what it looks like to be a Quaker missionary, no matter what soil he or she stands on.

For Stansell, there is such a thing as a Quaker missionary. The Quaker tradition has particular language and practices that give it a unique edge when interacting with different cultures. I hope this is only the beginning of a growing (Quaker) awareness around what the Western church can learn from missiology.