SQJ Taipei

Picked these up today… bought the first 2 for 50¢ each and the second pair are library books.

A Foreign Devil in China - This caught my eye because of the title… I try to pick up any books about Taiwan and China that I can afford. This book is the story of Dr. L. Nelson Bell (An American surgeon in China). I’ve not ever heard of this book or this man, but it looks like it will be interesting.

Daily Life in Bible Times - I’m always impressed by the speakers who have the ability to relate the historical, geographical, political and cultural setting of the Bible as they teach. Hopefully this will help me in that area.

Introducing World Missions - Scott Moreau is one of the editors of this introduction. I’ve never met him, but like him. He teaches missions and intercultural studies at Wheaton and he graciously allowed me to use the format of his sylabii and reading reports when I was struggling to come up with those materials myself when we were missionaries on campus at OCC in 2004.

Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours? - I’ve read enough of this classic that I could probably add it to my list of most influential church planting resources right now. But… I’ll wait until I finish it first I guess. This was first published in 1912 and any book still in publication after 94 years is probably worth reading for that reason alone. Here’s a bit about the book and also a quote from chapter 1.

Within a decade, St. Paul established the Church in the four provinces of Galatia, Macedonia, Achaia and Asia. This informative study focuses on the social background to the Apostle’s missionary journeys with comparisons between his methods and those of the modern day.

The book divides into five parts; the first examines the social and religious world which the Apostle inhabited in AD 50; the second addresses how St. Paul presented the Christian Gospel and his financial policy of self-support for the new churches. Here, contrasts are made between St. Paul’s financial and missionary principles, which differ alarmingly from those of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The rapidity of the Apostle’s appointment of responsible church leaders is sharply contrasted with the slowness of the present in the third part. Part four deals with St. Paul’s procedures for authority in churches, where those of the present day fail to address the conscience of the local church. Conclusions are provided in part five and the clarity and vigour of Allen’s style ensures the reader’s interest is maintained to the end.

“Many missionaries in later days have received a larger number of converts than St. Paul; [...] but none have so established churches. We have long forgotten that such things could be.”