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The Function of Inaugural Editorials in Missionary Periodicals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2013

Felicity Jensz
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Extract

During the nineteenth century, over 300 missionary periodicals were established in Britain, along with hundreds in North America, Europe, and the colonial world, yet little has been written about the rationale behind their establishment. From their beginnings as sources of intelligence, periodicals developed into vehicles of influence by the first decades of the nineteenth century, with missionary organizations also using this reduplicated commodity to deliberately persuade and mold public attitudes. This article examines some thirty inaugural editorials and first volume prefaces to Protestant missionary periodicals, including those from “new series,” to uncover how editors justified their establishment to their potential readership.

Type
Forum
Information
Church History , Volume 82 , Issue 2 , June 2013 , pp. 374 - 380
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Church History 2013 

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References

18 The Missionary Periodicals Database, hosted by Yale University Divinity School Library, lists some 580 different missionary periodicals published in Britain from the eighteenth century until the 1960s, http://divdl.library.yale.edu/missionperiodicals/Default.aspx [accessed July, 2011].

19 Jensz, Felicity, “Origins of Missionary Periodicals: Form and Function of Three Moravian Publications,” Journal of Religious History 36, no. 2 (2012): 234–55CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

20 Maidment, Brian, “Periodicals and Serial Publications, 1780–1830,” in The Cambridge History of the Book in Britain, eds. Suarez, Michael and Turner, Michael (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009)Google Scholar, 505.

21 Barringer, Terry, “From Beyond Alpine Snows to Homes of the East—A Journey through Missionary Periodicals: The Missionary Periodicals Database Project,” International Bulletin of Missionary Research 26, no. 4 (2002), 169CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

22 “Editorial Notice,” American Missionary Register. Embracing the Principal Transactions of the Various Institutions for the Promulgation of Christian Knowledge: with the Proceedings at Large of the United Foreign Missionary Society [AMR] (New York) 1, no. 1 (1820), 13–14; “Prospectus,” General Assembly's Missionary Magazine, or, Evangelical Intelligence (Philadelphia) 1, no. 1, (1805), ix–xvi; “Introductory Remarks,” Foreign Missionary Chronicle [FMC] (Pittsburgh) 1, no. 1 (1833), 1–3, 1; “Dic cur hic? Unser Programm (vom Herausgeber),” Allgemeine Missions-Zeitschrift. Monatshefte für geschichtliche und theoretische Missionskunde [AMZ] (Gütersloh) 1, no. 1 (1874), 1–10; “To our readers,” The Jewish Herald [JH] (London) 1, no. 1 (1846), 1–2.

23 “Salutatory,” Missionary Recorder: A Repository of Intelligence from Eastern Missions, and a Medium of General Information (Foochow) 1, no. 1 (1867), xvi.

24 FMC 1, no. 1 (1833), 1–3.

25 “Preface,” The General Baptist Magazine, Repository, and Missionary Observer (London) New Series [NS] 1, no. 1 (1854), iii.

26 “Editorial Notice,” AMR 1, no.1 (1820), 13–14.

27 “Introduction,” The New-York Missionary Magazine and Repository of Religious Intelligence (New York) 1, no. 1 (1800), 1.

28 “Introductory Remarks,” The Moravian Church Miscellany (Bethlehem, Pa.) 1, no. 1 (1850), 1.

29 “Vorwort zum neuen Jahrgang,” Evangelisches Missions-Magazin [EMM] (Basel) NS 23 (1879): 2–3.

30 AMZ 1, no. 1 (1874), 1–10.

31 “Prospectus,” General Assembly's Missionary Magazine, or, Evangelical Intelligencer for 1805 [GAMM] (Philadelphia) 1 no. 1 (1805), xii.

32 Topham, Johathan, “John Limbird, Thomas Byerley, and the Production of Cheap Periodicals in the 1820s,” Book History 8 (2005): 75–100CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

33 “Introduction,” Southern Baptist Missionary Journal (Richmond) 1, no. 1 (1846), 1.

34 Thomas Balwin, “To the Friends and Patrons of the Massachusetts Baptist Missionary Magazine,” The American Baptist Magazine and Missionary Intelligencer [ABMMI] (Boston) NS 1, no. 1 (1817), 2–3; Thomas Baldwin, Daniel Sharp, and James M. Winchell, “Editors' Address,” ABMMI 1, no. 1 (1817), 4–6.

35 “Vorwort,” EMM NF 1, no. 1 (1857): 3–6, 3; AMZ 1, no.1 (1874), 1–10.

36 Church Missionary Record [CMR] (London) 1, no. 1 (1830): 1.

37 “Editorial Notice,” AMR, 1 no.1 (1820), 13; “Dic cur hic?”AMZ 1, no. 1 (1874): 1–10; “Für die Leser des Missionsblattes,” Evangelisch = Lutherisches Missionsblatt (Leipzig) 1, no. 1 (1854), 16.

38 Original: Wir wollens dir sagen. “Erster Gruß an den Leser,” Calwer Missionsblatt [CM] (Calw) 1, no. 1 (1828), 1.

39 “A few Words from the editor,” The Juvenile Missionary Herald (London) 1, no. 1 (1846): 3–7; “The Editor's Salam, or Introductory Address,” The Juvenile Missionary Magazine 1, no. 1 (1844): 3–6.

40 “Prospectus,” GAMM 1, no. 1 (1805), xi.

41 “Salutatory,” Missionary Recorder: A Repository of Intelligence from Eastern Missions, and a Medium of General Information [MR] (Foochow) 1, no. 1 (1867), xvi.

42 Baldwin “To the Friends and Patrons,” ABMMI 1, no. 1 (1817), 3; “Introduction,” Home and Foreign Missionary Record for the Church of Scotland (Edinburgh) 1, no. 1 (1838), 1; “Vorwort,” Monatsblatt der Norddeutschen Missions = Gesellschaft [MNDtMG] (Bremen) 1, no. 1 (1840), 1–4; “Vorwort,” Missionsnachrichten der Ostindischen Missionsanstalt zu Halle in vierteljährlichen Heften (Halle) 1, no. 1 (1849): iii–vi.

43 “Salutatory,” MR 1, no.1 (1867), xvi.

44 “Introduction,” The Chinese Repository (Canton) 1, no. 1 (1832), 3.

45 AMR 1, no. 1 (1820), 13–14.

46 “An appeal, ” Missionary Register (London) 1, no. 1 (1813), 1.

47 CMR, 1, no. 1 (1830): 1.

48 “Character and objects of the ‘Church Missionary Intelligencer,’” Church Missionary Intelligencer (London) 1, no. 1 (1849), 2.

49 “Erster Gruß an den Leser,” CM 1, no. 1 (1828): 1; Baldwin, Sharp and Winchell, “Editors' Address,” ABMMI 1, no. 1 (1817), 5.

50 “Preface,” The Evangelical Magazine and Missionary Chronicle (London) NS, 1, no. 1 (1823), iii.

51 Josef L. Altholz, “Anonymity and Editorial Responsibility in Religious Journalism,” Victorian Periodicals Review 24, no. 4 (1991), 180.

52 “Preface,” The General Baptist Magazine, Repository, and Missionary Observer (London) NS, 1, no. 1 (1854), iii–iv.

53 “The higher uses of the ‘Record,’” The Home and Foreign Record of the Free Church of Scotland [HFRFCS] (Edinburgh) NS, 1, no. 1 (1856), 1.

54 “Introduction,” Southern Baptist Missionary Journal (Richmond) 1, no. 1 (1846), 1.

55 Baldwin, Sharp and Winchell, “Editors' Address,” ABMMI 1, no. 1 (1817), 4.

56 “Preface,” HFRFCS, 1 (1857), iii; C. Knutz, “Vorwort,” Der evangelisch = kirchliche Missions-Freund, eine Zeitschrift für Missionskunde in und außer dem Vaterlande (Straßburg) 1 no. 1 (1847), 1.

57 “Introductory Remarks,” The Jewish Chronicle (New York) 1, no. 1 (1844), 2.

58 “Editorial” The Baptist Home Mission Monthly (New York) 1, no. 1 (1878), 8.

59 “Vorwort,” MNDtMG 1, no. 1 (1840), 1. German original: “Schon wieder ein neues Missionsblatt!”