The Road to Bau


Book Description

English missionary John Hunt and Tongan missionary Joeli Bulu served in the Fiji islands in the 1840s. Their lives were intertwined as they faced the social issues of island warfare, cannibalism, and the ills brought to the Pacific by traders. Tippett tells the biography of Hunt, then with Kanailagi, tells the autobiography of Joeli Bulu.




The Road to Bau and The Autobiography of Joeli Bulu


Book Description

Alan Tippett’s publications played a significant role in the development of missiology. The volumes in this series augment his distinguished reputation by bringing to light his many unpublished materials and hard-to-locate printed articles. These books—encompassing theology, anthropology, history, area studies, religion, and ethnohistory—broaden the contours of the discipline. English missionary John Hunt and Tongan missionary Joeli Bulu served in the Fiji islands in the 1840s. Their lives were intertwined as they faced the social issues of island warfare, cannibalism, and the ills brought to the Pacific by traders and those involved in the labor trade. In this fascinating two-volume book Alan Tippett first provides the biography of Hunt, then together with Tomasi Kanailagi gives us the thoroughly researched and annotated autobiography of Joeli Bulu. Twenty years as a missionary in Fiji, following pastoral ministry in Australia and graduate degrees in history and anthropology, provide the rich database that made Alan R. Tippett a leading missiologist of the twentieth century. Tippett served as Professor of Anthropology and Oceanic Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary.




Guiding Light


Book Description

Rev. Dr. Alan Tippett was arguably one of the leading missiologists of the twentieth century. Through his prolific pen, poignant observations, and powerful insights he significantly influenced mission research and activity in the period of the 1960s to 1980s. This was particularly facilitated through his research, writing, and teaching at the Institute of Church Growth, Fuller Theological Seminary School of World Mission, and his inaugural editorship of the American Society of Missiology’s journal, Missiology: An International Review. Yet for those who did not know Tippett’s material well, the very specific nature of his research and writing limited the influence of his insights. For example, without already knowing the pertinent content, why would a missionary to Thailand think of reading Tippett’s Solomon Islands Christianity? However, according to Doug Priest, editor of a number of Tippett’s posthumous publications, this volume has “done what even Tippett himself did not do, and that is to capture the key features of his missiology in one volume.” So Guiding Light functions as an in-depth overview of “The Essential Alan Tippett.” I can attest that the nature of Tippett’s material continued to inform and inspire me throughout the eleven years of the research and writing of this study.




Fullness of Time:


Book Description

Alan Tippett’s publications played a significant role in the development of missiology. The volumes in this series augment his distinguished reputation by bringing to light his many unpublished materials and hard-to-locate printed articles. These books—encompassing theology, anthropology, history, area studies, religion, and ethnohistory— broaden the contours of the discipline. Tippett believed his writings on ethnohistory were his most original contribution to the discipline of missiology. The wealth of material in Fullness of Time is his best ethnohistory writing—most of which has never been published. Explore the methods and models of this captivating field of study. Realize how documents, oral tradition, and even artifacts can be used to recreate the cultural situation of a prior time. Learn about the South Pacific, Ethiopia, Hawaii, and Australia, both in and through time.




The Integrating Gospel and The Christian:


Book Description

Alan Tippett’s publications played a significant role in the development of missiology. The volumes in this series augment his distinguished reputation by bringing to light his many unpublished materials and hard-to-locate printed articles. These books—encompassing theology, anthropology, history, area studies, religion, and ethnohistory—broaden the contours of the discipline. This volume contains two manuscripts. The first, The Integrating Gospel, combines a historical ethnolinguistic study of Fijian language, an examination of Fijian culture patterns in interaction with the church, and Tippett’s own firsthand experience as a communicator of the gospel to specific receptors at a specific place and point in time. From this, Tippett is able to extrapolate broader ideas on contextualization and methods of gospel transmission. In The Christian: Fiji 1835–67, Tippett addresses the establishment of the Christian church and the spread of Christianity in Fiji, with special attention to Ratu Cakobau. In this brief but in-depth study, Tippett presents a strong case against the understanding that Fijian conversions to Christianity were primarily political, as he offers evidence of the genuine religious and spiritual experiences behind these conversions.




Slippery Paths in the Darkness:


Book Description

A primary concern amongst missiologists is presenting the gospel in a way that is culturally relevant without adulterating the essential truths of the message. The ability to appropriately contextualize this message is the difference between establishing an indigenous Christianity as opposed to introducing syncretism. In this compendium of presentations and papers, the issue is addressed with regard to the idea of covenant relationship with the Lord. Drawing from interdisciplinary research across continents, Tippett examines the syncretistic religious behaviors eminent at the time of his writing that threatened to fracture this covenant relationship— from eastern personality cults in India to scientology in Australia, from satanism in the United States to animism in Mexico. While his research only spans a set number of years, Tippett provides timeless insights for a global church burdened with the Great Commission call in an increasingly pluralistic world.




Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States


Book Description

From the Founding Fathers through the present, Christianity has exercised powerful influence in the United States—from its role in shaping politics and social institutions to its hand in inspiring art and culture. The Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States outlines the myriad roles Christianity has played and continues to play. This masterful five-volume reference work includes biographies of major figures in the Christian church in the United States, influential religious documents and Supreme Court decisions, and information on theology and theologians, denominations, faith-based organizations, immigration, art—from decorative arts and film to music and literature—evangelism and crusades, the significant role of women, racial issues, civil religion, and more. The first volume opens with introductory essays that provide snapshots of Christianity in the U.S. from pre-colonial times to the present, as well as a statistical profile and a timeline of key dates and events. Entries are organized from A to Z. The final volume closes with essays exploring impressions of Christianity in the United States from other faiths and other parts of the world, as well as a select yet comprehensive bibliography. Appendices help readers locate entries by thematic section and author, and a comprehensive index further aids navigation.




No Continuing City:


Book Description

Alan Tippett’s publications played a significant role in the development of missiology. The volumes in this series augment his distinguished reputation by bringing to light his many unpublished materials and hard-to-locate printed articles. These books—encompassing theology, anthropology, history, area studies, religion, and ethnohistory—broaden the contours of the discipline. As a gift to Edna and the children on the occasion of their golden wedding anniversary, Tippett completed his autobiography, ironically just months prior to his death. Containing personal reflections on his childhood and later mission experiences in the South Pacific, relationship with Donald McGavran and the founding of the School of World Mission, and retirement years in Australia, No Continuing City is the inside story. These are Tippett’s Personal reflections that can be found in no other publication. Twenty years as a missionary in Fiji, following pastoral ministry in Australia and graduate degrees in history and anthropology, provide the rich database that made Alan R. Tippett a leading missiologist of the twentieth century. Tippett served as Professor of Anthropology and Oceanic Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary.




A History of the Pacific Islands


Book Description

A book about the past and present Pacific Islands, wide-ranging in time and space spanning the centuries from the first settlement of the islands until the present day.