An insightful analysis of the beginnings of evangelical Protestantism in what is today Uttar Pradesh state in north India.
-- Reading Religion
With adept interpretation of the archival material and engaging writing style, Jones reconstructs the history of a Christian community in India and thus enriches the field of world Christianity.
-- Review and Expositor
I am recommending this book to readers for the following reasons: firstly, because I think it will enable readers to see and appreciate yet another shade in the already varied colours of Indian Christianity; secondly, because this book is a product of careful research into 19th and early 20th century primary sources which include notes, autobiographies, diaries, gazettes, reports, letters, editorials and a large number of relevant secondary sources; and thirdly, because it highlights the reality of the organic manner in which aspects of the past continue among converts.
-- Transformation: An International Journal of Holistic Mission Studies
Missionary Christianity and Local Religion is a fascinating read. It uses history, culture, and ethnography to paint a new portrait of north Indian evangelical Christianity from the perspectives of both Indian Christians and foreign missionaries. It not only deepens our understanding of nineteenth-century Indian Christianity but also sheds new light on the ways in which India’s religious milieu shaped that Christianity. For these reasons, Missionary Christianity and Local Religion is destined to become the standard work on the topic in the field of mission studies.
-- Nidan: International Journal for Indian Studies
In his captivating study, Arun Jones describes continuities between pre-existing religious movements of North India and the Christianity brought by Methodist and Presbyterian missionaries.
-- Studies in World Christianity
As a student and advocate of Christian indigeneity, I find this scholarly yet readable book a delight to recommend to students as well as practitioners including scholars of religion, historians, theologians, missiologists, Christian educators, pastors, and church leaders.
-- Missiology
Jones deserves our appreciation for his systematic and coherent presentation of the history of evangelical Christianity in nineteenth century north India against the background of bhakti movements…a groundbreaking contribution in the study of world Christianity.
-- Church History
Although this is a historical work, Jones makes some insightful comparisons between the missionary approaches of the period and today - such as that the colonial-era missionaries saw Indians as in need of help and not as their enemies. The book will have wide appeal to church historians, missiologists and researchers in world Christianity.
-- Journal of Ecclesiastical History
What was lacking was a study on North India and that gap is filled by Jones. The author capitalises on rich accounts left by the missionaries themselves. This book will be of interest to those exploring the social history of Christianity in India, the history of Christian Missiology and Hindu-Christian Studies.
-- Indian Historical Review
…Jones’s book provides a much-needed contribution to the study of Hindi-speaking Christians and it will prove helpful for scholars and students alike.
-- Religious Studies Review
