The Creation of Christian Indians in Ministry

Team Members/Contributors

Bonnie Sue Lewis University of Washington Contact Me

About this dissertation fellowship

Many scholars have contributed to our current understanding of nineteenth century Protestant missionary endeavors among the Native American population. Few, however, have attempted to understand what happened to those Indians who responded to the missionaries and became, themselves, ministers of the Gospel. As a result, we know how missionaries tried to replicate the Christian religion and American cultural values, but we know relatively little about Indians and how they forged distinctive Christian churches. This dissertation will defend the thesis that trained Presbyterian Indian pastors of the late nineteenth century established growing congregations because they believed in the universality of the Christian faith and yet retained pride in their Indianness. They were able to meet Presbyterian Church standards while still attracting tribal members. Discovering the history of these pastors and their churches involves examining their own written testimony in letters, sermons and church records. In their use of language, in their concern for the spiritual growth of their people, and in their autonomy of action there is evidence that these pastors successfully forged a new identity as Indian leaders of the Christian faith.

Image Title Year Type Contributor(s) Other Info
  The Creation of Christian Indians: The Rise of Native Clergy and Their Congregations in the Presbyterian Church 1997 Dissertation Bonnie Sue Lewis