Armenians in ABCFM's Books for Young People (Example of Mission Stories Of Many Lands)
Chapter from the book:
Tansü,
Y.
E.
(ed.)
2023.
Selected Articles in the Field of History- VI.
Synopsis
The Missionary Herald was a monthly magazine published in Boston by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM). For many Christians in America, this magazine was their window to the world. The magazine, which presented in detail the work of missionaries in different mission regions around the world, had become an important source of information. Articles, letters, monthly and annual reports, travel notes, detailed explanations, graphics and statistics written by the missionaries were delivered to a wide readership through the magazine, and thus all activities carried out by the missionaries were documented. The Missionary Herald, which appealed mostly to adults with its content and design, began publishing a section containing illustrated articles called "For Young People" in 1879. This section presented topics that might be of interest to young people from mission areas around the world, in the form of interesting stories decorated with various pictures and photographs. The articles published in the section, which received great acclaim in a short time, were also published in different religious magazines and newspapers. The articles were collected in 1885 by the American Board in a book titled Mission Stories of Many Lands: A Book For Young People, with the aim of introducing young readers to the activities of ABCFM through missionary stories. The second edition of the book with the same name was published in 1894. In 1897, the second book of the series, In Land Afar: A Second Series of Mission Stories of Many Lands, was published. This book was also created by bringing together the articles in the "For Young People" section of The Missionary Herald magazine. This study will focus on how Armenian society was perceived and introduced from the missionary perspective in two works prepared by missionaries for young people in 1885 and 1897. How the ABCFM dealt with the geography, history and religion of Armenians will be examined in detail.