The Missionary Legacy

Students indicate where they think Christianity should be placed on a spectrum between ‘power & control’ and ‘humility & sacrifice’. (Missionary Legacy Slides)

Students briefly research the practice of ‘foot binding’. The class discusses what they discovered and share how they feel about it. (Missionary Legacy Slides)

Teacher poses the question “Should we respect and preserve all cultural traditions?” and students discuss the kinds of cultural traditions that should or shouldn’t be challenged, focusing on whether it’s ok to educate children in other cultures and challenge their traditional beliefs and practices.

Students find and share three images that express their perspective on “missionaries” OR as a class brainstorm all the words and images that come into your head when you think of the word “missionaries”.

Display the Jomo Kenyatta quote and ask students to respond with how it makes them feel, and how helpful his perspective is. (Missionary Legacy Slides)

Watch the documentary excerpt ‘How Missionaries Changed the World’ (8:56) then students answer the following questions:

1. Robert Woodberry says, “When we look at the missionary movement as a whole, its average effect has been profoundly beneficial for the vast majority of people who have interacted with them.”
   • What are some examples Woodberry gives of this beneficial effect?
   • In what ways are these results surprising?
2. What proof is there that the Serampore missionaries cared about the local people and cultures?
3. What is the practice of sati? What was so disturbing about the practice of sati to William Carey?
4. How does this practice make you feel?

Class discusses whether or not William Carey had the right to challenge the Indian culture with regards to sati. (Missionary Legacy Slides)

1. Why did the Serampore missionaries create Serampore College, and in what ways was it culturally sensitive for its time?
2. Give the answer you think the Serampore missionaries would give to someone who said that widows and the uneducated poor in India should just accept their lot in life.
3. Justine Toh recounts William Carey’s conversation with Scottish missionary Alexander Duff, where Carey said, “Mr Duff, you have been speaking about Dr Carey, Dr Carey … when I am gone, say nothing about Dr Carey – speak about Dr Carey’s Saviour.”
   • What does this suggest was Carey’s prime motivation in being a missionary?
   • What might this quote show us about how Carey was influenced by the life and teachings of Jesus?

Students read 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12. (Missionary Legacy Slides) In this letter written by Paul (one of the original Christian missionaries), he reminds the church in Thessalonica, a port city in Greece, of his first visit to them as a missionary, and the way that he and his companions lived among them.

Students build a resume for Paul highlighting his skills and strengths as a missionary, focusing on his characteristics, actions, attitudes (especially in the face of struggles), and motivations.

Reflecting on the clip, students discuss how close the Serampore missionaries were to following Paul’s example?

Students compose a journal entry from the perspective of one of the first students at Serampore College, outlining your experience of the college and of the missionaries.

Students imagine they are either an Indian widow or a poor, previously uneducated child in India whose life has been changed by the missionaries. They act out a television interview with a talk-show host answering the question,

“Would you have preferred that the missionaries had never come to India?”

Host a Mini-debate to answer the question:

“Missionaries have had a negative impact on the world.”

Students complete a personal reflection on what it would be like to display the humility William Carey did today.

• Article: Were Christian missionaries good for liberal democracies? (8 min)

Students read the article and then conduct their own research to find another article that has a negative perspective on missionaries, before composing their own response which critically evaluates the points of each article.