Our Literature as an Evangelizing Agency by Allen Moon

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 15, 1912

Our Literature as an Evangelizing Agency

By Allen Moon

ALLEN MOON

It may be of interest to the readers of the REVIEW to know how good religious literature is regarded by the better class of religious workers. By good religious literature is not meant the popular religious novels of the day, but that which is helpful in bringing out the cardinal truths of Christianity.

At the Ecumenical Missionary Conference held in the city of New York in 1900, several hours were devoted to the discussion of the importance of Christian literature for use in evangelical work. The successors of Carey from India united with the leading missionaries from all heathen countries in an urgent call for a pure, helpful literature.

Miss Isabella Thoburn, of India, said: “There is a special good that literature can do. When it once goes out of our hands, it goes to bless, and it may be used when we have passed away,—we who have begun the work.” Rev. Timothy Richards, of China, said: “In all successful mission work, whether in barbarous or civilized countries, the Bible has had to be supplemented by other books. In order to capture the attention and regard of the best minds in non-Christian lands, we must offer to them the highest product of our best intellects. Nothing less than this is a sufficient Christian literature.”

Rev. Richard Lovett, of London, in a paper read before the conference, said: “The two most potent factors in the life of the Christian church have been the living voice and the printed page. We sometimes forget that this has been so from the first, and is of divine appointment. There is greater need to-day than ever for Christian literature. The achievements of the past in this respect are, at the best, very imperfect; hence the different boards of directors at home should give more attention to this work.”

The burden of testimony of many missionaries was the great need of a literature in all lands that would serve as helps to Bible study. The missionary, as no one else, appreciates the value of such helps; for he is face to face with the fact that the Bible, and not modern civilization, must be relied upon to Christianize the heathen world. It is likewise true that the Bible must be relied upon to Christianize the ungodly of civilized countries, and a literature that opens up the Word of God to the understanding of mankind is as greatly needed in these lands. This is provided as never before in the Christian literature in connection with the giving of the last message to the world; and whether they recognize it or not, this literature is just what the missionaries of all denominations have felt the need of, and have censured the home boards for their failure to produce. Never in the history of the world has a religious literature exerted such a widespread influence as does ours.

At the very beginning of the preaching of the last-day message, when the believers were very few in number, the printing-press was utilized. Elder James White and his few associates began publishing to open the way for personal work, and the little papers and tracts were the pioneers to blaze the way for preaching the gospel more fully. From that time on, during the spread of the knowledge of the truth in this country, the preaching by word of mouth and by the printed page went hand in hand. When our missionaries began to go abroad, it was estimated by those well informed that for the work accomplished in this country, the credits were about equally divided, about as many persons having accepted the truth as the result of reading our literature as through the effort of the living preacher.

Again: our literature has been the agency for opening up the way for the living missionary in the countries beyond. Our literature had reached Great Britain, Scandinavia, Germany, Switzerland, and other countries on the Continent, in advance of the minister; and when our work had been established in these countries, the pioneer work still went on by means of our publications; and from Basel and Hamburg it penetrated Russia and the Levant, Africa and the Orient.

Time would fail to speak of the vast work accomplished through this agency. But of the future we may say, We are still a small people, and have a vast work before us. By our past experience and through the spirit of prophecy, the Lord has taught us of the potency of this agency. The multiplication of books and periodicals and the increased sales during the last few years, are the best evidences of the Lord’s blessing upon this work as an evangelizing agency.

South Bend, Ind.