Books

The Legacy of Adoniram Judson

A new biography shows behind the successful missionary were three matchless women.

In 1899, Harper’s Weekly dubbed Baptist missionary Adoniram Judson the 19th century’s second-most recognized name. Judson established the church in Burma (now Myanmar) and translated the New Testament amid great personal hardship, including the deaths of his wives and 21 months in jail. Judson’s career also had far-reaching effects in America: His decision to become Baptist galvanized efforts to form a national Baptist convention for the support of missionaries.

Bless God andTake Courage:The Judson Historyand Legacyby Rosalie Hall HuntJudson Press403 pp.; $21

Hunt argues, however, that Judson’s accomplishments were not his alone. During his career, he married three “matchless” women, each of whom “God uniquely touched” in order to serve the mission. In succession, Ann translated tracts and kept Adoniram alive while he was in prison; Sarah proved a remarkably adept linguist and evangelist; Emily was a talented writer and expositor of her husband’s career.

Hunt’s engaging and detailed book includes recently discovered letters between Adoniram and Emily. Hunt also delves into the Judson legacy in America and Burma. Although one occasionally wishes for a more critical assessment of the Judsons, Hunt paints a compelling picture of partnership between husbands and wives in service to God.

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere:

Bless God and Take Courage: The Judson History and Legacy is available from Christianbook.com and other book retailers.

More information is available from Judson Press.

For book lovers, our 2005 CT book awards are available online, along with our book awards for 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, and 1997, as well as our Books of the Twentieth Century. For other coverage or reviews, see our Books archive and the weekly Books & Culture Corner.

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