Ethnic Realities and the Church: Lessons from Kurdistan, a History of Mission Work, 1668-1990

by Robert Blincoe

This study of mission work among the Kurds is the most comprehensive and best survey in existence. It captures the dedication and perseverance of the missionaries and the obstacles they encountered. But its greatest contribution is in evaluating the missiological decisions they made up to the threshold of the present decade, in which some Kurds, without an earthly homeland, have found a heavenly one through Him who had no place to lay His head.

Genres: Islam

265 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1998

Reviews

[Penn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent rendering of a little know period of activity, relays some fascinating history while gently pointing out some valuable lessons.

[Duane Alexander Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The major contribution of this book is Blincoe's summarizing of the dominant Protestant missionary strategy from the 1800's on. He calls it The Great Experiment, wherein Protestants would reform (in their own image, of course) the ancient, scattered churches like the Armenians, Assyrians, and Orthodox, which they encountered as they explored the hinterlands of the Ottoman Empire and Persia. The theory (or experiment, rather) was that these churches, once reformed in the American evangelical image, would go on to do what appeared impossible: evangelize the Muslims. Other historiographers of mission like Pikkert went on to use this label--The great Experiment--with great effect. There is a consensus today that the Great Experiment was, by and large, a failure.

Blincoe writes in a sympathetic style, even when it is clear that the missionaries he is describing had failed to understand the core of the Church's mission to Islam. His verdict is that the Great Experiment was a failure, and that while Christian missionaries were around Kurds for a long time, they never tried to really evangelize the Kurds themselves. Blincoe, director of Frontiers, a missionary agency that specializes in Muslim evangelism, has obviously tried to put his actions where his words are. Rather than just complaining about the lack of missionary insight in the past, he seeks to transform the face of contemporary mission today.

[Billy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blincoe has come amazing insights in this book. I can't recommend it more highly for anyone interested in working with Kurds. I'm so glad Blincoe took the time to put the knowledge he gleaned into print. I'm the better for it. Thanks, Bob!