Chosen for Choson: The Biography of Robert Jermain Thomas

by Stella Price

Chosen for Choson is a biography of a young Welshman, Robert Jermain Thomas, who left his homeland in 1863 with his new bride, Caroline, to share the Gospel of Christ in the Far East.

Thomas was feisty, strong-willed, and charismatic - not unusual characteristics for a Welshman. But this distinctiveness of character led this young man to serve the ordinary people of China and Korea in an extraordinary manner. But, regrettably, his determined, passionate attitude also led to a life that was cut off, unexpectedly and tragically.

Mystery and intrigue surrounds the boat, SS General Sherman, on which Thomas travels to Korea. Thomas, himself, refused to inform his friend, Madame Morache, of its import.

Scholar, writer, and long time missionary to Korea, Samuel Hugh Moffett, says of Thomas: "A man with such a dramatic, intense commitment that led to martyrdom is worthy of growing into a legend."

Thomas' colleagues were sometimes ambiguous about his attitude, yet Anson Burlinghame, the American Charge d'Affaires to China, 1867, wrote these encouraging words to Thomas' father following Robert's death: "Your son was most favourably known at the Legations and by the Missionaries of the East. He was a remarkable scholar, and when he died a great light went out."

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Judith]

I read an interesting article - http://www.gordon.edu/article.cfm?iAr... - by the author and learned much about the pre-Christian persecution period in Korea, and also the life of Robert Thomas. It sounds like another inspiring mission martyr biography.