William shellabear a biography on martin

William Shellabear (1862-1948) was one of the pioneer Methodist missionaries to British Malaya, yet he is better known among Malay Muslims than among Christians.

His editions of classical Malay literature are still in print, and his studies of the Malay language and orthography are still in use by linguists.

William shellabear a biography on martin luther

His Christian works in Malay did not find a place in a church, which came to be dominated by ethnic Chinese and Indians who spoke English or their own vernacular languages.

Nonetheless, Shellabear left a Christian legacy in Malaya.

From 1891 to 1948 he introduced and guided changes in attitudes toward Malays and Islam, which made it possible for Methodist missionaries to relate positively to Malays while maintaining the integrity of their evangelistic outreach.

These changes involved first a reevaluation of Malay culture, and then of Malay religion and spirituality. In an era in which Christian-