Francis Seely (1917-2004) was a Presbyterian missionary to Thailand from 1947 to 1978, working in Bible translation, theological training, and inter-religious dialogue. Much of his work was done after an extended crisis of conscience in the 1950s, during which he wrestled with his beliefs and his place in the church. This article tells Seelys' story, examining his theological struggles and exploring the response to his crisis of conscience. Contrasting his case with the similar situation ofEvanderMcGilvary, a missionary to Thailand in the 1890s, will reveal some of the ways the American Presbyterian Church had changed in the intervening years.
As church leaders and laypersons wrestled with LGBTQ+ inclusion during the 1970s and 1980s, many parachurch organizations and smaller churches were already taking action to evangelize and serve the spiritual needs of LGBTQ+ persons. While groups like the Metropolitan Community Church headlined these efforts, the Lazarus Project in Los Angeles was the first organization created for outreach to LGBTQ+ persons under the umbrella of a mainline Protestant denomination-the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Unlike most organizations within denominations which were mostly member-funded, the Lazarus Project was sanctioned and funded by its local presbytery and synod. This paper examines the unique position of the Lazarus Project as one of the oldest, if not the oldest denominationally sanctioned and funded programs that evangelized to and advocated for LGBTQ+ individuals.1
This short essay reconsiders the conventional association of mainline Protestantism with political liberalism by examining how Time Inc., a major mid-century media organization with deep mainline ties, helped advance modern conservatism. Focusing on Whittaker Chambers, a former journalist and hero of the postwar Right, the essay follows how Time Inc. provided Chambers with a platform for popularizing Christian anti-communism. Chambers' rise is suggestive of the role mainline-affiliated institutions played in circulating concepts central to twentieth-century conservativism.
Howard Conklin Baskerville was a young Midwesterner and a Princeton University graduate who traveled to Persia in 1907. He went to teach at a school set up by the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Foreign Missions (BFM) in the city of Tabriz. With Qajar-era Persia in the midst of a Constitutional Revolution, Baskerville found himself among revolutionists fighting the government forces ofMohammadAli Shah. He took up arms, despite the plea from the BFM not to do so. He was shot and killed in 1909 and was instantly recognized as one who had sacrificed his life for Persias' Constitutional cause. While early writings on Baskerville clearly identified his role as a teacher and not a missionary, contemporary writings vary in the choice of appellation used, thereby bringing confusion to this essential matter. This study intends to provide the needed clarity by chronologically examining the historical records, writings, and accounts of Baskerville.
