Missionary Geography
By Maggie Hogan
Note: You can easily adapt this same study to any missionary or famous person of interest.
What did Captain James Cook and William Carey have in common? Carey, noted linguist and missionary, was highly interested in plant, animal, and insect life, as was the famous adventurer, Cook. Carey was an avid reader. A book that greatly influenced him as a youth was The Voyages of Captain Cook. One of young William’s joys was to collect and categorize plants and insects. He crowded his room with specimens of both. He was intrigued by the natural world and later become a botanist of considerable reputation.
As a young man he continued to pour over Cook’s travels, as well as the best-selling book, Guthrie’s Geographical Grammar (pub. 1770), and the Bible. He drew a crude map of the world, noting places where the gospel had not yet been preached. He prayed that the Lord would send His laborers to the many untouched parts of the world. It’s exciting to see how God used Carey’s early interests and gifts in such powerful ways.
Perhaps you’re wondering, what does this have to do with geography? Well, check out this partial definition of geography from The Living Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language:
Geography - “The science which treats the surface of the earth, dealing especially with such aspects as topology, climate, the ocean, and plant and animal life . . .”
Knowing more about a missionary’s world helps us to better appreciate their ministry - so let’s dive into Carey’s world! Using reference materials (or the Internet), answer the following questions. (Pick and choose questions based on students’ ages and interests.)
1. Climate
- A. What is the climate like in England?
B. What is the climate like in Calcutta (now called Kolkata), India? (Serampore, where Carey spent much of his time in India, is approximately 14 miles north of Calcutta.)
C. What is the temperature today in London? What is it in Calcutta, India?
D. Do you think it would have been hard for William Carey and his family to adjust to the weather in India? Why or why not?
- A. Look at a world map. Find London and Calcutta. How did Carey travel
to India? What might have been some of the difficulties? How long do you
think it took to get there?
B. How would you travel to India today? How long would it take you?
- A. Countries: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, Burma, Afghanistan.
B. Cities: New Delhi, Calcutta (now called Kolkata), Bombay (now called Mumbai), Bangalore.
C. Bodies of water: Arabian Sea, Gulf of Mannar, Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, Indus River, Ganges River.
- A. What types of plants, animals, and insects might Carey have found in
his native England?
B. What are some types that can be found in India?
C. Compare and contrast these two different environments.
D. Draw one plant or animal that would live in each place. Have you ever seen these before? Where?
- A. What is the predominant language in England?
B. What are some of the languages spoken in India?
C. How are these languages the same or different?
D. Why is it important for a missionary to learn the local language?
- A. We don’t know the population of the tiny town of Paulerspury of
Carey’s time but a survey in the mid-18th century showed that the much
bigger town of nearby Northampton had a population of about 5,000
people. Calcutta during that time period had a population of
approximately 100,000.
B. What is the approximate population of Calcutta today?
C. How does Calcutta’s population today compare to your hometown?
D. Do you think it’s easier being a missionary in a small town or in a large city? Why?
- A. Draw a simple timeline beginning with 1750 and ending with 1834.
B. Add the following to your timeline: William Carey, James Cook, Carl Linnaeus, Mozart, American War of Independence, Pitt’s India Act, Shaka-King of the Zulus.
C. If you have access to an historical map, check out the world during the time of Carey. This was certainly an age of revolutions! How do you think this might have affected his ministry?
- A. What was the predominant religion in England during Carey’s lifetime?
B. What are the predominant religions of India?
C. Make a chart comparing/contrasting Christianity, Hindu, and Islam.
- A. Do you or your church support missionaries?
B. Who are they and where do they serve?
C. What does the Bible tell us about being missionaries?
D. What has the Lord taught you during this study of William Carey?