William Shellabear

William Girdlestone Shellabear (1862–1948) was a "pioneer"[1] scholar and missionary in British Malaya (today, part of Malaysia). He was known for both his appreciation of Muslim society and also his translation of the Bible into the Malay language[2]

W. G. Shellabear, as he was generally known, first went to Malaya as a British soldier, then returned as a Methodist missionary, where he worked from 1891-1948. “He introduced and guided changes in attitudes towards Malays and Islam, which made it possible for Methodist missionaries to relate positively to Malays while maintaining the integrity of their evangelistic outreach.”[3] He helped Westerners appreciate “how Malay spirituality represented a genuine commitment to Islam, despite its failure to conform to the expectations of [Western] Orientalists”.[4] His appreciation of Malay language and culture made him promote Malay language schools, which brought him into disagreement with many missionaries who preferred to organize and teach at English-language schools.

He produced a voluminous amount of writings, some of which were aimed at Christian Malays, some for Muslims Malays, some for missionaries coming to Malaya, and some for scholars. These included Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals), Hikayat Abdullah (The Life of Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir), a Malay hymnal, dictionary and grammar of Malay, and a translation of Pilgrim’s Progress. He also collaborated with a Malay scholar, Sulaiman bin Muhammed Nur, in joint publications such as Kitab Kiliran Budi (The Book of Wisdom, a collection of proverbs) and Hikayat Hang Tuah (The Life of Hang Tuah). "His grammar, dictionary, and Bible translation remained in print for decades".[5]

His scholarly activities involved him in the Straits Philosophical Society, the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, and the faculty of Hartford Seminary. He was born in Norfolk, England and died in Hartford, Connecticut after retiring from the Seminary in 1936.

Shellabear is the founder of MPH Group, a publication house that was founded on 1890, as Amelia Bishop Press. He is also associated with the founding of the Straits Chinese Methodist Church, now the Kampong Kapor Methodist Church in Singapore.

Sources on Shellabear

Publications by Shellabear

Publications in Malay

Publications in English

The Triglot Vocabulary, Sixth Edition (1913): originally compiled by William Girdlestone Shellabear and the Rev. B. F. West, not credited in this edition.

References

  1. ↑
    • Roxborogh, John. 2000. “Shellabear, William Girdlestone.” Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions, ed by A. Scott Moreau, p. 871. Grand Rapids: Baker Books and Carlisle, Cumbria: Paternoster.
    • Satari, Paul Russ. 2001. “Shellabear, William Girdlestone.” A Dictionary of Asian Christianity, ed. By Scott Sunquist, p. 759. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
  2. ↑ Hunt, Robert. 2002. International Bulletin of Missionary Research, Vol. 26.1: 28-31.
  3. ↑ Hunt, Robert. 2002. International Bulletin of Missionary Research, Vol. 26.1: 28.
  4. ↑ Hunt, Robert. 2002. International Bulletin of Missionary Research, Vol. 26.1: 30.
  5. ↑ Roxborogh, John. 2000. “Shellabear, William Girdlestone.” Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions, ed by A. Scott Moreau, p. 871. Grand Rapids: Baker Books and Carlisle, Cumbria: Paternoster.
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