BARROWS LECTURES. 1896-97. CHRISTIANITY, THE WORLD-RELIGION. LECTURES DELIVERED IN INDIA BY JOHN HENRY BARROWS, D.D., FIRST EDITION, 5,000 COPIES. MADRAS: THE CHRISTIAN LITERATURE SOCIETY FOR INDIA. PRINTED AT THE METHODIST PUBLISHING HOUSE. 1897. PREFACE. EXTRACT FROM MRS. HASKELL'S LETTER FOUNDING THE BARROWS LECTURESHIP. "To President WILLIAM R. HARPER, Ph. D., D. D. 666 'My dear Sir:-I take pleasure in offering to the University of Chicago the sum of twenty thousand dollars for the founding of a second Lectureship on the Relations of Christianity and the other Religions. These lectures, six or more in number, are to be given in Calcutta (India), and, if deemed best, in Bombay, Madras, or some other point of the chief cities of Hindustan, where large numbers of educated Hindus are familiar with the English language. The wish, so earnestly expressed, by Mr. P. C. Mozoomdar, that a lectureship, like that which I had the privilege of founding last summer, might be provided for India, has led me to consider the desirability of establishing in some great collegiate center, like Calcutta, a course of lectures to be given, either annually, or as may seem better, biennially, by leading Christian scholars of Europe, Asia and America, in which, in a friendly, temperate, conciliatory way, and in the fraternal spirit which pervaded the Parliament of Religions, the great questions of the truths of Christianity, its harmonies with the truths of other religions, its rightful claims, and the best method of setting them forth, should be presented to the scholarly and thoughtful people of India. "It is my purpose to identify this work, which, I believe, will be a work of enlightenment and fraternity, with the University Extension Department of the University of Chicago, and it is my desire that the management of this lectureship should lie with yourself, as president of all the Departments of the University, with Rev. John Henry Barrows, D. D., the Professorial Lecturer on Comparative Religion, with Professor George S. Goodspeed, the Associate Professor of Comparative Religion, and with those who shall be your and their successors in these positions. It is my request that this lectureship shall bear the name of John Henry Barrows, who has identified himself with the work of promoting friendly relations between Christian America and the people of India. I hope also that he may be the first lecturer. The committee having the management of these lectures, shall also have the authority to determine whether any of the courses shall be given in Asiatic or other cities outside of India. |