Contoversial and often confrontational in his style, Colenso challenged the accepted practice of denying baptism to new converts who had more than one wife, a traditional Zulu practice. He advocated equal treatment for all races and developed the first dictionary and grammar for the Zulu language and translated the New Testament into the Zulu language.
Colenso's advocacy of the oppressed in colonial Southern Africa and the manner in which he challenged some of the simplified presumptions of 19th century biblical interpretation led to significant opposition to him among the establishment and moves were taken to depose him from his missionary diocese in Natal.
We likely will not agree with everything Colenso had to say, but his way of challenging Christians to think through what they believe and why is more welcomed today than it was back when "orthodoxy" was perhaps different and every challenge to the official position was "heresy".
http://www.logos.com/product/8497/john-william-colenso-pentateuch-collection
- Volumes: 17 on his challenges and responses to them
- Pages: 2,663
- $40 on Community Pricing and could easily go lower....
