Christianity in Suriname

Considering that two-thirds of world Christianity is now in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania, local and regional histories of Churches and missions are increasingly significant and urgently needed. Dr Frank Jabini offers the world Church an invaluable contribution with this history of Church, mission and theologians of Suriname. Dr Jabini’s impressive primary documentation and encyclopaedic treatment seeks to set the record straight concerning Christianity in Suriname.

Dr Charles E van Engen
Arthur F Glasser Professor of Biblical Theology of Mission,
Fuller Seminary’s School of World Mission

Aware of the laborious investment in research which Prof Dr Franklin S Jabini has put into this book, I can confidently label it the prime source of information on Christianity in Suriname for anyone who endeavours to gain insights in its Christian heritage. I happily and highly recommend this handbook on ‘Christianity in Suriname’ for your perusal or study.

Rev Erle S Deira
Executive Director Eradicating Bible Poverty — American Bible Society
Founder and President of Paraklesis Ministries International — Suriname

I truly applaud this initiative and I am very content that this time it is a native Surinamer who did the research and wrote this book. Franklin Jabini is one of our theologians who is a good example of someone who invested years of hard work into Bible translation and serving the church in Suriname as a whole. An in-depth study like this will profit us all. It will contribute to not only a greater knowledge of Surinamese church history, but will develop a better insight in the ‘why’s’ sometimes people are struggling with.

Carl Breeveld
Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Suriname

Dr Franklin Jabini can be called one of the leading theologians of his country, and certainly one of the fittest authors to write such a wonderful and detailed church history of Suriname. No country can afford to forget its history, and a largely Christian country cannot afford to ignore its church history and theology history. I highly recommend this scholarly work, which for a long time will be the source of reference for the Christian history of Suriname.

Prof Dr Willem J Ouweneel
Evangelical Theological Faculty, Leuven (Belgium)

1. Foreword
2. Preface
3. Acknowledgements
4. Abstract
1. Chapter 1
1. Introduction
1. 1.1. Surinamese Christianity in academic sources
2. 1.2. Problem
3. 1.3. Purpose
4. 1.4. Structure and method
5. PART I. HISTORY
1. Chapter 2
1. Background to Surinamese Christianity
1. 2.1. Suriname: its location
2. 2.2. Early colonisation efforts
3. 2.3. The people
4. 2.4. Dividing the history of Christianity in Suriname
5. 2.5. Approach and overview
1. Chapter 3
1. The Beginning of the Church of England in Suriname
1. 3.1. Introduction
2. 3.2. Background
3. 3.3. Christianity in Suriname in the seventeenth century
4. 3.4. Conclusion
1. Chapter 4
1. The Beginning of Reformed Christianity
1. 4.1. Introduction: The era of Zeeland (1667-1683)
2. 4.2. The era of Van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck: 1683-1688
3. 4.3. Towards a Christian colony: 1688-1734
4. 4.4 Conclusion
1. Chapter 5
1. Surinamese Protestantism in the Eighteenth Century
1. 5.1 Introduction
2. 5.2. Lutheran Church in Suriname
3. 5.3. The Protestants in the colony
4. 5.4. The Moravian missions
5. 5.5 Conclusion
1. Chapter 6
1. The Roman Catholic Church and the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century
1. 6.1. Introduction
2. 6.2. The Roman Catholic Church in Suriname
3. 6.3. Roman Catholics and Protestants
4. 6.4. At the beginning of the nineteenth century
1. Chapter 7
1. Christianity and Slavery in Suriname
1. 7.1. Introduction
2. 7.2. Slavery in Suriname
3. 7.3. Christianity in Suriname
4. 7.4. Biblical and theological motives used in support of slavery
5. 7.5. Conclusion
1. Chapter 8
1. The Era of Growth: 1830-1863
1. 8.1. Introduction
2. 8.2. The Growth of Christianity
3. 8.3. Conclusion
1. Chapter 9
1. The Church in Paramaribo after the Abolition of Slavery
1. 9.1. Introduction
2. 9.2. The Creole Church
3. 9.3. Beginning of the Baptist, Adventist and Methodist Churches
4. 9.4. Conclusion
5. Appendix to chapter 9: Jehovah’s Witnesses
1. Chapter 10
1. Missions to the Ethnic Groups
1. 10.1. Introduction
2. 10.2. The Indians
3. 10.3. The Javanese
4. 10.4. Maroons
1. Chapter 11
1. Christendom in the Autonomous Surinamese
1. 11.1. Introduction: Nationalism
2. 11.2. Autonomy
3. 11.3. The Committee of Christian Churches
4. 11.4. Developments within the Moravian Church
5. 11.5. Developments within the Roman Catholic Church
6. 11.6. Conclusion
1. Chapter 12
1. The Beginning of Pentecostal Churches
1. 12.1. Introduction
2. 12.2. Full Gospel Church in Suriname
3. 12.3. Conclusion
1. Chapter 13
1. Bible Translation Organisations
1. 13.1. Introduction
2. 13.2. The Bible distribution agencies
3. 13.3. Summer Institute of Linguistics
4. 13.4. Gijsbertus Roest and Eddy van der Hilst
5. 13.5. Robert Patton
6. 13.6. Conclusion
1. Chapter 14
1. Christianity, Autonomy and Revolution
1. 14.1. Introduction
2. 14.2. Independence
3. 14.3. Christianity during the era of the revolution
4. 14.4. Conclusion
5. Appendix to chapter 14: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
6. PART II. THEOLOGIANS
1. Chapter 15
1. Survey of Surinamese Theological Scholarship
1. 15.1. Introduction
2. 15.2. Surinamese Moravian scholars
3. 15.3. Surinamese Roman Catholic theologians
4. 15.4. Others
7. PART III. SOURCES
1. Chapter 16
1. Sources for the Study of Surinamese Christianity
1. 16.1. Introduction
2. 16.2. Challenges
3. 16.3. General sources
4. 16.4. Denominational sources
5. 16.5. New generation of theologians
8. Maps
9. Photos
10. Bibliography
11. Index
12. About the author