Robert Moffat

Deane, David J.Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 231K words
Chapters: 24

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Robert Moffat by David J. DeaneAuthor: Deane, David J.,Language: English, Class: BV: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Practical theology, Worship, Release Date: Mar 16, 2005

Editor's review

This book is a biography of Robert Moffat by David J. Deane, a public-domain work of religious and missionary history in the Project Gutenberg free ebook collection, classified under Christian practical theology and worship. Robert Moffat was a nineteenth-century missionary active in southern Africa, and biographies of this kind typically center on his life, faith practice, and missionary experience; their value lies in presenting the spiritual character of a religious figure of a particular era and one facet of the overseas missionary movement. As a public-domain ebook, the English text is readily accessible and serves as supplementary material for church history, missionary history, or Victorian biography. Readers should be mindful of the stance inherent in the biographical genre: the author often writes with admiration and an edifying intent, focusing on faith and ministry rather than comprehensive historical criticism. Readers are advised to understand the book within the context of nineteenth-century missionary movements in Africa, reading both the subject's experiences and how the biographer shapes the figure, thereby distinguishing historical source from propaganda.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying nineteenth-century Christian missionary history and church history
Readers interested in modern southern African history and cross-cultural contact
Students and researchers needing public-domain English biographical materials
General readers who enjoy lives of faith and spiritual biography

Not a good fit for

Academic readers expecting critical historical analysis or multiple perspectives
General readers uninterested in religious subjects or missionary narratives
Readers seeking historical sources from local African perspectives

Reading tips

First gain a basic understanding of nineteenth-century missionary movements in southern Africa, then read the biography proper.
While reading, distinguish facts about the subject's life from the biographer's commentary and edifying intent.
Read alongside local African histories or postcolonial works to balance the single narrative.
Take notes on a timeline of the subject's life and key events chapter by chapter to clarify the biographical arc.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a historical biography?

It is a biography of the missionary Robert Moffat, a work of nonfiction life writing with a religious and edifying character. Readers should treat it as a biographical document with a particular stance, not a novel or a comprehensive, objective modern historical study.

What background knowledge is needed to read this book?

A basic knowledge of nineteenth-century Christian missionary history and a general outline of modern southern African history are recommended. Without such background, readers may first consult introductory articles before entering the biography, which will make it easier to understand the era in which the subject worked and the author's narrative emphases.

What readers is the English difficulty of this book suited to?

As a public-domain English biography, the language is generally plain but includes period vocabulary and religious terminology. Readers with university-level English reading ability can usually read it independently; beginners are advised to use a dictionary and background materials, or to read in sections to reduce difficulty.

Comments

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About the author

Deane, David J. Author

David J. Deane is an author about whom relatively limited public information is currently available; details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background have not been clearly recorded. One work by this author is held in the collection, namely Robert Moffat. Judging from the title, the book likely centers on the life and missionary career of the Scottish missionary Robert Moffat in southern Africa, and thus belongs to the genre of biography or mission history. Owing to the limited material, it is not yet possible to confirm Deane's other works, the overall character of his writing style, or the specific publication details and scholarly reception of this book. Readers interested in the author and his work may consult Robert Moffat itself to gain a further sense of his approach to biographical and historical narrative. Overall, Deane remains a relatively unfamiliar author in Chinese-language library resources and awaits further public information.