"Life of Henry Martyn, Missionary to India and Persia, 1781 to 1812" by Sarah J. Rhea. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.
This short biography of Henry Martyn gives a nice overview of his life and rhetorical window into the Evangelical churchmanship common in the Church of England during the late 18th and 19th centuries. The details of his time in India and in Persia are limited; some of the conversations with mullahs in Iran are interesting, however, and the passages from his journal are illuminating.
An enjoyable and useful volume, but only because it quotes from Martyn himself at enormous length. Ms Rhea's prose is best when she's falling in love across time with Martyn, and at it's worse when she's moralizing.
The battle-minded, pioneering spirit of Henry Martyn is almost lost amidst the wince-worthy fawning and sermonizing of the author. But these words in response to his life and death stand out, "Yes, I will; I will be earnest, I will not trifle; for souls are perishing and Jesus is to be glorified."