Protestant missionary, born in Malden, Massachusetts, USA. He graduated from Brown (1807), taught for a year, studied at Andover Theological Seminary, was ordained (1812), and went to Burma in that year as a Baptist missionary. He was married three times, in each case to women who were missionaries in their own right. Imprisoned as a spy during the Anglo-Burmese War (18246), he translated the Bible into Burmese and claimed to have converted thousands to Christianity. He died a few days after leaving Burma on a voyage for his health.
| Adoniram Judson | |
|---|---|
| Missionary to Myanmar (Burma) | |
| Born |
August 9, 1788 Malden, Massachusetts |
| Died |
April 12, 1850 At sea in the Bay of Bengal |
Adoniram Judson, Jr. (9 August 1788 - 12 April 1850) was an American Baptist missionary who labored for almost forty years in Burma (now known as Myanmar). His mission and work led to the formation of the first Baptist association in America, inspired many Americans to become or support missionaries, translated the Bible into Burmese, and established a number of Baptist churches in Burma.
Early life
Judson was born on 9 August 1788 in Malden, Massachusetts, son of a Congregational minister of the same name. Judson was commissioned as a foreign missionary by the Congregational Church, and married Ann Hasseltine on 5 February 1812.
Career
While aboard ship en route to India, he did a focused study on baptism, and on 6 September 1812, he switched to the Baptist denomination and was baptized in Calcutta, India by an English missionary associate of William Carey.
After his conversion to Baptist views on baptism, Judson offered to Baptists in the United States to serve as their missionary. Luther Rice who had also converted was in poor health and returned to America and his work and William Carey's urgings resulted in the formation in 1814 of the General Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States for Foreign Missions (commonly called the Triennial Convention).
Judson, who already knew Latin, Greek and Hebrew, quickly learned to speak Burmese and began studying the grammar.
Adoniram Judson was imprisoned for 17 months during the war between England and Burma, first at Ava and then at Oung-pen-la. On 2 June 1846, Judson married for the third time, to writer Emily Chubbuck who he had commissioned to write memoirs for Sarah Hall Boardman. On 12 April 1850, Adoniram Judson died at age 61 on board ship in the Bay of Bengal and was buried at sea, having spent 37 years in missionary service abroad with only one home leave.
Published works
Burmese Bible (still in print, see below), as well as portions published before the entire text was translated, A Burmese-English dictionary (English-Burmese portion completed posthumously, see below), A Burmese Grammar, A Pāli dictionary, Two hymns: Our Father, God, Who art in Heaven and Come Holy Spirit, Dove Divine.Legacy
When Judson began his mission in Burma, he set a goal of translating the Bible and founding a church of 100 members before his death. Each July, Baptist churches in Myanmar celebrate "Judson Day", commemorating his arrival as a missionary. Inside the campus of Yangon University is Judson Church, named in his honor, and in 1920 Judson College, named in his honor, merged into Rangoon College, which has since been renamed Yangon University.
Judson compiled the first ever Burmese-English dictionary. Every dictionary and grammar written in Burma in the last two centuries has been based on ones originally created by Judson. Judson "became a symbol of the preeminence of Bible translation for" Protestant missionaries. Judson's captures the language and idiom of Burmese perfectly and is very clear and understandable."
His conversion to Baptism, and subsequent need of support, led to the founding of the first national Baptist organization in the United States and subsequently to all American Baptist associations, including the Southern Baptists that were the first to break off from the national organization. There are at least 36 Baptist churches in the United States named after him, Judson College in Illinois is named after him and Judson College in Alabama is named after his wife Ann.
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