This week in Christian history: German missionary arrives in India, Puritans lash Baptist preacher

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Twitter

German missionary arrives in India – Sept. 8, 1741

Johann Philipp Fabricius (1711-1791), a German missionary to India known for his translation of the Bible and assorted hymns into the Tamil language.
Johann Philipp Fabricius (1711-1791), a German missionary to India known for his translation of the Bible and assorted hymns into the Tamil language. | Screengrab: christianhistoryinstitute.org

This week marks the anniversary of when missionary Johann Philipp Fabricius, known for his Tamil translation of the Bible and various hymns, arrived in India.

A native of what is now Germany, Fabricius would spend most of his life serving as a missionary in India, learning the languages of Tamil, Portuguese and Dutch.

Get Our Latest News for FREE

Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.

Although financial problems would dominate the final years of his life, Fabricius is still remembered for his often successful efforts to evangelize both natives and colonists in the region.

“He had a hand in converting seventeen thousand Indians and Portuguese. A few of his Tamil hymns are still sung, and his Tamil Bible is known as ‘the golden version,’” wrote Dan Graves of the Christian History Institute.

Follow Michael Gryboski on Twitter or Facebook

Was this article helpful?

Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone.

By making a recurring donation or a one-time donation of any amount, you're helping to keep CP's articles free and accessible for everyone.

$25/month$50/quarter$100/yearOne-time

We’re sorry to hear that.

Hope you’ll give us another try and check out some other articles. Return to homepage.

Most Popular

More Articles