Rev. Elwood Morris Wherry (1843–1927) was an American Presbyterian missionary to
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
where he spent forty years of his life (between 1868 and 1923). He was keenly interested in "Muslim controversy", or
apologetics
Apologetics (from Greek , "speaking in defense") is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their beliefs against critics and ...
, making contributions to Christian-Muslim relations as an Islamic scholar and Christian
ecumenist
Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...
.
Biography
Wherry was born in
South Bend
South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...
, Armstrong County,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
on 26 March 1843. He graduated from Jefferson College in 1862, followed by two years as Principal of Waynesburg Academy in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Two years later he became a member of the Waynesburg Presbyterian Church, the same year that he entered
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly of ...
. When he graduated in April 1867, he was ordained by the Old School Presbytery of Donegal. On April 8, 1867, Wherry was appointed to be a missionary by the Board of Foreign Missions of the
Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA) was the first national Presbyterian denomination in the United States, existing from 1789 to 1958. In that year, the PCUSA merged with the United Presbyterian Church of North Americ ...
, by whom he would be sent to India. Before his journey began, Wherry married Clara Maria Buchanan on July 17, 1867 with whom he had a total of eight children. His first two children would die during his time in India, as there were epidemics of
cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
and
dysentery
Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...
during the Wherry's stay. He and his new wife set sail from
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
on October 18, 1867, reaching
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
on March 10, 1868. He was stationed at
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi ( or ; Urdu, ) is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad, and third largest in Punjab after Lahore and Faisalabad. Rawalpindi is next to Pakistan's ...
in the
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
for the remainder of that year; the following year would see him transferred to
Ludhiana
Ludhiana ( ) is the most populous and the largest Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab. The city has an estimated population of 1,618,879 2011 Indian census, 2011 census and distributed over , making Ludhiana the ...
.
For 5 years (1883-1888) Wherry taught Old Testament literature and church history as professor at the theological seminary in
Saharanpur
Saharanpur is a city and a municipal corporation in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is also the administrative headquarters of Saharanpur district.
Saharanpur city's name was given after the Saint Shah Haroon Chishti.
Saharanpur is declared as on ...
. His contributions there included translating textbooks into the vernacular, engaging in debates, and giving lectures. In 1888 Wherry resigned from the Mission Press of which he was in charge, and the family returned to the United States for his family's education, as his six children ranged from five to sixteen years of age at this time. He spent from 1889-1896 as the district secretary of the
American Tract Society
The American Tract Society (ATS) is a nonprofit, nonsectarian but evangelical organization founded on May 11, 1825, in New York City for the purpose of publishing and disseminating tracts of Christian literature. ATS traces its lineage back thro ...
in Chicago. He wouldn't return to India until 1898, where he would remain until 1923, teaching and debating during his village tours. Wherry suffered from
diabetes
Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...
and rheumatic gout, and so retired, returning from his active missionary service to spend the last 4 years of his life in
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
. He died of heart failure on October 5, 1927.
Contributions to Christian-Muslim relations
The theology that Wherry developed at Princeton Theological Seminary was one that stressed Biblical authority.
Wherry's textual focus led him to produce a Roman
Qur'an
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing. ...
, intended for use by missionaries. In a paper read at the Semi Centennial Celebration of the American Presbyterian Lodiana Mission in India held in
Lodiana
Ludhiana ( ) is the most populous and the largest city in the Indian state of Punjab. The city has an estimated population of 1,618,879 2011 census and distributed over , making Ludhiana the most densely populated urban centre in the state. I ...
from December 3–7, 1884, J.J. Lucas observed "In 1876 Mr. Wherry issued an edition of the Quran in
Roman Urdu
Roman Urdu ( ur, ) is the name used for the Urdu language written with the Latin script, also known as the Roman script.
According to the Urdu scholar Habib R. Sulemani: "Roman Urdu is strongly opposed by the traditional Arabic script lovers. ...
, which contains ... a very full and complete index in Urdu by Mr. Wherry. ... To the preacher among Muhammadans, this elaborate index is simply invaluable."J.J. Lucas, "Literary Work of the American Presbyterian Mission, North India, Including Bible Translation and Revision, and Circulation of Religious Books and Tracts", ''Indian Evangelical Review'' 13 (July 1886): 43-63.
Another major contribution that Wherry offered was his production of a commentary of the Qur'an, a four-volume series completed in 1886. Wherry's leadership at the theological seminary in Saharanpur produced pastoral leadership to north Indian churches, whom he exhorted to take part in evangelistic activities. His affinity for "controversy" with Muslims was evident in his tutelage, as his students would often engage in interreligious dialogue in bazaars and village itinerations.