[AMERICAN EVANGELISM IN THE LEVANT] الحكمة الإلهية في تخليص الجبلة البشرية. بالرخصة الرسمية من مجلس معارف ولاية سورية [i.e., Philosophy of the plan of salvation. With the official permission of the Council of Education of the Noble Province of Syria]

WALKER, JAMES BARR (1805-1887).

Tubi’a fî Matba’at al-Amrîkân bi-Nafaqat Jam‘iyyat al-Karârîs al-Barîtâniyyah, Beyrut, 1877.

Complete title: [AMERICAN EVANGELISM IN THE LEVANT] الحكمة الإلهية في تخليص الجبلة البشرية. بالرخصة الرسمية من مجلس معارف ولاية سورية الجليلة / Al-hikmah al-ilâhiyyah fî takhlîs al-jibillah al-bashariyyah. Bi-rukhsah al-rasmiyyah min Majlis Ma’ârif Wilâyat Sûriyya al-Jalîlah [i.e., Philosophy of the plan of salvation. With the official permission of the Council of Education of the Noble Province of Syria].

Contemporary brown cloth. 12mo (17.5 x 11.5 cm). In Arabic. 142 pp. Corners of the boards bumped, spine and corners faded, interior clean. Overall, a very good copy.

The first edition of this first translation of Walker’s “Philosophy of the Plan of Salvation”, printed by the American Press in Beirut with the financial support of the British Tract Society. Anonymously translated, the book discussing the insufficiency of human reason alone to achieve salvation and arguing for the necessity of divine intervention through Christ was likely distributed in Protestant mission schools, possibly within institutions like the Syrian Protestant College (later AUB), Protestant churches, or evangelical networks in Lebanon and Syria.

The book was printed with the official permission of the Council of Education of the Noble Province of Syria. This official approval from the Ottoman authorities (Meclis-i Ma‘arif of Syria) is significant because Protestantism was not the dominant Christian tradition in the region, where Maronite Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Muslims were the majority. The involvement of both American and British missionary organizations suggests this book was part of a coordinated Protestant evangelization and educational strategy in the Ottoman Empire.

American evangelism in the Middle East began in the early 19th century with the arrival of Protestant missionaries, primarily from the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) and later the Presbyterian and Congregational Churches. Their mission focused on spreading Christianity, education, and social reform.

Missionaries established schools, hospitals, and printing presses, with Beirut serving as a key centre. The American Press in Beirut became a major publisher of Arabic Christian literature, including Bibles and theological works. One of their most enduring contributions was the founding of the Syrian Protestant College in 1866, later renamed the American University of Beirut (AUB), which played a crucial role in modernizing education in the Arab world.

Philosophy of the Plan of Salvation by Rev. James Barr Walker is a theological work that explores the rationality and necessity of divine revelation and Christian salvation. Originally published in the mid-19th century, the book presents a logical and philosophical argument for the Christian doctrine of salvation, emphasizing the moral and spiritual needs of humanity. Walker discusses the insufficiency of human reason alone to achieve salvation and argues for the necessity of divine intervention through Christ. The work is considered an apologetic text, aiming to defend and explain Christian beliefs in a systematic and reasoned manner.

As of May 2025, OCLC lists only one copy, held by the National Library of Israel (1399456906). The Arabic Union Catalogue (AUC) also records a single copy. No copies are held by any American or European libraries.