From Pulpit to Press: William G. Schauffler (1798-1883) and the Institutionalisation of American Missions Among Ottoman Jews, Sabbateans and Turks

Abstract:One of the major goals of the American missionary activities in the nineteenth century was to evangelise and enlighten the Orient. Having lived in the Ottoman Empire for over forty years and well-versed in more than ten languages, William Gottlieb Schauffler (1798-1883) was one of the longest-serving and most influential Protestant missionaries to achieve this religious and secular American dream in the Middle East. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the life and legacy of Schauffler, emphasising his pivotal role in establishing and institutionalising American Protestant missions among Ottoman Jews, Sabbateans and Turks. It also evaluates his substantial contributions to the translation of both secular and religious texts, including dictionaries and Holy Scriptures, from German, English, and Hebrew into the vernacular languages of Ladino and Turkish in the nineteenth-century Ottoman Empire. Drawing on missionary archival records and scanty Ottoman documents, the article argues that Schauffler, through his passionate and solitary efforts, helped to institutionalise American missions, targeting mainly Jews and Dönmes within the Ottoman Empire. As such, Schauffler's life and endeavours warrant distinctive recognition in the historiography of Ottoman Jews and Sabbateans.