Missionaries and Medicine Men: A Study of Lutheran Mission and Apache Resistance

Abstract

Curt S. Backhaus explores the complex and often fraught relationship between Wisconsin Synod Lutheran missionaries and the Western Apache people from the late 19th to the mid-20th century. The essay details the cultural, linguistic, and spiritual barriers that missionaries faced, including deep-rooted suspicion of white settlers and the powerful influence of Apache medicine men. Through two phases of mission work—initial groundwork and later expansion—Backhaus highlights the missionaries’ evolving strategies, including education, camp outreach, and expressions of Christian love. The essay also examines the rise of syncretic religious movements, particularly the teachings of Silas John Edwards, whose fusion of Christian symbols and Apache ritual posed significant challenges to Lutheran outreach. Ultimately, Backhaus presents a nuanced account of perseverance, spiritual conflict, and the transformative power of the Gospel among the Apache. —Abstract prepared by Microsoft Copilot (GPT-4)