A century ago, John R. Mott (1865-1955) was the most recognizable name among Christian student movement leaders on six continents. Working together with other leaders from around the world, Mott was instrumental in ministry of the YMCA, the World’s Student Christian Federation, and the Student Volunteer Movement. This article first discusses Mott’s contributions as a strategist and analyzes the nature of his expansive network. It concludes with an examination of some theological themes that appear most prominently in his writings and correspondence. The article also interrogates what the American Society of Missiology and related organizations might learn from a similar examination of our network and Mott’s theological reflections on the ‘larger Christ’.
AbrahamsHM (1922) Various Impressions of Turnov, April 8th-16th, 1922. WSCF papers, Record Group 46, Box 269, Folder 2273, (henceforth, 46: 269: 2273). New Haven, CT: Yale Divinity School Library.
2.
BarnesMC (1992) John R. Mott: A conversionist in a pluralist world. PhD Thesis, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
3.
BevansSB (2024) Community of Missionary Disciples: The Continuing Creation of the Church. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.
4.
BidgrainS (1921) Suzanne Bidgrain report concerning her visit to the United States from November 1, 1921 to December 22, 1921. WSCF papers, 46F: 213.06.7: 9. New Haven, CT: Yale Divinity School Library.
5.
ClymerJF (1886) Letter to John and Elmira Mott, May 5, 1886. John R. Mott papers, Record Group 45, Box 103, Folder 1803 (henceforth, 45: 103: 1803). New Haven, CT: Yale Divinity School Library.
6.
ColtonE (1964) Some World Service investment ratings, 1964 typescript manuscript. John R. Mott Papers, 45: 217: 3421. New Haven, CT: Yale Divinity School Library.
7.
DavisDA (1932) Letter to John R. Mott, October 13, 1932. John R. Mott Papers, 45: 19: 344. New Haven, CT: Yale Divinity School Library.
8.
de DietrichS (1915) Letter to John R. Mott, May 17, 1915. John R. Mott Papers, 45: 22: 388. New Haven, CT: Yale Divinity School Library.
9.
DevanesenC (1972) ‘Whither the Indian SCM,’ based on a sermon preached at Madras Christian College, March 12, 1972. John R. Mott Papers, 45: 217: 3422. New Haven, CT: Yale Divinity School Library.
10.
EngelE (2018) The ecumenical origins of pan-Africanism: Africa and the ‘Southern Negro’ in the International Missionary Council’s global vision of Christian indigenization in the 1920s. Journal of Global History13: 209–29.
11.
FarrellH (2018) Re-membering missiology: An invitation to an activist agenda. Missiology: An International Review46(1): 37–49.
12.
FergusonN (2018) The Square and the Tower: Networks and Power from the Freemasons to Facebook. New York, NY: Penguin Press.
13.
FranzenR (2008) Ruth Rouse among Students: Global, Missiological and Ecumenical Perspectives. Uppsala: Studia Missionalia Svecana CV.
14.
FriesK (1923) Letter to John R. Mott, January 23, 1923. John R. Mott Papers, 45: 29: 567. New Haven, CT: Yale Divinity School Library.
15.
GairdnerWHT (1910) Echoes from Edinburgh, 1910: An Account and Interpretation of the World Missionary Conference. New York, NY: Fleming H. Revell Co.
16.
GregoryJMcLeodH (2012) International Religious Networks. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press.
17.
GriffithSM (2018) The Fight for Asian American Civil Rights: Liberal Protestant Activism, 1900-1950. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.
18.
HartleyBL (2012) ‘That they All May be One’: John R. Mott’s contribution to Methodism, inter-religious dialogue, and racial reconciliation. Methodist Review4: 1–30.
19.
HartleyBL (2018) Saving students: European student relief in the aftermath of World War I. International Bulletin of Mission Research42(4): 295–315.
HerronGD (1892) The Larger Christ. New York, NY: Fleming H. Revel.
22.
HopkinsCH (1979) John R. Mott, 1865-1955: A Biography. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
23.
LenzFB (1928) John R. Mott – Christian statesman. Reprint from The Missionary Review of the World, December, 1928. Box 1, John R. Mott papers, Kautz Family YMCA Archives. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota.
24.
MillerFP (1971) Man from the Valley: Memoirs of a 20th Century Virginian. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press.
25.
MjagkijN (1994) Light in the Darkness: African Americans and the YMCA, 1852-1946. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky.
26.
MottJR (1890) Letter to parents, John and Elmira Mott, March 14, 1890. John R. Mott Papers, 45: 104: 1810. New Haven, CT: Yale Divinity School Library.
27.
MottJR (1906) John R. Mott letter to Jozua Naudѐ, June 1906. John R. Mott Papers, 45: 77: 1396. New Haven, CT: Yale Divinity School Library.
28.
MottJR (1910) John R. Mott letter to J. H. Oldham on February 16, 1910. John R. Mott Papers, 45: 63: 1169. New Haven, CT: Yale Divinity School Library.
29.
MottJR (1914) Letter to Anita McCormick Blaine, May 20, 1914. Box 517, Anita McCormick Blaine papers. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Historical Society.
30.
MottJR (1920) Letter to Charles Hurrey January 30, 1920. John R. Mott Papers, 45: 43: 791. New Haven, CT: Yale Divinity School Library.
31.
MottJR (1928a) Ideas that have been dynamic of God in my life all through these years, typescript document from 1928. Box 1, Kautz Family YMCA Archive, John R. Mott Papers. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota.
32.
MottJR (1928b) Letter to E. T. Colton, April 9,1928. John R. Mott Papers, 45: 16: 295. New Haven, CT: Yale Divinity School Library.
33.
MottJR (1937) Letter to Tracy Strong, December 14, 1937. Correspondence files, 1937-1938, World’s YMCA archive, Geneva, Switzerland.
34.
MottJR (1939) Letter to Owen E. Pence, November 24, 1939. John R. Mott Papers, 45: 211: 3336. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
35.
MottJR (1941) Letter to Suzanne de Diѐtrich, June 9, 1941. John R. Mott Papers, 45: 22: 388. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
36.
MottJR (1944a) The Larger Evangelism: The Sam P. Jones Lectures at Emory University, 1944. New York, NY: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press.
37.
MottJR (1944b) Address at the memorial service for Fletcher Sims Brockman, November 1944. Fletcher Brockman biographical files, Box 22, Folder 1. Kautz Family YMCA Archives. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota.
38.
MottJR (1946) Remarks of the General Secretary at the opening of the conference of the Federation at Constantinople, Turkey, 1911. In: MottJR (ed.) Addresses and Papers of John R. Mott, Vol. 2. New York, NY: Association Press, pp.124–129.
39.
MottJR (1947) Addresses and Papers of John R. Mott: Volume Six: Selected Papers and Addresses on Evangelistic, Spiritual, and Ecumenical Subjects and the Outreach of Life and Influence. New York, NY: Association Press.
40.
ParkerM (2008) The Kingdom of Character: The Student Volunteer Movement for Missions (1886-1926). Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library.
41.
PenceOE (1939) Current Developments in the North American Young Men’s Christian Associations – with special reference to World Service programs. John R. Mott Papers, 45: 211: 3336. New Haven, CT: Yale Divinity School Library.
42.
Porter (1928) Letter from David Porter to John R. Mott, July 17, 1928. John R. Mott Papers, 45: 71: 1295. New Haven, CT: Yale Divinity School Library.
43.
RosenbergESIriyeAOsterhammelJ (2012) A World Connecting: 1870-1945. New York, NY: Belknap Press.
44.
RouseR (1911) Letter to John R. Mott, June 9, 1911. John R. Mott Papers, 45: 77: 1391. New Haven, CT: Yale Divinity School Library.
45.
RussellN (2009) Fellow Workers with God: Orthodox Thinking on Theosis. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press.
46.
RutgersH (1911) Letter to John R. Mott, June 22, 1911. John R. Mott Papers, 45: 77: 1406. New Haven, CT: Yale Divinity School Library.
47.
RyrieA (2012) John Knox’s international network. In: GregoryJMcLeodH (eds) International Religious Networks. Rochester, NY: Boydell Press, pp.96–115.
48.
SmithG (2004) Oxford 1937: The Universal Christian Council for Life and Work Conference. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.
49.
StanleyB (2018) Christianity in the Twentieth Century: A World History. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
50.
StrongT (1965) Dr. John R. Mott: The greatest awakener of souls in this generation. Box 1, folder ‘Biographical Sketches, 1965’. John R. Mott Papers, Kautz Family YMCA Archives. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota.
51.
StroopC (2018) ‘A Christian solution to international tension’: Nikolai Berdyaev, the American YMCA, and Russian Orthodox influence on western Christian anti-communism, c. 1905-60. Journal of Global History13: 188–208.
52.
ThompsonMG (2015) For God and Globe: Christian Internationalism in the United States Between the Great War and the Cold War. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
53.
TrawickAM (1914) The New Voice in Race Adjustments: Addresses and Reports Presented at the Negro Christian Student Conference, Atlanta, May 14-18 1914. New York, NY: Student Volunteer Movement.
54.
Unknown author (1965) Biographical sketches from 1965. Box 1. John R. Mott papers, Kautz Family YMCA Archives. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota.
55.
Visser ‘t HooftW (1965) Transcript (from tape-recording) of Dr. Visser ‘t Hooft speech on the occasion of the John Mott celebrations, 25 May, 1965. Box 1. John R. Mott Papers, Kautz Family YMCA Archive. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota.
56.
WhiteRC (1990) Liberty and Justice for All: Racial Reform and the Social Gospel. New York, NY: Harper & Row.
57.
WomackDF (2017) A View from the Muslim Arabic Press, 1928: The International Missionary Conference in Jerusalem. Exchange: Journal of Contemporary Christianities in Context46(2): 180–205.
58.
YMCA (1931) Some urgent matters for pre-convention discussion and intelligent convention action: The forty-third international convention of the Young Men’s Christian Associations of North America, to be held in conjunction with the twentieth world conference, Cleveland, Ohio, August 4-9, 1931. John R. Mott Papers, 45: 211: 3335. New Haven, CT: Yale Divinity School Library.
