This thesis grew out of a study of the Zuni Indians in anthropology class at Abilene Christian College. When I found that the Church of Christ in Zuni was looking for a preacher, the opportunity seemed open to do my thesis on the Zunis. Hopefully the finished product can be used by those who wish a better understanding of anthropology and missionary principles,

I am indebted to the missions at Zuni for their co-operation in providing statistics to be used in the analysis. The Christian Reformed Church was especially helpful in this regard. Hopefully the missions can benefit from a study of their efforts by an outsider. I am also indebted to the Gallup Public Library which has an excellent collection of books about the Zunis. Special thanks go to the members of the Church of Christ at Blackrock who provided my wife and me with a place to live during our five month stay in Blackrock and who freely shared their knowledge about the Zunis. Thanks also go to our many friends who gave suggestions and information. Also I am indebted to the members of my thesis committee (Dr. George Gurganus, Dr. Tom Olbricht, and Wendell Broom), who not only gave valuable suggestions about the thesis, but who taught me much of what I know about this field.

Special thanks go to Curtis Cook. the Wycliffe Bible Translator at Zuni, who helped me to understand the culture of the Zunis as it exists today. He also helped me in the spelling of the Zuni words. May God bless His word as it is translated into the Zuni language. A very special thanks go to my wife, Barbara, who served as my typist and co-investigator and to whom this work is dedicated.

May this thesis be used to the glory of God and to the expansion of His church.

Bruce Terry
June 1971

Back to top | Next: List of Tables