User:Jeribrainard/Peter Gordon Gowing

Peter Gordon Gowing(1930-1983) is known for his work as a missionary to the Muslims in the Philippines and for his contributions in academic writings for Christian-Muslim relations. Peter Gowing was born in Massachusetts, USA and died unexpectedly in 1983 at only 53 years of age. He was credited as being a gatherer of people of different faiths in his work as a missionary.

Education
Peter received his B.A. and M.A. degrees after graduating from the University of Maine. Later on, he attended Boston University where he earned his Th.D. and then went to Syracuse University where he earned his Ph.D. in Social Science. Peter was ordained within the United Church denomination of Protestantism as a minister.

Career
In 1955, Peter Gowing was appointed as chaplain to the U.S. Atantic Fleet. He was sent to the Middle East aboard the flagship of that Fleet. In 1960, the United Church Board for World Ministries sent him as a missionary to the Silliman University, Dumaguete City, Phililppines where he became a faculty member. Peter served in the Silliman University for eleven years. He filled the positions of the Professor of World Religions and History, Professor of Church History and Christian Doctrine, and founder and first Director of the Silliman Southeast Asian Studies Program. In 1971, he transferred to the South East Asia Graduate School of Theology in Singapore. In 1974, he transferred again to the new Dansalan Research Center in Marawi City, Philippines. This Center mainly focused on problems that developed due to the Muslim-Christian relations in the Philippines. The Center offered informational courses on Islam and the Muslim Filipino culture and history. Through research, education and dialogue, Peter Gowing as the Director sought to ease tensions between Christians and Muslims and strived for justice and peace, especially among the Maranao Muslims in the Lake Lanao region where the Center was located. The Center now houses the unique Maisie Van Vactor Collection of materials on Filipino Muslims.

On top of these many accomplishments, Peter was involved with the “Dansalan Quarterly” as editor and stepped in as an interim pastor at the Marawi City Congregation of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines.

Writings by Peter Gowing

 * Islands Under the Cross: The Story of the Church in the Philippines
 * Mosque and Moro: A study of Muslims in the Philippines
 * Muslim Filipinos: Heritage and Horizon
 * Muslim Filipinos between integration and secession
 * Mandate in Moroland
 * Acculturation in the Philippines: Essays on Changing Societies
 * Christianity in the Philippines Yesterday and Today
 * Frontiers of the Christian World Mission (1962)
 * Past and present postures in Christian-Muslim relations in insular Southeast Asia

Co-Authored:
 * The Muslims Filipinos: Their History, Society and Contemporary Problems (1974) Peter G. Gowing and Robert D. Mcamis
 * Islam and Muslims: Some Basic Information (1981) by Michael J. Diamond and Peter G. Gowing