Abstract:

IIn the 19th century, many missionary organizations effectively infiltrated Ottoman society through their missionary activities. Among these organizations, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM), which has been active in Ottoman lands since 1820, stands out as an important missionary institution. Within the framework of its missionary activities, the ABCFM meticulously gathered information about the daily life of Ottoman society and sought to establish meaningful ties with them through educational, health and especially publishing initiatives. The ABCFM primarily focused on non-Muslim communities in Ottoman society, including the Karamanli Orthodox community, which was perceived as Greek due to their religious affiliation. The ABCFM aimed to succeed by converting all target groups, including the Karamanlides, to the Protestant faith. However, achieving this goal depended on their persuasiveness. Therefore, this study focuses on the compliance of ABCFM publications with the principles of persuasion. For this purpose, Angeliaforos Çocuklar İçün (The Messenger for Children), an illustrated children's magazine that ABCFM missionaries began publishing in Istanbul as the Greek-lettered Turkish equivalent of the Armenian-lettered Turkish Avedaper, was selected as a case study. The study analyzed the first volume of Angeliaforos Çocuklar İçün in 1872 in terms of the principles of persuasion. The findings show that the ABCFM largely adhered to the principles of persuasion in Angeliaforos Çocuklar İçün. The findings show that ABCFM adhered to persuasive principles to a great extent in Angeliaforos Çocuklar İçün. This result can be interpreted as an indication that ABCFM was very meticulous in their publications and that their success was not accidental.