52 pages • 1 hour read
Elisabeth ElliotThrough Gates of Splendor
Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 1957A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Faith and Sacrifice
Among the central themes of Through Gates of Splendor is that of faith and sacrifice. The story of the five missionaries is understandable only through the lens of their Christian faith, which impels them to take the gospel message to those who have not yet heard it (See: Background). It is their faith in Jesus Christ—and the corollary belief in the gift of eternal life that stems from that faith—which motivates their choices in career, marriage, home, and, ultimately, in the plan that ends with their deaths. Believing that Jesus loved the Huaorani and died for their salvation, the five men were willing to sacrifice the dream of a typical life in their home country and to undertake cross-cultural travel and face danger and disease in order to make Christ known to those who had never heard the gospel. Their Christian faith is thus their deepest motivation and the lens through which they perceive everything in their lives. The personal, intimate, and emotional nature of this faith can be seen in one of the quotes that Elisabeth Elliot gives from her husband Jim’s diary:
