Constance E. Padwick

Who was Constance E. Padwick?

Constance Evelyn Padwick known as Paddie by her friends was born at the Manor House, West Thorney, Sussex, England and grew up near Chichester, in the English countryside as well as in London. She was educated at home and then further trained as a teacher. She was known as one of the leading British women missionaries and one of the first women missiologists in the twentieth century who also worked with Church Mission Society for several years. She lived and worked in Cairo, Egypt and traveled to many different places from Fez to Lahore. In 1947 when conditions were bad because of the war she was asked to leave Jerusalem and went to Kordofan in Sudan. Padwick prepared textbooks for Christian schools for three years and then moved to Istanbul and then returned to England in 1957. She spent almost forty years in the Middle East where she developed her knowledge of Arabic and her knowledge of Mosques and devotees helped her write her best known published book which is the Muslim Devotions: A Study of Prayer-Manuals in Common Use.