A01=Alec Ryrie
africa
asia
Author_Alec Ryrie
bible
Calvin
Category=NHB
Category=NHD
Category=NHTB1
Category=QRAX
Category=QRM
Category=QRMB3
Catholic
conversion
cross-cultural
dutch
eq_bestseller
eq_history
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eq_isMigrated=2
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eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
foundations of empire
french
german
global
gospel
imperialism
indigenous
indonesia
Luther
mission
missionaries
native american
Protestant
Reformation
salvation
swiss
Product details
- ISBN 9780300279047
- Dimensions: 152 x 235mm
- Publication Date: 26 May 2026
- Publisher: Yale University Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
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A vivid history of how Protestantism was spread across the globe, from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century
Protestantism revolutionised early modern Europe. Radical theologians transformed the lives of thousands across the continent, irrevocably changing politics and society. But what about beyond Europe’s borders? Was global Christianity just a Catholic endeavour?
Alec Ryrie explores the untold history of how Protestants tried to spread their religion abroad, from Lapland to Chile and Barbados to Taiwan. At the story’s heart are the non-Christian people whom Protestants met more often than any others during this period: those they had enslaved in the Americas, Africa, and eastern Asia. We see how Protestants dealt with, or evaded, the moral failure of the slave trade, and how their missionary efforts were disappointments at best, utter fiascos at worst.
Their world Reformation, its failures, and its consequences for both good and ill, has largely been forgotten. This fascinating history makes the case for why it is worth remembering.
Protestantism revolutionised early modern Europe. Radical theologians transformed the lives of thousands across the continent, irrevocably changing politics and society. But what about beyond Europe’s borders? Was global Christianity just a Catholic endeavour?
Alec Ryrie explores the untold history of how Protestants tried to spread their religion abroad, from Lapland to Chile and Barbados to Taiwan. At the story’s heart are the non-Christian people whom Protestants met more often than any others during this period: those they had enslaved in the Americas, Africa, and eastern Asia. We see how Protestants dealt with, or evaded, the moral failure of the slave trade, and how their missionary efforts were disappointments at best, utter fiascos at worst.
Their world Reformation, its failures, and its consequences for both good and ill, has largely been forgotten. This fascinating history makes the case for why it is worth remembering.
Alec Ryrie is professor of the history of Christianity at Durham University. He is the author of numerous books, including Protestants, Unbelievers, and the double prize-winning Being Protestant in Reformation Britain. He was elected a fellow of the British Academy in 2019.
