World''s Reformation - How Protestantism Became a Global Religion

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.

About the author

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.

Product details

• Authors: Alec Ryrie
• Publisher: Yale University Press Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 14.04.2026
• EAN: 9780300279047
• ISBN: 978-0-300-27904-7
• No. of pages: 576
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > General, dictionaries; Europe, European History, HISTORY / Europe / General, HISTORY / World, Social & cultural history, RELIGION / Christianity / History, Christianity, General & world history, History of Religion, Relating to indigenous peoples, General and world history