Religion versus Empire? British Protestant Missionaries and Overseas Expansion, 1700-1914

This is the only book that addresses the relations between religion, Protestant missions, and empire building, linking together all three fields of study by taking as its starting point the early eighteenth century Anglican initiatives in colonial North America and the Caribbean. It considers how the early societies of the 1790s built on this inheritance, and extended their own interests to the Pacific, India, the Far East, and Africa. Fluctuations in the vigor and commitment of the missions, changing missionary theologies, and the emergence of alternative missionary strategies, are all examined for their impact on imperial expansion. Other themes include the international character of the missionary movement, Christianity's encounter with Islam, and major figures such as David Livingstone, the state and politics, and humanitarianism, all of which are viewed in a fresh light.

Andrew Porter is Rhodes Professor of Imperial History at Kings College, London.

Acknowledgements * Abbreviations * Introduction * Missionary practice and precedents, 1701-1789 * The reorganisation of missionary enterprise, 1790-1812 * Missions, governments and empire: the terms of engagement, 1800-1830 * Missionary religion and secular influences: Christianity, commerce and civilisation, 1800-1830 * International networks in the missionary movement, 1815-1850 * The new wave: Missionary expansion and plans for the future, 1834-1850 * Missionary goals, colonial experience, and the waning of enthusiasm, 1850-1870 * New directions: the challenge of faith missions, China and Islam * Missionary traditions, 1860-1895: adaptations and consequences (1) * Missionary traditions, 1860-1895: adaptations and consequences (2) * Beyond the centeneries: missions versus empire, 1890-1914 * Conclusion: the anti imperialism of missions? * Select bibliography