The British Missionary Enterprise Since 1700

"… this book fills a gap in the historiography of mission history by providing a one-volume history of modern British missions… This work deserves a place on the shelves of university libraries and should be consulted by specialists and readers interested in the history of Christian missions." Geordan Hammond (Manchester Wesley Research Centre and Nazarene Theological College)- H- Albion, H-Net Reviews
Missions are a topic of crucial importance in understanding the relationship between religion in Britain and the British Empire since 1700, as well as a significant part of the history of both modern Britain and the countries across that world that were visited by missionaries.
The British Missionary Enterprise since 1700 is unique in providing a one volume summary of the British missionary movement in the last three hundred years. It offers a balanced survey, viewing missionaries primarily as institution builders rather than imperialists or heroes of social reform. Jeffrey Cox examines both Britain as the home base of missions and the impact made by the missions abroad, while also evaluating the independent initiatives by African and Asian Christians. He emphasises the female- dominated nature of missionary ventures from Britain, and also examines the issue of missionary rhetoric. The book also makes comparisons between British missions and those from other predominantly Protestant countries including the United States.
This book brings a fresh and much needed overview to this large, fascinating and controversial subject, and will be of interest to all students of British history, religious history and religious studies.

Jeffrey Cox is Professor of History at the University of Iowa. His publications, The English Churches in a Secular Society and Imperial Fault Lines. Christianity and Colonial Power in India, 1818–1940 have established themselves as major works in the field.

1. Introduction. Religion and Empire in the Modern World 2. Confessional Improvisation 3. Voluntarist Improvisation 4. 'Little Detachments of Maniacs": Early Failures 5. The Home Base: Networks and Societies 6. Missionary Literature: The Defamation of the "Other" 7. The Missionary Hero and Missionary Institutions 8. The Growth of Mission Institutions before the Great War 9. Conflict and Consensus in Mission Institutions 10. Ecclesiastical Sprawl. The Triumph of Bricks and Mortar 11. Evangelicals and Unreached Peoples