Protestant Empires: Globalizing the Reformations

This book offers a fresh perspective on the Protestant Reformations by integrating global Protestant experiences, comparing them to other world religions, charting colonial politics, and exploring how Europeans negotiated resulting ideas and identities. It highlights the importance of global interactions in shaping the history of the long Reformation in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 374 pages
Publication date: 07 March 2024
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Protestantism during the early modern period is often portrayed as a European narrative, with a limited understanding of its global significance. This volume seeks to challenge that perspective by presenting a novel framework for understanding the nature and impact of the Protestant Reformations. By integrating global Protestant experiences into accounts of the early modern world shaped by these movements, the book compares Protestant ideas and practices with other world religions, charts colonial politics and experiences, and explores how resulting ideas and identities were negotiated by Europeans at the time.

With a wide geographical and chronological scope, Protestant Empires offers a fresh approach to understanding the Protestant Reformations. It showcases selective model approaches that encourage readers to think anew and provides a roadmap for a multi-national and interconnected account of these significant historical events. The book demonstrates how global interactions and their effects on Europe have played a crucial role in the long Reformation of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

The volume brings together leading scholars from various disciplines, including history, theology, and religious studies, who offer insightful perspectives on the Protestant Reformations. They explore the diverse experiences of Protestants in different regions, such as Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia, and examine how these movements intersected with local cultures, politics, and social structures.

One of the key themes of the book is the impact of the Protestant Reformations on the development of national identities. The authors argue that the Reformation not only transformed religious practices but also shaped political ideologies and social structures, leading to the creation of new nation-states and the emergence of distinct national identities. They explore how Protestants in different regions negotiated their religious identities in the context of colonialism and imperialism, and how these negotiations shaped the course of history.

Another important aspect of the book is its comparison of Protestant ideas and practices with other world religions. The authors examine how Protestantism diverged from Catholicism and other Christian traditions, and how it influenced the development of new religious movements and ideologies, such as Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. They also explore how Protestantism interacted with non-Christian religions and cultures, and how it contributed to the spread of Christianity and the formation of global religious networks.

The book also charts the political and social consequences of the Protestant Reformations. The authors examine how the Reformation led to the division of Europe into Protestant and Catholic states, and how these divisions shaped political alliances, wars, and the spread of democracy and human rights. They also explore how the Reformation influenced the development of capitalism, individualism, and the scientific revolution, and how these changes contributed to the modern world.

In conclusion, Protestant Empires is a groundbreaking volume that offers a fresh and comprehensive perspective on the Protestant Reformations. By integrating global Protestant experiences into accounts of the early modern world, the book challenges traditional narratives and provides a valuable contribution to the study of religion, history, and global interactions. It will be of interest to scholars, students, and anyone interested in understanding the complex and multifaceted history of the Protestant Reformations and their global impact.

Weight: 544g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108794978