Book contents
- The Cambridge Companion to American Protestantism
- Cambridge Companions to Religion
- The Cambridge Companion to American Protestantism
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part I Historical Overview
- Part II The Religious Culture of American Protestantism
- 5 Bible, Doctrine, and Theology
- 6 Worship and Preaching
- 7 Education
- 8 Work and Vocation
- 9 Politics and Government
- 10 Temperance
- 11 Gender, Sexuality, and Marriage
- 12 From Slavery to Black Lives Matter: American Protestants and Race
- 13 Faith Healing and Modern Medicine
- 14 Mental Illness
- 15 Protestant-Catholic Ecumenism and the Meanings of American Freedom
- 16 Missions
- Part III Theological Traditions
- Selected Bibliography
- Index
- Cambridge Companions to Religion (continued from page ii)
16 - Missions
from Part II - The Religious Culture of American Protestantism
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 May 2022
- The Cambridge Companion to American Protestantism
- Cambridge Companions to Religion
- The Cambridge Companion to American Protestantism
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part I Historical Overview
- Part II The Religious Culture of American Protestantism
- 5 Bible, Doctrine, and Theology
- 6 Worship and Preaching
- 7 Education
- 8 Work and Vocation
- 9 Politics and Government
- 10 Temperance
- 11 Gender, Sexuality, and Marriage
- 12 From Slavery to Black Lives Matter: American Protestants and Race
- 13 Faith Healing and Modern Medicine
- 14 Mental Illness
- 15 Protestant-Catholic Ecumenism and the Meanings of American Freedom
- 16 Missions
- Part III Theological Traditions
- Selected Bibliography
- Index
- Cambridge Companions to Religion (continued from page ii)
Summary
Overall, American Protestants have demonstrated a strong commitment to global missions and missionary work throughout their history, urging the importance of converting others to Protestant Christianity. This emphasis began during the early days of American settlement by Europeans, with mission efforts among Native Americans, those of African descent, and eventually overseas groups. American Protestant mission efforts peaked during the modern missionary movement of the nineteenth century, with thousands of missionaries – including women and students – serving around the world with strong support from churches and mission boards. During the twentieth century, support for missions among mainline Protestants declined because of secularism and religious pluralism, while evangelical Protestants undertook innovative new forms of missions. Throughout the centuries, a commitment to missions has both reflected and shaped American Protestant self-understanding.
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- The Cambridge Companion to American Protestantism , pp. 297 - 312Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022