Alec Ryrie (Durham University) will discuss his book The World’s Reformation: How Protestantism Became a Global Religion (Yale University Press, 2026) alongside commentators Charles Parker (Saint Louis University); Carla Pestana (University of California, Los Angeles); and Erin Rowe (Johns Hopkins University).
From the publisher
A vivid history of how Protestantism was spread across the globe, from the 16th to the 18th 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.
Inaugurated in 1980, the Jay P. Dolan Seminar in American Religion convenes each semester at the University of Notre Dame to discuss a notable book recently published in the field. Along with faculty and graduate students from Notre Dame, scholars from throughout the Midwest and beyond travel to campus to attend as invited guests of the Cushwa Center. Joining the list of authors whose work has been chosen for the Dolan Seminar is recognized as a distinct honor among scholars of American religion.
Subscribe for the latest news and updates from the Cushwa Center.