"The year 1810 marks the start of the North American foreign missions movement - a movement begun with typical American enthusiasm and vigor but in need of practical grounding. This volume explores important facets of the development of North American foreign missions, paying particular attention to the role that agencies such as the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions played in shaping the theology, theory, and policy of evangelistic activities overseas. Distinguished by its special focus on key developments taking place at the home base, this set of insightful studies sheds light on significant yet neglected topics, including the impact of slavery debates on foreign missions, the emergence of distinctive mission strategies for women, the role of the social gospel as a missionary ideology, and the contribution of foreign missions to the creation of a global evangelical network."--BOOK JACKET.