Soul by Soul - by Adriana Carranca (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

US-born Protestant evangelicalism has gone global to an extent of which many of us might be unaware. This book tells the story of Americans' colossal mobilization to proclaim Christianity "to the ends of the Earth," a movement that triumphed in the Global South, challenged the Vatican, then turned east in full force after 9/11 to spread the Gospel among Muslims. When the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq set off a wave of anti-American attacks and made the field too dangerous for US missionaries, thousands of disciples, particularly from Latin America, were mobilized to finish the task.

In Soul by Soul, journalist Adriana Carranca follows the pilgrimage of a missionary family from Brazil as they move to Afghanistan. Carranca brings us on a harrowing journey through the underground passages of the global evangelical movement as it clashes with the full force of militant Islamic groups in the Middle East and South Asia, where contemporary religious wars are being fought, soul by soul.

"A stunning achievement of both immersive reportage and rigorous research.... This is an extraordinary book." --Eliza Griswold, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Amity and Prosperity

Review Quotes

"For anyone puzzled by missionary zeal, Soul by Soul will enlighten.... Ms. Carranca writes with moving sympathy about people whose outlook she does not share. That alone makes the book worth reading." --Wall Street Journal

"Carranca's long-form journalism is serious, intimate, and gripping." --Christianity Today

"A remarkable non-judgmental look at Christian missionary work amongst Muslims.... Carranca's book is a helpful combination of a brief history of modern Protestant missions, a review of some concepts of missiology such as 'unreached people groups' and an excellent ethnographic survey of the modern movement of missionaries from Latin America to the Muslim world." --Evangelical Missions Quarterly

"An eye-opening look at a hidden reality of Evangelical missions." --Kirkus Reviews

"A breathtaking deep dive into a clandestine, high-stakes world of clashing religions." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Soul by Soul is a fascinating and gripping look at the secretive, risky campaign waged by Evangelical Christians to win over Muslim souls around the world." --Jon Lee Anderson, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life

"Soul by Soul is a stunning achievement of both immersive reportage and rigorous research. With integrity, eloquence and grace, Carranca tells the story of the secret networks of evangelical missionaries living and working in closed countries in the Muslim world, whose trust she earns over years of careful reporting in high-risk situations. At the same time, she traces the definitive history of the revolutionary transformation of Global Christianity and mission from the Northern Hemisphere to the Global South. This is an extraordinary book." --Eliza Griswold, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America