The Genevan Réveil in International Perspective - by Jean D Decorvet & Tim Grass & Kenneth J Stewart (Paperback)

About the Book

"The nineteenth-century international religious movement known as the Râeveil had a major impact on Protestantism, and particularly on Evangelicalism. That impact is still evident today. Yet as a multi-faceted phenomenon, this movement has not received its due share of scholarly attention. This book offers a collection of essays exploring the international dimensions of the Genevan strand of the Râeveil, providing an overview of events and trends, outlining the careers of some of its key figures, and highlighting some of the areas in which it made a contribution to contemporary society. As the first such collection to focus on this movement, it brings together scholars from several countries with expertise in it various aspects." --

Book Synopsis

The nineteenth-century international religious movement known as the Reveil had a major impact on Protestantism, and particularly on Evangelicalism. That impact is still evident today. Yet as a multi-faceted phenomenon, this movement has not received its due share of scholarly attention. This book offers a collection of essays exploring the international dimensions of the Genevan strand of the Reveil, providing an overview of events and trends, outlining the careers of some of its key figures, and highlighting some of the areas in which it made a contribution to contemporary society. As the first such collection to focus on this movement, it brings together scholars from several countries, with expertise in its various aspects.

Review Quotes

"This groundbreaking volume describes a religious revival that spread far beyond Geneva--and which became the fulcrum for some of the most important developments in Evangelical cultures on both sides of the Atlantic. Including work from a wide range of experts, this volume balances definitive commentary with important new lines of enquiry."
--Crawford Gribben, professor of history, Queen's University Belfast

"The Réveil of Geneva in the years from 1817 onwards marked a revitalization of the city's Protestantism in a distinctly Evangelical form that was touched by the Romantic spirit. Led by strong personalities, the movement spread through much of western Europe and, by means of foreign missions, affected many parts of the world beyond. In this volume, twenty-one contributors--French-speaking as well as English-speaking--demonstrate its remarkable international influence."
--David Bebbington, emeritus professor of history, University of Stirling

"An important work by an impressive team of international scholars analyzing the broad reach of the Réveil in Switzerland and among the Reformed churches in southwestern France. The contributors show the wide reach of the movement beyond French-speaking territories and its implications for churches, missions, and agencies such as the Red Cross."
--Martin I. Klauber, affiliate professor of church history, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

"The landscape for studying the history of the Awakenings of Europe and America from the eighteenth into the nineteenth centuries will benefit immensely from the contribution of this groundbreaking book that traces the unfolding global reach of the francophone Réveil in Geneva, France, and beyond. Through the contributions of international experts, this volume provides refreshing insight and careful nuance to guide, illumine, and complicate our understanding of Protestant evangelization in the global story of Christianity."
--Jennifer Powell McNutt, associate professor of theology and history of Christianity, Wheaton College

"The Geneva Revival transformed the face of French-speaking Protestantism. This masterful and polyphonic book comes at the right time! Congratulations to Jean Decorvet, Tim Grass, and Kenneth Stewart for coordinating this work, the ultimate reference on the Geneva Réveil and its international impact."
--Sébastien Fath, research fellow, National Center for Scientific Research

About the Author

Tim Grass is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Until 2023 he was assistant editor for the Ecclesiastical History Society, and is a senior research fellow at Spurgeon's College, London.



Kennneth J. Stewart is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Until 2019, he was professor of theological studies in Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, Georgia.



Jean Decorvet is president and professor of theological studies at the Haute école de théologie, St-Légier, Switzerland. He is also a visiting professor in historical studies at the Faculté Jean Calvin.