Andrew Fuller (1754–1815) was a pastor whose ministry coincided with the revitalization of the English Calvinistic Baptist denomination of which he was a distinguished member. He was a pathbreaking theologian, apologist, and spiritual biographer, who throughout his career remained rooted in the local church. Yet despite his multiple achievements, Fuller was probably best known at the end of his life as a pioneering missionary statesman. He was one of the founders and principal advocates of the Baptist Missionary Society, serving as the new society’s secretary from its inception in 1792 until his death. His Apology for the Late Christian Missions to India was published in 1808 to defend the BMS missionaries from those who wanted them recalled from ‘British India’ for damaging colonial interests. In the Apology, Fuller shares his passion for overseas cross-cultural mission, a passion which came to define his ministry for many of his contemporaries and also, to a significant degree, for subsequent generations. In the Apology Fuller advocates on their behalf. This new edition of the Apology includes a 30,000-word introduction setting the context, and full notes on the text itself. It is of interest to theologians and missiologists as well as specialists in the history of Christian cross-cultural mission, colonialism, and the intersection between the two.

Calvinism and its impact upon Baptist and other free-church traditions is an issue of perennial importance. Indeed, much ink has been employed throughout the years for the purpose of considering just this topic. Obviously Calvinism is a complete doctrinal system, and it bears upon many other areas of theological concern beyond the doctrine of salvation. While many Baptists have had a long and historic association with Calvinistic soteriology, Calvinism's approach to ecclesiology and missiology should leave most self conscious Baptists dissatisfied at best. This book provides a missiological comparison of Fullerism and Calvinism. Andrew Fuller or Fullerism (while admittedly a form of Calvinism) is shown in this book to be an exciting and vibrant alternative to historic Reformed theology-particularly for Baptists and other free-church traditions. Fuller made a tremendous theological contribution in his day; through his writings he established the doctrinal rationale for indiscriminate gospel proclamation (a concept that was heavily under attack in eighteenth-century Baptist life). Consequently, this book hopes to encourage its readers to contemplate the lack of precision in the term "Calvinism" when used as a Baptistic nomenclature and to promote "Fullerism" (with its acute missiological emphasis) as a more helpful theological descriptor for the Baptist.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1859.