Source: William Carey Publishing
Let the Earth Rejoice: How a Revolution in Worship Launched a Global Missions Movement, by Matthew Burden. William Carey Publishing, 2026. 196 pages.
Maybe you read the author’s previous book, Missionary Motivations, which explored what drove the early church to expand and suggests we would do well to rediscover those motives for ourselves. Loved that one!
Here, he moves forward to the eighteenth century, which began with a somewhat obscure group of churches (British Nonconformists) embracing congregational singing and ends with people like William Carey, coming from the same tradition, launching the Protestant mission movement. Could these two movements be related? And could we see theologically rich music fan fervor for the nations in our day, too?
This book is rooted in solid scholarship in the area of historical missiology but is not a difficult read. I haven’t finished it yet but am happy to recommend it.
Learn more or get the book from the publisher as a paperback or an ebook. While there, check out other new or upcoming titles from WCP.
Readers might also be interested in another new missions book, volume 2 of Liturgies and Laments for the Sojourner. If you missed it, there’s also a how-to book; see Crafting Liturgies for Life Abroad: A Guide to Processing Cross-Cultural Life Through Written Prayer. Each of these resources can help global workers put their feelings and experiences into words.