Structure of the Missionary Call to the Sandwich Islands, 1790-1830. Sojourners Among Strangers

"The significance of Wagner-Wright's monograph is that it succeeds in placing the missionaries within their own theological and cultural contexts, a departure from their usual depiction. This novel and bold approach dares to challenge conventional thinking regarding motives and impact by questioning previously accepted interpretations -- e.g., missionaries as colonialists or missionaries as zealots who force their world views upon a people too vulnerable to resist. . . . the author's generous use of primary material in the form of letters and journals affords the reader stimulating insight into what the missionaries were thinking and feeling and how they interacted with the Hawaiian culture which surrounded them. . . . represents a scholarly contribution to the fields of Hawaiian and New England history, 19th century American history, U.S. history, and Pacific history." - Marilyn L. Reppun in The Hawaiian Journal of History