In 1948, joining the wave of post-World War II evangelical missionary activism, the small, nondenominational Church of Christ from Lubbock, Texas, decided to establish its own mission in Italy. The missionaries believed that by promoting religious freedom, they would help spread democracy and American values. But they were also motivated by fervent anti-Catholicism and a conviction that they could challenge the Vatican's near monopoly on religion in Italy. Their zeal and naivety were met with a harsh response from the Catholic Church and its allies within the Italian government. At the same time, the omnipresent Cold War soon forced all the actors involved to adapt their strategies and rhetoric to leverage the situation to their advantage.

‘Del Pero significantly enhances our understanding of debates evolving around religious freedom and Catholic power; communism and Italy’s democratic future; and local politics and American influence in early Cold War Italy. Beautifully crafted, this book makes an important contribution to the histories of the spiritual Cold War, transnational work on US evangelicalism, and US-Italian relations.’

Uta Balbier - author of Altar Call in Europe: Billy Graham, Mass Evangelism, and the Cold-War West

‘Deeply researched and theoretically sophisticated, this book is transnational history at its best. Del Pero tells a fascinating ‘small’ story that throws light on Cold War politics, anti-Catholic sentiment, diplomatic history, and US-European relations. It is a great read and a quite valuable contribution by one of the very best historians of the US in the world.’

Melani McAlister - Professor of American Studies and International Affairs, George Washington University

‘Through the application of micro historical methods and frameworks, Del Pero explores the remarkable story of a group of evangelical missionaries in post-WWII Italy who naively attempted to launch an ambitious program of evangelization, only to encounter the harsh reprisal of the Catholic Church and its allies within the Italian government. Del Pero shows how the history of the ‘small’ can be anything but a small history.’

Andrew Preston - author of Total Defense: The New Deal and the Invention of National Security

‘Del Pero’s research sheds light on important yet frequently overlooked aspects of post-WWII Italy: Protestant missionary effort and Catholic anti-Protestantism. Through a combination of micro-history and global history, this volume emphasises the complexity of Italy's political, cultural and religious landscape during the Cold War, as well as the ambiguity surrounding the encounter between Catholic Italy and the American way of life.’

Paolo Zanini - University of Milan