Titus Coan

“This book opened my eyes to Titus’ remarkable life as a cofounder of Hawaiian evangelism in the native environment of the mid-nineteenth century. Corr brilliantly interweaves disparate source materials to illuminate Titus’ enthusiasm and intense devotion to the Hawaiian community through his commitment to the evangelical mission, and its profound effect on those he served. One can’t help but find it uplifting and illuminating.”


—Edward J. Coan, great-great-grandson of Titus Coan





“A long-overdue comprehensive biography of American missionary Titus Coan, who in East Hawaii Island in the late 1830s gathered the largest congregation in the Protestant world of his day. Through exhaustive research, Corr presents a multifaceted look at the complex character of Coan as the revivalist; the man, husband, and father; the pioneering volcanologist; and surprisingly, the peace advocate.”


—Christopher Cook, author of The Providential Life & Heritage of Henry Obookiah





“The lessons Coan wrote about 130 years ago helped me immensely as I church planted my first church in Hawaii. Even today, Coan’s thoughts and mentorship through his writings continue to inspire me and help me as a leader. I will forever be grateful for his penned insight and for his love for the precious people of Hawaii.”


—Wayne Cordeiro, author of Doing Church as a Team





“Corr has spent many years researching the life and ministry of Titus Coan. . . . Corr has assimilated Coan’s autobiography, personal correspondence, mission reports, articles, books, and existing research into a comprehensive and focused study. Titus Coan’s biography will greatly enhance the understanding of the spiritual, political, and historical impact of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and the Sandwich Islands Mission.”


—Alan Tamashiro, Senior Pastor, Puna Baptist Church





“Titus Coan . . . was a vital force in the development of a Protestant community in the islands. Yet despite his centrality, Coan has never received a full-on biography—until now. The wait was worth it, for Corr has written a strong, deeply researched, nuanced, and ultimately celebratory analysis of Coan’s life and faith-based activism.”


—Char Miller, author of Fathers and Sons: The Bingham Family and the American Mission





“Drawing upon years of research, Corr provides us with an excellent biography of Titus Coan. . . . A devotee of revivalism, Coan brought revivalist techniques to Hawaii, and Corr shows how the missionary used those techniques to spark the islands’ Great Awakening in the 1830s. In addition to focusing on Coan’s religiosity, Corr focuses on the missionary’s scientific acumen, painting a broad portrait of Coan that will be of lasting value.”


—Clifford Putney, author of Missionaries in Hawai‘i: The Lives of Peter and Fanny Gulick, 1797–1883