"An important study of a remarkable 19th-century American."-- Choice "Prothero has succeeded in creating a portrait of Olcott that will shape future scholarship. Engaging and succinct."-- Gnosis Magazine "The first scholarly biographical study of [this] influential figure; its use of "creolization" theory adds to ongoing conversations about how to understand contact, colonialism, and conversion."-- Religious Studies Review "A meticulous story of a very colorful subject. In the process, [Prothero] assists the understanding of religious pluralism in our current age."-- Church History "Prothero's study should interest not only scholars in the field but students of Asian religions and American religious history generally."-- Journal of American History.