That revolutions come in waves is a commonly recognized feature of history, yet has been under theorized in the sociology of revolution. This dissertation argues that the solution to the puzzle of revolutionary waves lies in two aspects of revolution relatively neglected by previous state-centered accounts: revolutionary waves are both ideological events, with clear ideational and cultural components, and transnational events, with origins and dynamics exogenous to any single society. The study first reviews prior accounts of revolution and revolutionary waves to show the structural and material focus of state-centered theory. Next, the study proposes a general model of revolutionary waves drawn from a view of ideology as an integral part of the social and political order that is structured by exogenous cultural conditions. Specifically, revolutionary waves occur as the dynamics of world culture strain states and empower oppositional mobilizations from below. Accordingly, a dual model of state capacity which includes the non-material capabilities of regimes, termed absorption, is proposed. The dual model is illustrated by consideration of contention during the 16 ^th century Radical Reformation in Europe. The study then considers the direct correspondence of international systemic conditions and revolutionary waves with the example of the Atlantic Revolutions and multivariate analyses of five hundred years of European revolutions. Results indicate support for the proposition that revolutionary waves occur as world culture expands. Next, the spread of contemporary radical Islam is interpreted in light of the proposed theoretical model. Finally, general implications for the study of contentious politics are discussed, including parallel eras of globalization and contention.