Monday, December 12, 2016

The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World (Stephen Nichols)


We rapidly approach 2017, and with it, the 500th anniversary of The Reformation.  In his book of the same name, Stephen Nichols gives a brief overview of the primary personalities, events, and/or movements in select countries and how they shaped Reformation efforts in those areas.  After an introduction to the Reformation and why it matters today, he discusses:

- Martin Luther (Germany)
- Ulrich Zwingli (Switzerland)
- Conrad Grebel and the Anabaptists (Switzerland)
- John Calvin (Switzerland)
- King Henry VIII, the Anglicans, and John Knox (UK)
- The Puritans (England and America)
- Prominent women of the Reformation (multiple countries)

The book was a solid introduction.  Each chapter (sort of) stands alone, so it's not one interwoven narrative.  That's both good and bad- it makes it easy to read selectively, but also felt choppy in places, and it ended abruptly (with no overall conclusion).  It's a favorable treatment to be sure; at times it even felt a little defensive (especially of the Puritans and their beliefs; the author argues that they're misrepresented in current culture).  But it's a quick read (128 pages), and it's good for those wanting an introduction to this seminal event in history.

Rating: A-

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