The evangelical challenge of the 16th century was one of the seminal events of the last half millennium. In the course of a single century of religious discord, an integrated society of believers with shared values and common social and intellectual assumptions evolved into a continent divided by fundamental differences of belief, mentality, and religious practice. These divisions cut across existing hierarchies, national boundaries and social class. Few aspects of 16th century life were left untouched; the impact of the Reformation disputes would be enduring, shaping critical aspects of modern European society and reaching out, with the European conquests, to Asia and the Americas. In the past two decades, study of the Reformation has continued to develop and evolve. The dissolution of the European post-war settlement in 1989 has permitted, in particular, the rediscovery of cultural and political points of contact across areas of central Europe previously obscured by the divisions of the late 20th century. It is now gradually emerging that the Reformation was in many respects more successful looking eastward, than west.
This collection reflects both the classic building blocks of Reformation history, such as the writings of Luther and Calvin, and also the new historiography which has emerged in recent years. The material is organized so as to explore the thematic complexities of this all-encompassing movement, whilst giving due weight to developments in different parts of Europe including France, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, England and Scotland.