The Impact of the European Reformation: Princes, Clergy and People

In this study of the effects of the Reformation in Europe, Heal (St. Andrew's University, UK) and Grell (history, Open University, UK) gather together essays that provide a synthesis of results so that the reader may note the diversity of response. The editors have chosen a complementary group of papers that fulfill their goal of showing the many ways in which the Reformation changed Europe. The book is divided by the old classifications of society: those who fight, those who pray and those who work. The essays on princes, mainly in German-speaking lands, discuss relationships between rulers and ruled. The Protestant clergy is examined as it became an exemplar and enforcer of moral codes rather than a conduit for grace through the sacraments. The Catholic reaction is also shown, from the citizens of Augsburg, who learned to live with Protestants, to the formation of the Jesuits. The final section reminds us that religion may be codified but is, at base, a personal experience. The essays cover ancient beliefs in fairies, healing waters, and other manifestations of popular belief. On the other side of the coin, the role of the Reformation in the development of the science of astronomy and on the dissemination and content of printed books is also considered. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Dr Bridget Heal is a Lecturer at the University of St Andrews, UK and Professor Ole Grell is Professor in Early Modern History at the Open University, UK.