Carter Lindberg’s The European Reformations (Blackwell Publishing, 1996) provides a historical-theological look at Europe during the 1400-1600’s, especially the events surrounding the Protestant Reformation. Lindberg seeks to combine historical reporting with theological commentary, and for the most part, he succeeds. The result is one of the most important books on the Reformation to come out in the past 20 years.
The European Reformations tells the story of the Reformation chronologically, providing theological reflection and background for the battles that ensued. Lindberg also concentrates his book on geographical locations, devoting certain chapters to Germany, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, and England. He balances historical information with theological explanations – never leaving out the theological impetus for the Reformation, while also taking into consideration the political and social factors that pushed for revolution.
What makes Lindberg’s book stand out from other prominent works on the Reformation is the “s” in the title. He is aware that the Reformation was not a monolithic event, but a diverse uprising of pastor/theologians who were motivated by similar theological discoveries though they often disagreed on important doctrines of the faith. The differences between Luther and Zwingli on the Lord’s Supper or the relationship between church and state are seen in their context. Likewise, the Protestant “make-over” of England differs substantially from the Anabaptist movement in the Netherlands. The differences between the “reformations” are fascinating, and the serious historian must take them into account when studying this period of history.
Lindberg’s book is long and sometimes laborious, but this is because of the enormity of the information he must cover, not because of his writing style. For a good history of the Reformation that takes into account the theology that propelled the changes, The European Reformations is the book to own.
written by Trevin Wax © 2007 Kingdom People blog
