Reformation
Europe's House Divided 1490-1700
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4.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $19.99
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
The Reformation was the seismic event in European history over the past 1000 years, and one which tore the medieval world apart. Not just European religion, but thought, culture, society, state systems, personal relations - everything - was turned upside down. Just about everything which followed in European history can be traced back in some way to the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation which it provoked. The Reformation is where the modern world painfully and dramatically began, and MacCulloch's great history of it is recognised as the best modern account.
Customer Reviews
Excellent, well written history of last 1000 years of Christianity
MacCulloch gives a great understanding to the antecedents of the Reformation, the Reformation itself, the Catholic Church's response, the rise of Protestantism, and provides insights and explanations into the good and terrible behaviours of the Christian as well as Judaist and Islamic religions from the Reformation onwards. The story of the Christian Church that he presents makes a good TV/movie pot boiler with powerful interests plotting and counter-ploting, scandals and cover-ups, conniving and dishonest players, twisted stories and acts, the less than honourable interactions between church and state - all confirming the artificialness (and unGod-like human engineering) of the Christian church. But also, there are examples of heroic and steadfast individuals willing to stand and die for their beliefs or positions. I recommend this book to both christians and atheists.