The Essence of the Reformation

Corruption in the church. Political turmoil and intrigue. A clash of new ideas and ancient pagan religions. Courageous and extraordinary individuals. Doctrinal disputes that were matters of life and death.

Welcome to 'the Reformation', that explosive period of European history from 1517 to the turn of the century. The Reformation determined the shape of our modern world, and yet many people today, even Christians, have very little idea of even the basic events and people involved.

In this introductory book, Kirsten Birkett brings us the essence of the Reformation—the social and religious soil in which it grew, the events and people that shaped it, and the ideas and doctrines for which many of them died.

This new edition includes three classic works from the Reformation: Martin Luther on freedom, John Calvin on prayer, and Thomas Cranmer on salvation.

Recommendation from D.A. Carson:
"I do not know any book that more succinctly gets across, in readable prose, what the Reformation was about. This new edition combines Birkett's superb text with some judiciously selected primary documents. This is a book to distribute widely among lay leaders and other Christians who want to be informed of the heritage of the gospel that has come down to us."

Recommendation from Carl Trueman:
"The reissue of Kirsten Birkett's introduction to the Reformation is to be welcomed. Kirsten is one of the most thoughtful voices in contemporary Anglican evangelical theology, and has written with enviable grace, lucditiy and insight, on a variety of cultural, theological, and historical issues. Here, she guides the reader through the main events of the sixteenth century, demonstrating sensitivity to social, political and, above all, theological factors. the addition of primary texts by Luther, Calvin, and Cranmer make this book an excellent resource for the student and the interested layperson alike. Highly recommended." Professor of Church History, Westminster Theological Seminary



Dr Kirsten Birkett, who studied the Reformation and its effects on science for her PhD, was the editor of the quarterly journal kategoria: a critica lreview from 1996 to 2003, and now teaches pastoral counselling, Reformation and apologetics at Oak Hill Theological College, London. She is a cat lover and a voracious reader, and has written books on psychology, feminism, the family, and the relationship between science and Christianity.