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Further Reading on the Protestant Reformation

For Further Reading on the Protestant Reformation, the Reformed Institute recommends…

- Benedict, Philip. Christ’s Churches Purely Reformed—A Social History of Calvinism (Yale, 2002)

A big book (500+ pp.), providing thorough treatment of a complex subject; the best scholarly work devoted entirely to the subject of Calvinism currently available; by a distinguished historian who is not himself a Christian; invaluable resource for those who are prepared to devote some sustained time and effort to the book.

- Collinson, Patrick. The Reformation—A History (Modern Library, 2004).

A short, readable introduction to the story of the Reformation by a distinguished English historian.

- Gordon, Bruce, CALVIN (Yale University Press) (2009)

Written by a distinguished Reformation scholar who now teaches at Yale Divinity School, this is the best biography of Calvin currently available in English. It has many virtues, one of which is that it reads like an action-packed novel.

- MacCulloch, Diarmaid. The Reformation—A History (Viking, 2003)

Another big (but quite readable) book by a distinguished scholar; it provides an excellent overview of the entire Reformation, with in-depth analysis of virtually all the major movements involved, from the Anabaptists to the Jesuits. Excellent concluding chapters on the impact of the Reformation on daily life.

- McGrath, Alister E. A Life of John Calvin—A Study in the Shaping of Western Culture (Blackwell, 1990).

A concise, readable overview of the life, times, thought and historical influence of John Calvin by a respected scholar who is sympathetic to Calvin but not uncritical.

- McGrath, Alister E. In the Beginning—the Story of the King James Bible and How It Changed a Nation, a Language and a Culture (Anchor, 2001)

A stimulating, brief book—the tale of one of the most important developments in modern English history told by a gifted story teller and distinguished historian.

- Mouw, Richard. Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport—Making Connections in Today’s World (Zondervan, 2004)

A short, easy read by the current president of Fuller Theological Seminary; designed to make a case for the relevance of (orthodox) Calvinism to contemporary life.

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