Best History of the Reformation?

What a great topic! Thanks for opening it. I would like to know as well and, Lord willing, will be watching this topic page too.

 

I have heard that Reformation Thought: An Introduction by Alister E. McGrath is good. I believe his book is available on amazon.com and I have a book which I haven't read yet but which you may like to investigate, which is:
Theology of the Reformers by Timothy George and is published by Apolos. I don't know if this is the kind of book you are looking for.

Blessings

Sheila

 

The Reformers and Their Stepchildren by Leonard Verduin is a really good book about the Reformation time period.

The Anabaptist Story by William R. Estep is another good one.

Christianity Through the Centuries by Earle Edwin Cairns is a good general church history book.

The Story of Christianity Volume 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation by Justo L. Gonzalez is a good readable church history up to the beginning of Reformation.

The Story of Christianity Volume 2: The Reformation to the Present Day by Justo L. Gonzalez is a good church history book as well.

 

I enjoyed reading:

Dr. Peter S. Ruckman's two volume THE HISTORY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

with its interesting treatment of the Reformation,
since he writes from the position that the Roman Catholic Church is not now and never has been the true church.

So many church historians start from the position that the one true church was the Roman Catholic Church which simply strayed from its gospel roots over time, therefore requiring a Reformation.

J.H. Merle D'Aubigne's HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION IN EUROPE is also interesting reading, although from the Hyper-Calvinist bias (as one would expect from a history written in Geneva). Many regard this as a "classic".

[ January 05, 2004, 04:03 PM: Message edited by: rbrent ]

 

You might also be interested in:

English Reformations by Christopher haigh and published by Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-822162-2

Blessings

Sheila

 

For an insider's look at the radical reformation I recommend "The Complete Writings of Menno Simons" translated by Leonard Verduin, 1956, Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, PA. ISBN 0-8361-1353-5.

 

History of the Christain Church by Philip Schaff is good. You can find the history of the reformation in vol. 7 and 8