Reformation: Europe’s House Divided 1490 – 1700 by Diarmaid MacCulloch

Arguably the best one volume text on the Reformation and its continent spanning effects.

MacCulloch’s Reformation is one of the broadest books on the topic, covering not just the whole of Latin Christendom and missionaries to America and Asia, but also the period from the start of the sixteenth century to the start of the eighteenth, although the core of the work is 1490 to 1619. He does so in three large sections: the first, divided chronologically, begins by setting the scene in 1490 and explaining what the Reformation was and how it spread, action and reaction, in a masterly narrative which crosses seamlessly back and forward across the whole of Latin Christendom until 1570. The second section covers 1570 – 1700, this time divided geographically, enabling MacCulloch to focus on broadly described national and regional developments. The third explores changes to ‘Patterns of Life’, including marriage, death and two chapters on love and sex.

Reformation’s breadth comes at the expense of speed: the paperback has 709 pages of text, excellent for some readers but perhaps too much for others. However, it is to MacCulloch’s credit that the book never feels long, and his narrative moves across thought and land with great speed, despite plenty of details. MacCulloch’s confidence in his readers’ abilities is shown in other ways too: he isn’t afraid to use long and complicated technical terms, albeit often apologising before presenting a detailed explanation to some point. However, the balance struck between theology and politics means the book isn’t as clear on the religious events as a work like Cameron’s The European Reformation, but much more complete on the actions of secular rulers and the interplay between the two. In addition aspects of the Counter-Reformation are covered, but not to the extent of Protestantism. Overall, MacCulloch is an eloquent, humane, even handed and all too rarely wry guide to this fractious period.