Reformation Thought: An Introduction

Praise for previous editions:

“Theologically informed, lucid, supremely accessible: no wonder McGrath’s introduction to the Reformation has staying power!”

—Denis R. Janz, Loyola University

“Vigorous, brisk, and highly stimulating. The reader will be thoroughly engaged from the outset, and considerably enlightened at the end.”

—Dr. John Platt, Oxford University

“[McGrath] is one of the best scholars and teachers of the Reformation... Teachers will rejoice in this wonderfully useful book.”

—Teaching History

Reformation Thought: An Introduction is a clear, engaging, and accessible introduction to the European Reformation of the sixteenth century. Written for readers with little to no knowledge of Christian theology or history, this indispensable guide surveys the ideas of the prominent thought leaders of the period, as well as its many movements, including Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anabaptism, and the Catholic and English Reformations. The text offers readers a framework to interpret the events of the Reformation in full view of the intellectual landscape and socio-political issues that fueled its development.

Based on Alister McGrath’s acclaimed lecture course at Oxford University, the fully updated fifth edition incorporates the latest academic research in historical theology. Revised and expanded chapters describe the cultural backdrop of the Reformation, discuss the Reformation’s background in late Renaissance humanism and medieval scholasticism, and distill the findings of recent scholarship, including work on the history of the Christian doctrine of justification. A wealth of pedagogical features—including illustrations, updated bibliographies, a glossary, a chronology of political and historical ideas, and several appendices—supplement McGrath’s clear explanations.

Written by a world-renowned theologian, Reformation Thought: An Introduction, Fifth Edition upholds its reputation as the ideal resource for university and seminary courses on Reformation thought and the widespread change it inspired in Christian belief and practice.