Renaissance and Reformation

by William R. Estep

Readable and informative, this major text in Reformation history is a detailed exploration of the many facets of the Reformation, especially its relationship to the Renaissance. Estep pays particular attention to key individuals of the period, including Wycliffe, Huss, Erasmus, Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin. Illustrated with maps and pictures.

Genres: History, Church, Historical, Church History

331 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1986

Reviews

[Ethan McCarter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad as a general guide to the historical background driving the Reformation and the Renaissance. There are far better church history guides to read, such as Justo Gonzalez or d'Aubigne, but this serves a purpose. It's good to consult if you're wanting to know more about the background information of the time period. Be warned, it's not a great church history book by any means. The author definitely sympathizes with the Anabaptists, some out of SWBTS and in the SBC associate more freely with the General Baptists and the Anabaptists, and gives far too much attention to peripheral thinkers. Thus, it's an OK book, not necessarily an enjoyable read, that is a typical textbook for background info for the period.

[James Barr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the textbook used for Reformation History when I was in college, but I was never able to take the elective due to scheduling required courses or more important electives. Now I have worked my way through the book. It took me 11 months, and I am glad I persisted. It provides great insights to the intellectual and religious history during the 1,000 years between 500 and 1500.
Along with the clarity it brings to the religious quagmire of today, it also provides important political understandings that continue to influence our situation today, including the Peace of Westphalia on October 24, 1648.
I am in the process of reviewing my underlines and margin notes to make sure I have grasped the major lessons of this book. One that surely sticks out is the profound impact of the Bible being translated into the vernacular languages so that the common man could read and understand God's word.

[Zack · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a useful and at times very enjoyable read as a survey of late medieval and early modern European church history. I do not intend to use this volume in the future, except as a reference point for establishing a baseline evangelical understanding of the Reformation. Its principal defect was its lack of balance (many individual theologians and the Anabaptists as a group received disproportionately extensive treatment; creeds and confessions received little to no attention). Estep’s understanding of political and economic (non-Theological) issues, and their bearing on the development of the church’s theology and polity, may be the most valuable feature of his work in this book. His Arminian commitments are most clear in his vilification of Gomarus and dismissal of the Synod of Dort.