J.’s Reviews > The Reformation > Status Update

~33% through The Reformation — Durant is doing what he does best: making the Reformation feel less like a single religious event and more like a total civilizational transition. Erasmus may be my favorite surprise so far—brilliant, biting, deeply Christian, and funny enough to make modern clergy uncomfortable. Germany is emerging not as some backward medieval backdrop for Luther, but as wealthy, restless, increasingly self-aware, and structurally primed for upheaval. Also: Erasmus’ reminder remains timeless—princes may profit from war, but ordinary people pay the price.