Martin Luther and John Calvin have both left dramatic and lasting influences on Christianity and on European society. Their calls for reform led to the church breaking off in different directions, and people and nations believed so passionately for or against their causes that wars ravaged Europe for decades. But what exactly did they teach? This book presents Luther and Calvin in context, looking at the work and ideas of each in turn and then at the making of Lutheranism and the Reformed tradition, showing how the sixteenth-century Reformation began a process of political and intellectual change that went beyond Europe to the New World. The result is that today its influence is tangible all over the Western world. Perfect for those who want to understand and engage with what Luther and Calvin thought, and with the debates surrounding interpretation, this book is an excellent introduction to two of Christianity's most famous thinkers. Charlotte Methuen teaches Church history at the University of Glasgow, and has also worked at the Universities of Hamburg, Bochum, Oxford and Mainz. She specializes in the Reformation period and is the author of numerous books and articles.

ContentsIntroduction 7Part I: Martin Luther 11Chapter 1: Luther's Context 13Chapter 2: Luther's Theology 55Part II: John Calvin 111Chapter 3: Calvin's Context 113Chapter 4: Calvin's Theology 145Conclusion 181Further Reading 185Index 188