The Protestant Reformation looks at one of the greatest upheavals of the Western world. It starts with the context of the time and the provocation of Indulgences. It goes on to explain Luther's "protest," its theological implications, how the protest escalated, and the Catholic Church's response. It concludes with an analysis of how the Reformation helped launch the modern age. The Best One-Hour History series is for those who want a quick but coherent overview of major historical events. It will also serve those who need a competent high-level introduction before going further. Each volume provides a clear and concise account of the episode under discussion. In about an hour, the reader will obtain a well-grounded understanding of why each subject holds iconic status in Western Civilization.

María de San José Salazar (1548-1603) took the veil as a Discalced ("barefoot") Carmelite nun in 1571, becoming one of Teresa of Avila's most important collaborators in religious reform and serving as prioress of the Seville and Lisbon convents. Within the parameters of the strict Catholic Reformation in Spain, María fiercely defended women's rights to define their own spiritual experience and to teach, inspire, and lead other women in reforming their church. María wrote this book as a defense of the Discalced practice of setting aside two hours each day for conversation, music, and staging of religious plays. Casting the book in the form of a dialogue, María demonstrates through fictional conversations among a group of nuns during their hours of recreation how women could serve as very effective spiritual teachers for each other. The book includes one of the first biographical portraits of Teresa and Maria's personal account of the troubled founding of the Discalced convent at Seville, as well as her tribulations as an Inquisitional suspect. Rich in allusions to women's affective relationships in the early modern convent, Book for the Hour of Recreation also serves as an example of how a woman might write when relatively free of clerical censorship and expectations. A detailed introduction and notes by Alison Weber provide historical and biographical context for Amanda Powell's fluid translation.

PT 3: Catholic books in a Protestant world.

A compelling history of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation examines the lasting implications of this dramatic period of upheaval in Western society, providing vivid profiles of the individuals involved--Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Loyola, Henry VIII, and others--their ideas, and the impact of the Reformation on everyday lives. Winner of the 2004 Wolfson Prize for History. Reprint.

The Protestant Reformation of the 16th century has traditionally been viewed as marking the onset of modernity in Europe. It finally broke up the federal Christendom of the middle ages, under the leadership of the papacy and substituted for it a continent of autonomous and national states, independent of Rome. The Historical Dictionary of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation provides a comprehensive account of two chains of events_the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Counter-Reformation_that have left an enduring imprint on Europe, America, and the world at large. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and over 300 cross-referenced dictionary entries on persons, places, countries, institutions, doctrines, ideas, and events.

"Both by his choice of confessions and by his judicious and scholarly introductions, Mark Noll has made [the major Reformation confessions and catechisms] available in a form that is sure to deepen and enlighten doctrinal discussion and confessional awareness and that will therefore contribute to solidly evangelical and hence soundly ecumenical theology. I am delighted to see this book appear." - Jaroslav Pelikan, Yale University "It is a delight to welcome Mark Noll's well-chosen, well-edited selection of key sixteenth-century statements of faith - Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, Anabaptist, Roman Catholic. To have this significant material brought together in one book is a boon, for the enrichment that comes of studying it as a whole is very great. For anyone who would take the measure of the Reformation conflict, this collection is a 'must.'" - J.I. Packer, Regent College "Mark Noll has ably introduced these still living confessions to a modern audience more prone to forgetfulness than any since the sixteenth century. This collection will be useful not only for classes in historical and systematic theology, but also to pastors and lay readers who wish better to understand their Protestant heritage." - Thomas C. Oden, Drew University

Dr. Smith's concise introduction to the history of the Church of God is a good foundation for your study of the movement. This is an excellent book for small groups to read together.