R. Ward Holder

An Explorer's Guide to John Calvin

Theology

“In 1539, John Calvin penned a short note to readers of his Institutes of the Christian Religion, explaining his circumstances for preparing another version of the work that more than any other defined him in the world's eyes, and commenting on what he believed was its value. Calvin recognized the necessity of having a guide for approaching the Scriptures—that an unprepared reader might easily stumble. Now, Yudha Thianto has provided a similar guide to Calvin's Institutes. Written in a familiar style, as if explaining the thought of a close friend, Thianto confidently leads his readers through meeting John Calvin as an early modern thinker and a pastor, then illuminates the path through the Institutes itself.”

John Calvin, Myth and Reality

History & Biography

“"Among the late-blooming fruits of the Calvin Jubilee in 2009 is Amy Nelson Burnett's John Calvin, Myth and Reality. The articles gathered here inform, engage, correct, and sometimes even delight the reader. The team of scholars demonstrates the wide audience that Calvin still attracts, while the depth of the scholarship promises an ongoing benefit to both the novice and the advanced scholar.”

John Calvin, Refugee Theologian

Theology

“Kenneth Woo’s study of Calvin as an exilic reformer is a brilliant reconsideration of Oberman’s earlier work. It firmly sets Calvin and his audiences in their historical contexts, and it presents Calvin as a useful resource for today’s Christians in exile—whether as refugees or as those experiencing the loss of political, cultural, and social power. Woo is not fawning. Calvin is shown with his strengths and warts, as someone dedicated to his own view of God and politically and rhetorically astute, often to the detriment of the evangelical project and Calvin’s own reputation. A wonderful, readable, and astute work!”

Luther the Reformer

History & Biography

“"This thorough updating of a Luther classic is truly welcome. Hans Wiersma has maintained Kittelson's spirit, while taking advantage of new studies in a variety of early modern areas of research, and so reinvigorating a classic.”

Martin Bucer

History & Biography

“Donald McKim and Jim West have masterfully provided an extraordinarily accessible gateway for learning about one of the most significant theologians of the Reformation, Martin Bucer. Far more straightforward than some of the more academic treatments and dealing more with his thought and its impact than a strict biography, this wonderful volume offers an accessible path that leads to greater understanding of the Reformer and of his ongoing significance for believers today.”

The People's Book

History & Biography

“This collection demonstrates why the Bible and the Reformation remains an important area of study. The People's Book illustrates how the Bible both deserved and undercut that moniker—from Protestant Latin Bibles, to struggles to create truly vernacular Bibles, to the development of the sola scriptura theory. The fine essays collected here show the rich variety of efforts and confusing welter of impulses that coalesced to create early modern biblical religion, for both its adherents and its critics.”

The Reformations of Medicine

Theology

“Ekaterina Lomperis deftly breaks down barriers in this study, combining intellectual history and social history to clarify Luther's teachings on medicine, while also addressing divisions between modern medicine and faith healings. Her work is grounded in the breadth of Luther's thought, which places him firmly in his early modern context, while also illustrating how his doctrines of salvation and the Christian life were basic to the way he conceptualized health, divine providence, and monastic disciplines. A unique work that should be on the bookshelves of everyone interested in the early modern era and its ongoing significance for the modern world.”

Theodore Beza

History & Biography

“In Theodore Beza, Donald McKim and Jim West have given readers an opportunity to see one of the signal figures in the Reformed or Calvinist tradition, whose significance for the tradition’s development frequently outstripped Calvin’s. The clear prose, thoughtful consideration of history and theology, and strong sense of what this means for present-day faith communities make this an invaluable contribution, illuminating a central figure in the early modern period, whose influence continues today.”