Book description
When Martin Luther nailed 95 criticisms of the Catholic Church to the
door of his local church in 1517 he sparked not just a religious
Reformation, but an unending cycle of political, social and economic
change that continues to this day.
By challenging the authority of the Pope, Luther inadvertently
unleashed a revolutionary force: the power of the individual to
determine his or her own thoughts and actions. Over four centuries
later, the Protestant minister Martin Luther King Jr was acting on the
same revolutionary principle when he rejected racial discrimination
and spearheaded the US Civil Rights Movement.
The legacy of the Reformation is all around us, influencing our work
life, our family life, even our sex life, as well as our political
views and sense of national identity. From literature to science, from
gay marriage to the 'War on Terror', a vibrant struggle for Protestant
principles is alive in Britain, America and the developing world.
This is the story of the Reformation and its lasting legacy - in
effect, how Protestantism created the modern world.
William Naphy is Senior Lecturer and Director of Teaching and
Learning in the School of Divinity, History & Philosophy at the
University of Aberdeen. He is the author of several books, including
Born to be Gay: a History of Homosexuality;
Sex Crimes: From Renaissance to Enlightenment; and
Plagues, Poisons and Potions. He lives in Aberdeen.
Tristram Hunt is a lecturer in modern British history at
Queen Mary, University of London. He is the author of The English
Civil War: At First Hand and the critically acclaimed
Building Jerusalem: The Rise and Fall of the Victorian City.
A leading British history broadcaster, he has authored numerous radio
and television series for the BBC and Channel 4.
