The Trial of the 16th Century

… I literally could not put it down.Jonathan Moorhead writes in a fast–paced yet thorough style, bringing out key historical facts that not only help the reader grasp the vital background to the execution of Servetus in Geneva, but masterfully corrects some unfortunate erroneous suppositions about that sad event.

… an extremely helpful study of a significant event of the French Reformation and reveals how the history of such difficult and intricate events should be written.

… confronts all those who for centuries have turned Servetus into an innocent martyr and a victim of Calvin’s cruel rule in Geneva. Here we have the whole story and the true one, and thus a different one. The book reads like a good movie, but there is no happy end and there are no winners, except for the historical truth.

This well researched study demonstrates the situation in Geneva and the Protestant Swiss cantons, forever exonerating John Calvin as the principal complainant and persecutor in the case. The book is a wonderful addition to our collective knowledge of both the times and of Calvin. I highly recommend it.

… demonstrates that Calvin’s primary concern was not his execution, but his conversion. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in finding out what exactly transpired, and the broader implications.

Jonathan Moorhead (PhD—Dallas Theological Seminary; MDiv,ThM—The Master’s Seminary) has served with The Master’s Academy International in Russia and the Czech Republic since 2008 and specializes in Church History, Theology, and Apologetics. Jonathan and his wife Sharon have five children: Nahum, Isaac, Jesse, Jonas, and Miriam.