The Penguin History of the Church

The early sixteenth century saw increasing demands for reform within the Western Church. Popes struggled to maintain unity in Western Christendom, and confusion surrounded the process of Church reform. What some considered abuses, others accepted. Nonetheless, over time, three objectives became clear: to reform the financial demands of churchmen, to correct doctrinal errors, and to enhance the moral consciousness of society. This led to Western Europe splitting into a Catholic South and a Protestant North. The most brutal religious wars in Christian history were fought across the territory separating them. This third volume of ‘The Penguin History of the Church’ examines the foundational contributions of Erasmus, Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin. It also analyzes the unique circumstances of the English Reformation, along with the Jesuits and the Counter-Reformation.