Description
Book SynopsisThis brief historical introduction to the English Reformation explores the social, political and religious factors that formed the original context in which it emerged, and the major thinkers and writings to which it gave birth. Ryrie also explores the intellectual and cultural `afterlife' of the English Reformation, and its lasting impact.
Trade ReviewA mould-breaking little book. Ryrie persuades us that how we describe and interpret the English Reformation can owe almost as much to who is telling the story and what we want to hear as to the facts. It's a message that's long overdue, a wake-up call to anyone interested in the topic. * John Guy, University of Cambridge *
Alec Ryrie here performs an extraordinary feat: his deep knowledge and fresh, original understanding of the period are packed into every line but in such delicious, efficient prose that one barely notices what great draughts of learning are being gulped down. A little gem of a book. * Suzannah Lipscomb, FRHistS, FHEA, Professor of History, University of Roehampton; author of A Visitor’s Companion to Tudor England *
This brief but masterly account illuminates our understanding of what happened, why it happened, and why it still matters, by showing us how many different perspectives there are on this world-changing event. It's not just Henry VIII and his wives: as this book shows, the spiritual and political consequences of the English Reformation, good and bad, are still very much part of our world today. * Eric Metaxas, host of the nationally syndicated Eric Metaxas Radio Show; author of Martin Luther: The Man who Rediscovered God and Changed the world *
