Yale University Library Research Guides: Early Modern Christian History: Protestant Reformers

Martin Luther

1517: Martin Luther and the Invention of the Reformation (Online) by Peter Marshall Argues that the theses-posting of Martin Luther is a myth. And yet, Marshall argues, this fact makes the incident all the more historically significant. In tracing how - and why - a "non-event" ended up becoming a defining episode of the modern historical imagination.
A World Ablaze: The Rise of Martin Luther and the Birth of the Reformation by Craig Harline Tells the story of the first years of the Reformation that would make Luther a legendary figure.
Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet by Lyndal Roper A complicated portrait of a revolutionary thinker who was, at his core, deeply flawed and full of contradictions. Luther was a brilliant writer whose biblical translations had a lasting impact on the German language. Yet he was also a strident fundamentalist whose scathing rhetorical attacks threatened to alienate those he might persuade.

The Honeycomb Scroll: Philipp Melanchthon at the Dawn of the Reformation by Gregory B. Graybill Gives the most detailed English-language biographical treatment of Melanchthon to date, moving from his historical context and personal origins, through his childhood, education, and early career at Wittenberg during the dramatic events at the dawn of the Reformation (149-1524).
Melanchthon: The Enigma of the Reformation by Robert Stupperich Provides context for understanding the impact of Melanchthon on the Reformation and beyond.

Zwingli: God's Armed Prophet (Online) by Bruce Gordon A major new biography of Huldrych Zwingli--the warrior preacher who shaped the early Reformation.
A Companion to the Swiss Reformation (Online) by Amy Nelson Burnett (Editor); Emidio Campi (Editor) Describes the course of the Protestant Reformation in the Swiss Confederation over the course of the sixteenth century.

Martin Bucer: A Reformer and His Times by Martin Greschat; Martin Buckwalter (Translator) The most comprehensive account of Bucer's place within the context of the history of the Reformation.
Martin Bucer by D. F. Wright (Editor) Highlighst Bucer's contribution in thought and practice to building the community of the Church - in Strasbourg, but also elsewhere in Europe, and in England, where he spent the last years of his life in Cambridge.

Menno Simons and the New Jerusalem by Helmut Isaak
Conrad Grebel by Harold S. Bender Conrad Grebel's significance for the Christian Church lies in the continuing Swiss Brethren movement (Evangelical Anabaptism) of which he was the founder. The definitive Grebel biography by one of this century's top Anabaptist scholars.
The Radical Reformation (Online) by Michael G. Baylor (Editor) A collection of writings by early Reformation radicals which illustrates both the diversity and the areas of agreement in their political thinking. The texts are drawn from the period 1521-7, centering on the German Peasants' War of 1524-6.

Calvin (Online) by F. Bruce Gordon A portrait of John Calvin that captures his human complexity and the sixteenth-century world in which he fought his personal and theological battles
Early French Reform: The Theology and Spirituality of Guillaume Farel by Jason Zuidema; Theodore Van Raalte Provides an introduction to Guillaume Farel (1489-1565), one of several important yet often overlooked French-speaking reformers. Born in 1489 near Gap, France, Farel was an important first-generation French-speaking Reformer and one of the most influential early leaders of the Reform movement in what is now French-speaking Switzerland.

Katharina von Bora: A Reformation Life by Rudolf K. Markwald; Marilynn Markwald This volume traces Katharina Von Bora's background, birth, childhood and early adult years, and her marriage to Martin Luther. Also documents Katy's last years, revealing the faith and legacy of a woman who held steadfast to Christ in great adversity and need and who also advocated evangelical reforms.
Argula Von Grumbach: A Woman's Voice in the Reformation by Peter Matheson Provides translations of all her published works together with introductions. Also gives a full biographical account of von Grumbach, analyses her use of Scripture and discusses her role as a woman of the Reformation.
Women and the Reformation by Kirsi Stjerna A comprehensive and accessible look at the status and contributions of women as leaders in the 16th century Protestant world.
The Pleasure of Discernment: Marguerite de Navarre as Theologian by Carol Thysell An examination of Marguerite de Navarre's Heptameron. While this collection of tales is traditionally considered to be secular in nature, Thysell argues that Marguerite de Navarre used it as a vehicle for a constructive theological program.