October is upon us and that means it’s Reformation season. It was on October 31, 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Thesis to the door of Castle Church and thus unintentionally sparked the Reformation leading to the recovery of the Gospel. There are many helpful and accessible resources on the Reformation. Here are some recommendations for those who are interested:
Reformation Sketches
Michael Reeves’ Unquenchable Flame is a favorite of mine. It is a quick, informative, and fun read. He looks at several leading figures in the Reformation.
Stephen Nichols’ The Reformation is similar in style and a good starting point.
Martin Luther
Roland Baiton’s Here I Stand is the classic Luther biography.
Martin Marty’s Martin Luther is a well done short biography.
Carl Trueman’s Luther on the Christian Life provides a good look into the thought and teaching of Luther.
John Calvin
THL Parker’s John Calvin: A Biography is a manageable but serious biography.
Michael Horton’s Calvin on the Christian Life is the Calvin installment on his thought and teaching.
Calvin’s Institutes of Christian Religion are surprisingly easy to read and not surprisingly, very rewarding.
Here is a cheaper option of Calvin’s Institutes.
In the “Bitesize Biographies” series, I very much enjoyed the volumes on Knox and Zwingli.
Last, I love the biographies for children by Simonetta Carr. I’ve read these to my kiddos…they are excellently done!
Written by Matt Baker