A review by stevenk
Rebel in the Ranks: Martin Luther, the Reformation, and the Conflicts That Continue to Shape Our World by Brad S. Gregory

4.0

This book starts with an examination of the factors leading to Luther's criticism of the practices of the Catholic Church that started the Reformation and moves forward from there. The Reformation gave rise to a lot of different interpretations of the Word and lots of different Christian churches but it also immediately changed the relationship between religion and government and spawned many wars for "more than religion" throughout Europe. The Reformation and the ideas of religion and freedom of religion that came out of it are evident in the founding documents of the United States. One extremely unintended consequence of the Reformation today that would horrify the highly religious men that started it is the spread of the idea of a freedom to create a new region or not practice any religion at all. I really enjoyed this books look into the consequences of the Reformation beyond the 1520's to the present day. I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads Giveaways.