The Reformation

This volume of 'The Story of Civilization' by Will Durant chronicles the history of European civilization during the period of the Reformation, from 1300 to 1564.

It covers the schism within the Roman Catholic Church, the formation of early Protestantism, the theology of Martin Luther, the rise of Humanism and the life of Desiderius Erasmus, and the royal monarchies of England, France, Spain, and Italy.

The book also discusses the imperial conquests of Christopher Columbus, the discovery of the Americas, the Bohemian revolution in Eastern Europe, the unification of Russia, and the rise of the Ottoman Empire.

Durant provides a balanced view of the religious and political changes of the era, including the teachings of John Calvin and the Counter-Reformation of the 16th century.