Published on the occasion of the quincentenary of the Reformation, this encyclopedia extends beyond the Reformation to include the Reformed tradition, more radical movements (e.g., Anabaptists), the Counter-Reformation, and the history and present state of Lutheranism. In addition to the alphabetical entries—most brief but informative, each concluding with a brief bibliography—there is substantial scholarly apparatus, including appendixes that outline Luther’s paradoxical doctrine of the Two Kingdoms and details about Lutheran bodies in North America. The 475 entries include doctrines and controversial topics (e.g., Sabbatarianism), religious phenomena (e.g., Marian piety), events (Marburg Colloquy), places (Slovakia, Wittenberg), and persons (Hieronymus Emser, Huldrych Zwingli). Also covered are subjects like printing, hymns, music, and family life. Luther’s teachings are examined in articles ranging from "Views of Women" to "Self-Love." A series of articles address why the Reformation mattered, in its time and in various religious traditions since. Among the most interesting entries are "Legends Regarding Luther" and "Postcolonial Luther."…. [T]his is a worthwhile set. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers.

Choice Reviews

To commemorate what has been known since then as the Protestant Reformation, publishers Rowman & Littlefield and editor Mark A. Lamport has masterfully selected and arranged a 941-page encyclopedia with articles informed by deep expertise on the life and work of Martin Luther and the Reformation…. The authors communicate their expertise with precise, succinct language, producing easily digestible essays that offer on average five references and resources for additional study…. [T]his new reference work is a must have resource for all seminaries and for most universities and colleges.

American Reference Books Annual

Frankly, I learned much—including about my own preconceptions— from reading in these two volumes.

Renaissance and Reformation

There is nothing quite like this volume. Besides the A-list contributors, it explores aspects of Luther and the Reformation that are sometimes left out, and it especially displays the relevance of Luther for a world in which his spiritual heirs are predominantly in the Global South. While an encyclopedia, this work is also a page-turner for anyone interested in knowing more about why the Reformation happened, what its emphases are, and what it means for us today as we celebrate its five hundredth anniversary.

Michael S. Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor, Westminster Seminary California

This encyclopedia provides clear and valuable information for the Reformation anniversary and beyond. It gives a comprehensive overview from the Middle Ages to modern Lutheranism, from history to theology, with entries written by experts in their fields. Anyone looking for better and deeper knowledge of the Reformation will find it here.

Volker Leppin, Institute of Late Middle Ages and Reformation, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany

Martin Luther ranks with Augustine as a man whose legacy in the Christian world is both vast and enduring. Adored by many and reviled by some, Luther leaves no one indifferent, and his ideas continue to bear fruit in the church today. An encyclopedia is just what is needed to guide us through this dense forest of tall trees and thick undergrowth, and this volume fits the bill admirably. It will be a standard reference work for years to come and help the next generation shape its own approach to a man whose life and work changed the course of history.

Gerald Bray, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University