Theology
Reading the Reformation How Theologians, Printers, and Scribes Fueled the Growth of Protestantism Zachary Purvis During the Reformation, theologians wrote, colleagues annotated, scribes recorded, and printers toiled, bringing Protestant doctrine and practice to life and transforming European society. Demon- strating the benefit of integrating histories of culture and scholar - ship with historical theology, this book invites readers to view the Reformation and its writings with fresh eyes. Instead of focusing solely on the printing press as an agent of change, Reading the Reformation recalls the forgotten methods of writing, annotating, publishing, and preserving texts by key Prot- estant reformers, from Martin Luther to John Calvin, from Martin Bucer to the Westminster Assembly. Zachary Purvis covers a broad range of topics, meticulously illuminating the physical and mental labor behind the texts that fostered the Reformation. This book is an indispensable resource for students, scholars, history enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the transformative power of the written word during one of the most pivotal eras of European history. “This richly researched study offers a fascinating new perspective on major figures like Luther, Bucer, and Calvin and on the clerical synods that shaped the Reformation. How did the reformers pro- duce so much writing—notes, sermons, treatises, and vast quanti- ties of letters—while also managing new churches? They depended on many text-making experts: printers, copyists, and assistants who were equally dedicated to the cause but have largely been left out of accounts of the Reformation—until now.” —Ann Blair, Harvard University; author of In the Scholar’s Workshop: Hidden Histories of Collaboration and Authorship “Purvis takes a deep dive into some of the most important material aspects of the Reformation: the relationships between reformers and their printers, their paper and ink, and the books they read. This well-crafted volume provides delight to readers!” —Robert Kolb, Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis
NOVEMBER 2026 • 216 pp. • $27.99p • 9781540968517
Zachary Purvis (DPhil, University of Oxford) is associate minister at Christ Reformed Church in Anaheim, California, and formerly served as lecturer in theology and church history at Edinburgh Theological Seminary. He has held postdoctoral positions at the University of Göttingen, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Edinburgh and was a US Fulbright Fellow in Switzerland. Purvis is the author of the prize-winning Theology and the University in Nineteenth-Century Germany.
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