# Biography of Reformers?



## SolaScriptura (Oct 7, 2011)

I have a biography of Luther and a biography of Calvin. What I'm looking for is a book containing biographies of as many Reformers as possible. If there is no such one-volume work, I'd like to know of individual books for other Reformers.

Thanks!


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## py3ak (Oct 7, 2011)

"Reformers in the Wings" by David Steinmetz will give you a good start on some less prominent names.

J.C. Ryle's "Five English Reformers" will deliver exactly what the title promises.


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## Fly Caster (Oct 7, 2011)

D'Aubigne's multi-volume set, while not a biography, gives a lot of detail about various Reformers.

Jean-Marc Berthoud's biography of Pierre Viret is a fine little work. I second the recommendation of Ryle.


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## Andres (Oct 7, 2011)

I would recommend _The Unquenchable Flame: Discovering the Heart of the Reformation_. This was one of the first books I read on reformation history/biography and I found it terribly interesting. It's one of those books you end up reading through in like two days. The description reads:


> The Unquenchable Flame, a lively, accessible, and fully informative introduction to the Reformation by Michael Reeves, brings to life the movement’s most colorful characters (Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin, The Puritans, etc.), examines their ideas, and shows the profound and personal relevance of Reformation thinking for today.


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## Phil D. (Oct 7, 2011)

Joel Beeke co-authored a great collection of short biographical sketches of some 40 Reformation era leaders, which are about 5 to 6 pages each, entitled Reformation Heroes. It seems to be geared toward young teens, but I found it to provide a very useful and interesting overview. I mean, who really has time to read 40 full-length biographies anyway?


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## CharlieJ (Oct 7, 2011)

Reformers in the Wings by David Steinmetz is definitely the way to go. Steinmetz is a leading late-medieval/Reformation scholar, and his prose is lively. The book features a number of Catholic and radical reformers as well, making it more well-rounded than most.


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## py3ak (Oct 26, 2011)

Gideon and Hilda Hagstotz have written a book, _Heroes of the Reformation_, which has brief biographies of 43 Reformation characters. That one might be fairly close to what you had in mind.


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## PuritanCovenanter (Oct 26, 2011)

Light from Old Times by J. C. Ryle is an awesome read. One of my favorites. 
Light from old times : or Protestant facts and men : Ryle, J. C. (John Charles), 1816-1900 : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive


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