The Reformation transformed Europe and left an indelible mark on the modern world. But what actually was the Reformation and how should it be defined? Historians have long wrangled over whether it represented a force leading to progress, liberty, and modernity, or to conflict, division, and repression. What is certain is that the relationships between Church and State, between subjects and rulers, between men and women, between parents and children, and between Europe and the rest of the world were fundamentally changed during this period.

In this Very Short Introduction, now thoroughly revised and updated to take account of the most recent scholarship, Peter Marshall argues that the Reformation was a long-term process of social, political, and cultural change. He shows how it consisted of distinct but related strands that altered the conditions of life for all kinds of people right across Europe. The Reformation also began the process of Christianity's transformation into a world religion. Exploring the effects it had on politics, society, art, gender relations, and the treatment of minorities, Marshall presents the Reformation as a study in unintended consequences and reveals how its complex legacies are still felt today.