Protestantism: A Very Short Introduction

Author: Mark A. Noll
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Explores Protestant movements from their European origins in the early sixteenth century to the present day
Integrates both non-Western and Western history to highlight the great worldwide diversity of Protestantism
Considers the influence of American Protestants in recent world history and explains why that influence should not be exaggerated
Includes contributions from well-known figures such as Martin Luther, John Calvin and F. D. E. Schleiermacher, as well as Karl Barth, Dora Yu, Samuel Ajayi Crowther, and Pandita Ramabai
Part of the bestselling Very Short Introductions series - over three million copies sold worldwide

Mark A. Noll presents a fresh and accessible history of Protestantism from the era of Martin Luther to the present day. Beginning with the founding of Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, and Anabaptist churches in the sixteenth-century Reformation, he also considers the rise of other important Christian movements like Methodism and Pentecostalism. Focussing on worldwide developments, rather than just the familiar European and American histories, he considers the recent expansion of Protestant movements in Africa, China, India, and Latin America, emphasising the on-going and rapidly expanding story of Protestants worldwide.

Noll examines the contributions from well-known figures including Martin Luther and John Calvin, along with many others, and explores why Protestant energies have flagged recently in the Western world yet expanded so dramatically elsewhere. Highlighting the key points of Protestant commonality including the message of Christian salvation, reliance on the Bible, and organization through personal initiative, he also explores the reasons for Protestantism's extraordinary diversity.