Thomas Cahill plunges into the Renaissance and Reformation with the same curiosity and gift for making history come alive as in the previous books in his Hinges of History series.  This one is sixth in the series, coming after the Mysteries of the Middle Ages which I have reviewed previously.

Cahill explores the time period of 16th through the mid 17th centuries and follows individual lives who contributed to the underpinnings of our modern world.  For example, explorers like Columbus reached above their station in life  and were able to convince Kings (and Queens!) to fund their dreams of exploration, resulting in the discovery of “new worlds.”

Artists like Donatello, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Bernini Albrecht Durer and Bruegel changed the medieval perspective of art by giving the human form prominence in sculptures like the David or the Pieta, and in art like the the Mona Lisa, the Sistine Chapel or Praying Hands which celebrate humanity in all its glory and humbleness.

Erasmus,  Martin Luther, William Tyndale, Ignatius Loyola, and  John Calvin reframed the relationship between people and their God. No longer limited by the lack of access to books after the invention of the Guttenberg press, the knowledge and writings of these men helped reform the Church so that people could begin to think through their own salvation and understand their relationship to God and the Bible in new ways. The combination of the printing press and the release of King James Version of the Bible gave people who otherwise would not be able to read Greek or Latin access to it in their own language. The Ursulines a group of women dedicated to the education of women, made sure that all people, not just men, would be able to read and understand.

Queen Elizabeth I, as the Virgin Queen of England, ruled during a time of great turbulence and unrest, but proved that she was more than able to hold her kingdom together and created a rich and vital environment for the likes of Shakespeare to flourish in.

Cahill reminds us that each one of these people who offered new ideas and thoughts that led to the Renaissance and Reformation were influenced by and indebted to others who contributed to their new understandings. We all owe something to others and like the great poet, John Donne, said:

No man is a island, entire of itself; everyman is a piece of the continent, part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefor never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

Brenda” Rating: ****1/2 (4 1/2 Stars out of 5)

Recommend this book to: Marian, Lauren, Sharon, Keith and Ken

Book Study Worthy: Yes

Read in ebook format, but I think print form would probably be better in order to enjoy the illustrations!