This set of four books was originally in 16 volumes and was published as eight volumes in 1867. It was then out of print for more than a century. d'Aubigné's history of the Reformation describes not only theological and ecclesiastical reforms, but also the implications of the Reformation on culture, the arts, philosophy, and science in the following centuries.
Although John Calvin figures prominently in these volumes, this work is not autobiographical. Instead, the author uses Calvin’s life and the church in Geneva to narrate the comprehensive scope of religious reform during the sixteenth century. You will read about the people, places, and ideas which shaped the Reformation in France, England, Spain, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands. The author argues that not only religious, but also political emancipation resulted from the Reformation, and he explores the nature of religious freedom, political liberty, and the influence on human history in the three centuries following the Reformation.
Author Jean Henri Merle d'Aubigné (1794-1872) was born in Geneva, Switzerland, to French Protestant (Huguenot) parents. He was highly educated, but not as a Christian. Calvin and the Reformation was no longer a great influence in Geneva. Robert Haldane, a Scottish Presbyterian, visited the city in 1817 and as a result, many, including d'Aubigne, were converted.
At this point, d'Aubigné took up theological studies and was ordained. He became the pastor of the French Reformed Church in Hamburg in 1818. He eventually spent 41 years as professor of church history in Geneva. This edition closely follows the original text, and the page numbering matches the original.