Author Description

Sixteenth-century Antwerp attracted numerous Protestants from other parts of Europe who found safe haven in this city, even during the tumultuous years of Spanish domination. Yet historians have not fully appreciated how the Protestant Reformation came to the Netherlands, a nation commercially and politically important far beyond its small size. In Antwerp in the Age of Reformation historian Guido Marnef charts the social and economic networks that enabled Protestant, especially Calvinists and Anabaptists, to create a well-organized church. Covering the period of the great Netherlands' revolt against Spain, he explores the interplay between religion and politics and examines tensions within the Protestant community. This unprecedented look at the life of an important city and region is a significant addition to the literature on the Protestant Reformation and to the history of early modern Europe.