Christendom Destroyed

Europe 1517-1648

By: Mark Greengrass

Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart

From peasants to princes, no one was untouched by the spiritual and intellectual upheaval of the 16th century. Martin Luther's challenge to church authority forced Christians to examine their beliefs in ways that shook the foundations of their religion. The subsequent divisions, fed by dynastic rivalries and military changes, fundamentally altered the relations between ruler and ruled. Geographical and scientific discoveries challenged the unity of Christendom as a belief community. Europe, with all its divisions, emerged instead as a geographical projection. Chronicling these dramatic changes, Thomas More, Shakespeare, Montaigne, and Cervantes created works that continue to resonate with us.

Spanning the years 1517 to 1648, Christendom Destroyed is Mark Greengrass' magnum opus: a rich tapestry that fosters a deeper understanding of Europe's identity today.

©2014 Mark Greengrass (P)2019 Tantor

Include all subsection titles in table of contents

This audio book includes the complete table of contents which is great. But it should also include all the chapter subsections in the TOC. Because it helps the user both be able to find certain sections of content and also comprehend the material. This is a long and dense book. And in audio form the user can’t flip through the pages and find the chapter subsections. They are not listed in the print version but including them in the audio version would improve the user’s experience of the audio version.

Other than that, this is an awesome book and I generally like the audible platform.

Disorganized

I have listened to about 20% of this audiobook and am completely lost, and say this as someone very familiar with Renaissance/early modern history and philosophy and the major players - the Medics, all those other Florentines like Machiavelli and Savonarola, the various popes and councils, Luther and Calvin, Hapsburg tensions with France and the Papacy, etc. I was hoping this book would fill in gaps in my knowledge. But there’s, like, no coherent narrative at all. Just a bunch of loosely organized facts thrown at you. Maybe it makes for a good textbook, but a painful listen.

Terrific history for an awful era

At the beginning of the era of Greengrass’s compelling history Erasmus wrote that he believed a golden age was coming. He was wrong. Religion and the various dynasties of Europe fractured Christendom. By 1650 some regard for liberty of religious conscience and the state had emerged. The intervening years saw no moderation from the divinely inspired and no dynast gave up his (or hers) privilege without a fight. Modern science and philosophy might have emerged during this time but the background was the four horsemen of the apocalypse.

The story is well told and well read. The best way to get full satisfaction is probably to also read this book as there is a lot going on, a lot of facts are given.

Learned alot

Really enjoyed authors prospective. Usefull history for Christians to understand how the world has changed.

Disappointing

This book bounces and bounces between generalities without any seeming flow to it whatsoever. Very disappointing

audio fine, books pretty tangential

book attempts to cover a very broad number of topics yet focuses on extreme details, this makes it both too detailed and too superficial. very little discussion of the regional political situation or significant events, hyperfocused on daily aspects of life like housing construction etc. might be useful to some but I found it very unhelpful in understanding the time period

BORING !

After listening to the audio book for 2 days I cannot remember one thing about it. It was done in too broad a stroke.