An examination of the political, cultural and spiritual shock waves unleashed by the reformation and counter-reformation. The traumas and transformations sparked by the reformation and counter-reformation were felt in countless ways over the two centuries that followed. This book examines the political, cultural and spiritual shock waves unleashed by the reformation. It considers religion, religious identity and religious conflict, paying particular attention to the self-professed beliefs and mental structures articulated by early modern people, in an effort to make sense of how those people lived, formed communities and understood their religious lives. It explores how the pervasive effects of religious schisms shaped political life across Europe, exerting profound effects on political structures and arguments, reshaping borders, sowing endemic conflict and engendering various solutions for confronting and overcoming those conflicts. In addition, the book discusses how the religious and political controversies provoked by the reformation were conducted publicly, often in print, before increasingly broader audiences, often making use of new modes of representation that emerged during the period. Overall, the book provides a broad, in-depth, very insightful analysis of this crucially important period. Contributors : Simon Adams, Michael Braddick, Thomas Cogswell, David Como, Richard Cust, Lori Anne Ferrell, Kenneth Fincham, Paul E. J. Hammer, Ann Hughes, Anthony Milton, Jason Peacey, Steve Pincus, Michael Questier, Nigel Smith and Nicholas Tyacke