History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin. Vol. 2 (of 8)

This volume follows the early currents of the Reformation as they swirl through France and Geneva, centering on a young John Calvin’s formative years. From his days as a student at Orléans, where friendships and disputes sharpen his theological curiosity, to his first preaching assignments in Bourges and Paris, the narrative paints a vivid picture of a restless mind seeking to reconcile humanist learning with evangelical zeal.

Interwoven with Calvin’s story are the lives of contemporaries—martyr Pierre de l’Étoile, the noble‑born reformer Berquin, and the courtly patronage of Queen Margaret—whose ambitions and missteps illustrate the fragile balance between faith and politics. The author’s meticulous use of contemporary documents brings the debates, trials, and private gatherings of the 1520s and early 1530s to life, offering listeners a textured glimpse into the intellectual and spiritual ferment that set the stage for the later, more celebrated chapters of the Reformation.