Brad S. Gregory is a historian specializing in early modern European history. His work concentrates on Christianity during the Reformation era, the long-term consequences of this reformation, and the process of secularization in early modern and modern Western history. Gregory also investigates the methodology of studying religion, focusing on the unique and lasting effects of religious and secular shifts. His extensive academic background in both history and philosophy allows him to comprehensively grasp these complex societal transformations.
Brad Gregory paints an in-depth portrait of Martin Luther as a reluctant rebel in the ranks and the Reformation as a movement largely beyond his control. He explains in vivid detail how events that transpired gave shape to the modern world and how the unintended and unforeseen consequencs of the Reformation continue to influence us today. --page 4 of cover
In a work as much about the present as the past, Gregory identifies the unintended consequences of the Reformation for the modern condition: a hyperpluralism of beliefs, intellectual disagreements that splinter into fractals of specialized discourse, the absence of a substantive common good, and the triumph of capitalism's driver, consumerism.
The book delves into the executions of thousands for their religious beliefs in sixteenth-century Europe, examining martyrdom's role in shaping Christian identities. It analyzes Protestant, Catholic, and Anabaptist martyrs, highlighting their self-understanding and how they were memorialized by their communities. Gregory investigates the perspectives of authorities, martyrs, and martyrologists, using diverse sources like pamphlets and legal records. This comparative study reveals the complexities surrounding the definitions of true and false martyrs and the impact of these deaths on religious sensibilities.