The sixteenth century saw significant shifts in religious belief across Europe. Amidst the resultant wars, conflicts, heretical trials and executions, the resurrection was one doctrine that was held by all, regardless of confessional stance. As stated in 1 Corinthians xv.16–17: ‘For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins’ (ESV). Despite this commonality, few have focused on its manifestations across the major confessional boundaries of the sixteenth century. Erin Lambert presents five case studies ‘asking how sixteenth-century Christians themselves understood the process of belief's formation, determined its role in their lives, and above all, put their belief into practice’ (p. 10). Building on the work of Rebecca Oettinger and others, Lambert argues that music was central to the formation and expression of individual belief in the early modern period, so musical manifestations of resurrection belief form the cornerstone to this work. Nevertheless, this study relies on an impressive range of evidence that includes architecture, sculpture, city planning and print and manuscripts.

In exploring early modern approaches to the resurrection, Lambert begins with a discussion of pre-Reformation Nuremberg. Among both explicit and implicit manifestations of belief, Lambert argues that the resurrection was a central focus of medieval life. Depictions of the resurrection such as in the Last Judgement tympanum above the portal to St Lorenz were of the more obvious reminders that death was not the end of human life. Even the placement of the cemetery near the church at the centre of the city reminded churchgoers of the ever-present reality of death and the promised resurrection. This belief was musically manifest in the endowments that were left to fund various activities and physical structures that included everything from a one-off mass to an entire altar dedicated to special masses and prayers. Not only were the musical performances tied to these endowments intended to expedite a person's passing through purgatory, they reminded the living of the reality of their own future death and resurrection.

The second chapter moves ahead to post-Reformation Nuremberg and the ways in which resurrection belief was expressed in print. By 1524 Lutheranism had taken hold in the city, and the mass had been abrogated. Despite these significant shifts, Lambert argues that resurrection belief remained constant. In particular, multiple woodcuts depicting a person on their deathbed appeared on song pamphlets produced by various of the city's printers during this period of confessional shift. Most of these woodcuts retained the same basic imagery that included the infirm, angels (or other celestial beings) and demons. Lambert juxtaposes these with Nicolaus Herman's hymns that were written around Johannes Mathesius’ sermons on 1 Corinthians xv. Because Herman's settings were strophic and rhymed, people could and did quickly memorise them, instilling in them the resurrection theology behind Mathesius’ sermons.

The scene shifts to the Low Countries in chapter iii and to Anabaptist views of the resurrection. Lambert explores the beliefs promoted by Anabaptist leaders such as Menno Simons, Dirk Philips and David Joris. Often persecuted, Anabaptists relied on more clandestine methods of expressing and disseminating their beliefs, and these often included hastily scribbled notes on scraps of paper and aurally transmitted sermons and songs. Lambert emphasises the Anabaptist belief that resurrection occurs at baptism and therefore no damage could be done to that resurrected body, regardless of the pains endured on earth. This belief was expressed in various accounts of Anabaptist martyrs and in the songs that were often sung at Anabaptist meetings. Even so, Lambert notes that many were hesitant to fully embrace Anabaptist theology and practice. It is therefore difficult to determine how many individuals would have subscribed to Anabaptist views of the resurrection, particularly those individuals who refused to be rebaptised.

Chapter iv describes the views of the Reformed exiles who were first constituted as the London Stranger Church in 1550 and who were forced to move back to the European mainland during the reign of Mary i of England before reuniting back in London during the reign of Elizabeth i. Lambert traces these migrations, illustrating the Strangers’ belief in the transitory nature of this life. The Strangers believed that their true home was in heaven, and they awaited their deaths and resurrections so that they could finally go home. Despite this outlook, the Strangers did not go out of their way to seek death. In fact, they moved from various locations to avoid persecution and death, indicating that this life still held value. This outlook was shaped by the Psalms that the community sang both liturgically and devotionally, and it was mirrored in their views on the Lord's Supper.

Roman Catholic thought and particularly the Counter-Reformation is the focus of the fifth chapter. Of particular interest are the circumstances surrounding the death and eventual entombment of the Emperor Ferdinand i. Recounting the story of Ferdinand's temporary resting place in Vienna until he could be transported to Prague, Lambert focuses on the masses that were sung worldwide for the ruler. This illustrates the fact that although the Holy Roman Empire had become multi-confessional during his reign (p. 163), he still insisted on the traditional Roman Catholic rites, and particularly the nationalistic expressions of his rule as an earthly manifestation of God's eternal light.

Behind these illuminating case studies lies a methodological conundrum: can five case studies provide a ‘comprehensive study of the ways in which bodily resurrection was understood in the context of the reformation’ (p. 10)? Lambert insists that the case studies ‘are not intended as representatives of confessional traditions at large nor are they intended to be directly comparable to one another’ (p. 18). Without this comparison or any notion of representation, however, one wonders to what extent this study has indeed covered the act of belief during the early modern period (p. 10).

That aside, Lambert's varied multi-disciplinary approach to each case study should be modelled by others researching the spectrum of popular belief in the early modern period. Lambert presents five interesting case studies that together bring a greater understanding of the kaleidoscopic nature of sixteenth-century popular belief. In this juxtaposition, Lambert has revealed the need for more work on Reformation resurrection belief and has begun to fill that lacuna. To be sure, almost everyone in early modern Europe believed in the resurrection, regardless of confessional stance. The question is how each individual navigated the changing religious landscape to determine the final destination of their resurrected body.