Immanuel Tremellius was born a Jew in Ferrara in about 1510. Under the influence of Italian evangelism, he converted to Christianity in Italy in the late 1530s or early 1540s. In 1542 his flight from Italy to Germany made clear his commitment to the Reformed branch of Christianity. From then until his death in 1580 he taught Hebrew at various Reformed schools and universities in northern Europe. He was (and is) best known as a biblical translator. In 1569 he published a translation of the New Testament from the Syriac; and his translation of the Old Testament from the Hebrew, which first appeared in 1575, had gone through a total of thirty-four European editions by 1715.

This book is the first biography of Tremellius since the nineteenth century and the first ever in English. Austin sets out to establish his subject as ‘a much more important figure than his modern reputation would suggest’ and argues that Tremellius' life provides ‘a valuable case-study through which we may come to a better understanding of the religious culture of the sixteenth century’ (p. vii). And indeed Tremellius' professional encounters over the course of his itinerant career read like a ‘Who's Who’ of sixteenth-century religion – including Alessandro Farnese (the future Pope Paul iii), Reginald Pole, Peter Martyr Vermigli, Jean Calvin, Martin Bucer and Thomas Cranmer. His career in northern Europe, specifically, sheds new light on how Reformed churches, schools and universities operated as an international network.

Austin's research is also impressive. Though forced into speculation regarding much of Tremellius' early life, he backs up his conclusions with as much evidence as possible. Material concerning Tremellius' years at Heidelberg is more plentiful. From student lecture notes the author is able to piece together a description of Tremellius' teaching style and content. Similarly, a close examination of his translations of the New and Old Testaments reveals much about his goals and methods as a translator of sacred Scripture. Through these analyses, Austin draws his most important conclusion: that in his teaching and translation Tremellius' primary concern was not to defend the theology of the Reformed faith, but rather to provide his students and readers with the most literal and linguistically accurate translation of the text. His lectures and biblical annotations rarely, if ever, delved into the realm of confessional polemic.

Tremellius' irenic approach suggests that the so-called confessional age may not have been quite as avidly confessional as scholars have assumed. In the end, however, one cannot help wondering if he was the exception that proved the rule. While Austin's biography does provide an valuable and illuminating case study of the intellectual culture of the sixteenth century, his contention that Tremellius ‘made a significant contribution to the early modern period’ (p. 175) is not quite convincing. For example, evidence for the impact of Tremellius' bible translations is slim. Thirty-four editions suggests popularity, but examples of other scholars using Tremellius' works over the years would have added much-needed strength to Austin's assertion of significance.