Historical studies not only illuminate the past and teach lessons from earlier human experience. They can also contribute to current discussions of issues grounded, as all issues are, in particular historical events and thinking. This volume serves not only to expand our understanding of the role of Luther and his theology within Churches of the Reformed traditions; it also can help Lutherans and Reformed understand some of their current stances, particularly those that developed in the assertion of confessional identity in the dialogue or polemic of the first two centuries of the Protestant Churches.

Karin Maag's introductory essay sets forth three guiding themes for presenting Luther in Calvinist historiography of the origins of the Reformation movements: ‘the starting point of the Reformation’, ‘God's instrument’, and ‘the great man’. An additional key to Luther's role in Reformed treatment of Luther, of course, is the interpretation and, often, critique of his positions, particularly on the Lord's supper and Christology, as well as the use of his De servo arbitrio for supporting Calvinist understandings of predestination.

The volume demonstrates the wide-ranging spread of Reformed engagement with Luther, tracing influences not only in theology (essays by Peterson, van den Belt and van Lieburg) but also in matters related to liturgy (Luth), devotional literature (van de Kamp), church order and structure (Smit), broader relationships of the Church to society (Strohm, Ballor), philosophy (Frank), art and architecture (Gormans, Harasimowicz, van Klincken and Overbosch-Mielke, Kootte and van Wijngaarden) and pedagogy (Ehrenpreis). Only a sampling of these various explorations can be given to show the kinds of challenges to further research and discussion that are emerging with this kind of comparative historical investigation.

Christoph Strohm confirms with his analysis of ‘Luther's influence on the Calvinist understanding of governmental authority and law’ the findings of David van Drunen (Natural law and the two kingdoms: a study in the development of reformed social thought, Grand Rapids, Mi 2010) that Calvin held views regarding natural law and the ‘two realms’ that were much closer to Luther's than his later interpreters wanted to believe. These assessments of Calvin also indicate the need for more extensive exploration of whether Calvin also shared Luther's definition of righteousness in its two-fold dimension of active and passive and the precise significance of the relationship of Luther's two-fold righteousness for positions on topics from justification to Christian living.

Rodney Peterson's helpful investigation of eschatological concepts in Calvin and Luther could be expanded with a more thorough appraisal of Calvin's use of Luther's view of the daily eschatological battle that rages within the Christian, who is simul justus et peccator, as the Holy Spirit opposes Satan's efforts to win the allegiance of the believer. Heinrich Bullinger's multi-faceted estimation of Luther is effectively sketched by Peter Opitz, but the strong abhorrence of the superstitious use of sacramental elements that moved the Zurichers dares not be forgotten in assessing their rejection of Luther's comfort with material elements as instruments of God's power to save when connected to the promise of new life in Christ and the faith that it creates.

Valuable also are the regional studies (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Hungarian lands, England, the Netherlands, France and Italy), each with its own focus on a variety of topics. Karl Schwarz rehearses the process by which Georg Erasmus von Tschernembl made his way from the Lutheran confession in which he was raised to Reformed thinking. This move arose from his use of Monomarchian political theory; it aided him in resisting increasing Habsburg encroachment on the freedom of Protestants to practise their faith in Habsburg Austrian domains. This study reveals the breadth of issues that informed the interaction between the two confessions. Ulrich Wien sketches how the strength of Unitarian forms of belief and practice complicated the relationships between Lutheran and Reformed believers in Transylvania. Zsombor Tóth takes the Lutheran George Lani as an illuminating example of the martyrdom of adherents of both confessions in the 1670s in the Habsburg Hungarian domains. Jon Balserak's search for both the influences and the uses of Luther among leading French Reformed thinkers reveals little direct citation or application of the Wittenberg reformer's formulation. David Parry focuses on John Bunyan, Richard Greenham, William Perkins, Richard Sibbes and the ‘Antinomians’ along with their opponents to demonstrate how English Reformed thinkers used Luther appreciatively but also critically.

One problem that often accompanies such comparisons is that the authors often have a firm, extensive command of one side of the comparison while working with less precise impressions of the other side. At times the Luther presented in individual essays here is not the Luther of the most recent Luther research, but that does not usually create a serious barrier to using the research set forth in the essays.

Even a volume with twenty-eight essays cannot touch all possible aspects of a field as broad as ‘Luther and Calvinism’. Many studies exist that compare Luther and Calvin and/or other Reformed theologians of the Reformation period, and others have begun to focus on the widening rift between adherents of the two during the late Reformation, including the study of use of the ancient Church Fathers in the debate between Calvin and Joachim Westphal by Esther Chung-Kim, and the several essays on various aspects of the growing antagonism and feelings of betrayal by the other among Reformed and Lutheran theologians by Irene Dingel. Further such studies will benefit both historical understanding and ecumenical exchange.

This is a most helpful collection of essays which should inspire and evoke more study of the relationship between Luther and Calvin and the traditions that flow from their seminal interpretation of Scripture. It is also a stimulating source for instruction and discussion across a wide spectrum of theological and historical fora. Authors and editors are to be commended for this collection.