Interest in the Reformation world has increased remarkably in the last six years, as is testified by the multitude of Reformation companions and anthologies recently published: Mark Greengrass's The Longman Companion to the European Reformation, c.1500–1618 (1998); Andrew Pettegree's The Reformation World (2000); Carter Lindberg's The Reformation Theologians: An Introduction to Theology in the Early Modern Period (2002); and more recently David Bagchi's and David C. Steinmetz's The Cambridge Companion to Reformation Theology (2004) – not to mention the two excellent and recent monographs on the Reformation by Diarmaid MacCulloch and Patrick Collinson. Undoubtedly each of these works has richly contributed to a broader understanding of the Reformation; however the student of the Reformation must invest his or her pennies responsibly. Therefore, in the overwhelming world of Reformation publications how does R. Po-chia Hsia's edited volume stand out from the impressive crowd?

Breadth. The most impressive trait of this volume is its wide breadth of coverage geographically that then contributes to a wider understanding of the Reformation world both theologically and socio-politically. Hsia has put together a diverse group of first-rate scholars who, within their respective fields, contribute clear and exceptional chapters that transport the Reformation student across the entire globe, from Japan to Latin America.

Hsai divides this work into six sections. The following is a brief description of these sections, highlighting the volume's strengths and deficiencies.

Part One, ‘On the Eve of the Reformation’, offers two outstanding chapters on ‘Dissent and Heresy’ and ‘Society and Piety’. One notices, however, that a section on the eve of the Reformation is significantly incomplete without a discussion of the role of humanism in the Reformation and for that reason this section is particularly weak.

Part Two, ‘The Reformation in the Holy Roman Empire’, offers four energising chapters. Robert Kolb's chapter deserves special mention for its remarkable ability to condense Luther studies clearly in seventeen pages (a miraculous feat); he also offers the student a thorough map towards further Luther research. Similarly Hans-Jürgen Goertz has eloquently shown the importance of understanding the German radicals' theology within the context of Reformation politics.

Part Three, ‘The European Reformation’, is one of the highlights of this volume owing to its contributions to the understanding of the reformations in Eastern Europe. James R. Palmitessa offers an engaging look at the Reformation in Poland while Istvan György Toth demonstrates the complexity in understanding the Reformation in Hungary. Christopher Haigh gives us a good chapter on the English Reformation. Noticeably, however, this volume is silent in regard to the significance of the Scottish Reformation in British Reformation historiography. A chapter on the Scots (or even a small section) would have contributed significantly to the overarching understanding of the Reformation world and Scotland's place in it (which has been instrumental in the formation of Christianity in the United States).

Part Four, ‘Catholic Renewal and Confessional Struggles’, contributes to the importance of understanding the Reformation within its Roman Catholic context. Here we are reminded that the Roman Catholic church was itself part of the movement of renewal, often overshadowed by the Protestant reformations. Though the chapters are excellent (especially John O'Malley's chapter on the Jesuits), there is another obvious omission in that there is no chapter on the pinnacle of the Catholic counter-reformation, the Council of Trent.

Part Five, ‘Christian Europe and the World’, is this volume's unique and exciting contribution to Reformation companions. The inclusion of the chapters on Latin America, India, China and Japan contributes to what can truly be called an understanding of the ‘world’ of the Reformation. Kevin Terraciano's chapter on early Latin America is an excellent introduction to the development of Christianity, specifically in Mexico. Ines Zupanov's chapter on India has laid out various non-western avenues for the Reformation student to consider, specifically Hindu–Christian relations. Po-chia Hsia's chapter on China is a treasure for the student of the Reformation. His chapter maps out the historiography of Reformation China studies and is a premier guide for any student wishing to know about the development of Christianity in China. The last chapter in this section, by Michael Cooper on Japan, also contributes richly to an ever broadening picture of the Reformation in the non-western world. These four chapters reveal many exciting research possibilities for the Reformation student and they are the highlight of this impressive volume.

The last section, Part Six, ‘Structures of the Reformation World’, is a group of superb chapters on various facets of the Reformation from the administration of parishes to the treatment of the Jews.

Despite some of the omissions (which will always be unavoidable in a one-volume companion to the Reformation), Hsia's volume offers the Reformation student a wonderful companion to the Reformation world. It is, in the opinion of the reviewer, worthy of a place on your shelf solely for the contribution of Part Five. It should also be noted that this volume succeeds in being accessible to the beginner without sacrificing historical or theological detail.