The Split Temple. Reformation in Europe

The book by Doctor of Historical Sciences, leading researcher at the Institute of Universal History of the Russian Academy of Sciences Anna Seregina offers a new perspective on the Reformation period. Instead of a dry presentation of theological doctrines, the author immerses the reader in the epicenter of the struggle for the soul of a Christian, focusing on the fateful disagreements in the interpretations of key rituals, ceremonies, and the question of the salvation of the soul. Over 100 high-quality illustrations of masterpieces of world art. The Reformation is traditionally perceived as an event of the 16th century, exclusively linked to the emergence of Protestantism. However, this simplified interpretation conceals colossal spiritual transformations that spanned several centuries and irrevocably changed the social, political, and economic map of the continent. Irreconcilable disagreements regarding religious practices—the actions of a Christian in the temple—led to the greatest schism in the history of Christianity. The Reformation, according to the author, is not a sudden rebellion, but a prolonged, painful process that began long before Martin Luther's emergence within the Catholic Church. The appearance of Protestants was not the starting point of the path, but rather one of its stages, a dividing point of the reform of church life into several streams—Catholic, Lutheran, Calvinist… The heroes of the book are not only Luther and the reformers but also congregants, preachers, monks, mystics, artists, and members of religious brotherhoods—all those who shaped the living fabric of European Christianity. The author presents the Reformation not just as a history of theological disputes and church institutions but primarily as a history of the religious experiences of people—their everyday practices, rituals, fears, hopes, and perceptions of salvation. The focus is on the sacraments, the mass, the cult of saints and the Virgin Mary, purgatory, indulgences, the brotherhood of believers, forms of piety among laypeople and monks, as well as changes in the perception of death and faith. "The Split Temple. Reformation in Europe" is a book about how religion changes society from within and why the discussion about faith, rituals, and identity remains urgently relevant in an era of new cultural and value fractures. About the author: Anna Yuryevna Seregina is a Doctor of Historical Sciences, leading researcher at the Institute of Universal History of the Russian Academy of Sciences. She is the author of several books on the history of theological and political thought of the Reformation era, as well as the political and social history of Europe in the 16th – 17th centuries.