Hands of God and Man, detail from Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, Public Domain via Wikimedia

Why this blog?

As October 31st, 2017 approaches,  media coverage of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation increases daily.  What more should be said, and why by me, a devotée of the Renaissance since a college semester spent in Italy?

Simply put, focusing on the Reformation without the Renaissance would be like paying attention to one twin while ignoring the other.  For good and for ill, the Renaissance shaped the Reformation. To understand the Reformation, we must appreciate its twin movement of modernity, the Renaissance.

Why me?

The Renaissance and Reformation period was my mental world for years as I earned my PhD in History at Stanford University. Under my mentor, Lewis W. Spitz, my understanding and appreciation of the Reformation grew to rival my passion for the Renaissance.

I’ve continued to expand my knowledge of the Renaissance/Reformation era as I’ve researched and written my forthcoming historical novel, Lucia’s Renaissance. (When Martin Luther’s writings ignite a young girl’s faith, she must choose—abandon her beliefs or risk her life in the turbulent world of late Renaissance Italy.)

Join me in exploring the stories of the key figures as Renaissance meets Reform!