Historians have failed to link the upheaval and warfare that the Protestant Reformation caused to the fabric of Christian societies already seeking reform and renewal in the first decades of the 16th century. There were other Roman Catholic Reformers, but none as outspoken as Martin Luther who engaged in vilification of the Pope and the hegemonic Roman Catholic Church. This demonization of Pope and church created a culture of dissent that still lingers in our society. While it was true that the Church needed reform and had become corrupt, the change needed to come from within. This work chronicles the events and the impact of the Protestant Reformation in all of the major European countries and to some extent in America. After reading this work, the reader will have a better understanding of why we have a modern culture of dissent and celebration of individual rights. Moderation and reaching accord with our opponents is something that is disappearing. Chapters include: Witchcraft in the Western World; The Holy Roman Empire & The Papal States; The Protestant Reformation; and The Protestant Reformation in Spain and Switzerland. (242pp. color illus. index. Masthof Press, 2024.)