In the second decade of the sixteenth century medieval piety suddenly began to be attacked in some places as 'idolatry', or false religion. Wherever these ideas became accepted, churches were sacked, images smashed and burned, relics destroyed, and the Catholic Mass abolished. This study calls attention to the centrality of the idolatry issue for the Reformation. It traces the development of Protestant iconoclastic theology and practice, provides a survey and synthesis of its unfolding from Erasmus through Calvin, and lays a foundation for understanding the Reformed ideology that stood in conflict with Catholicism and Lutheranism. Professor Eire's main thesis is that the argument against 'idolatry' was central to Reformed Protestantism, both in its theological aspect and in its political ramifications, and that it reached its fullest and most enduring expression in Calvinism.

"Eire paints on a large canvas in order to tell for the first time the whole story of iconoclasm...the author has made an important contribution." The Times Literary Supplement

"...Eire's lucid synthesis cuts a broad furrow across the intellectual and political terrain of the sixteenth century...specialists and non-specialists alike can find here an interpretation of sixteenth-century history that illuminates what the Reformation meant to its creators and to posterity." Canadian Journal of History

"Excellently researched and argued, this book illustrates the clear connection between ideas and action and the significance ofverstehen." Christian Sociologist Newsletter