Out of the Flames

Have any of you read Out of the Flames?

I first read it several years ago, and have read it many times since. It has absolutely become my favorite historical non-fiction book.

Ostensibly, it is about Michael Servetus, but it really touches on the world-shaping events starting with the invention of the printing press and following its impact on the Protestant reformation. It is also a good read because it focuses on personalities involved and personal relationships -- such as the academic rivalry between Servetus and John Calvin.

Are others here familiar with the work? What do you think about it? I'd love to hear from other fans, or even from critics of the book, to know what you think.

I read it for a class a couple of years ago. I had never heard of Michael Servetus before that, so learning about him was a revelation. Also, I found out what a miserable little phony Calvin was. That was definitely a let-down. Great book!

Not avid about Calvin anyway, I let the book enforce my prejudice against him. Later I read The Death of Adam; Marilynne Robinson is a big fan of Calvin, and I am a big fan of Marilynne Robinson. I have begun to rethink. That said I don't think that I will fully forgive Calvin; I wonder whether he cares.

Robert