"Bridget Heal's A magnificent faith: art and identity in Lutheran Germany crosses centuries and persuasively argues that we need to understand not just the utilisation but the celebration of visual culture within Lutheran identity and religious practice. Heal''s interdisciplinary study of the visual culture of Lutheranism is undoubtedly one of the most significant books on Lutheranism to have appeared in 2017." -- Jennifer Spinks, Journal of Ecclesiastical History "Carefully researched, cleverly crafted, and clearly written, the book is a magnificent read to be enjoyed by both scholarly and broader readerships." -- Maria Craciun, Catholic Historical Review "[A]rt historians will be drawn to this volume, but, surprisingly, anyone interested in the history of Lutheran orthodoxy will also find this volume to be helpful, since it traces visual imaging whether through print, altars, or paintings when Orthodoxy was at its height This book is filled both with color plates and black and white photos, enhancing its readability by illustrating artistic achievements among post-Reformation and Baroque craftsmen in Saxony and Brandenburg. An encounter with this book teaches that one really does not understand theology apart from the culture within which it interacts."--Mark Mattes, Lutheran Quarterly "Bridget Heal's book is a major contribution to the study of Protestantism and art. In addition to using recent literature, Heal has unearthed many apologetic, devotional, homiletic and theological texts, as well as imagery, to set ideas, images and objects in their historical and geographical contexts over a period of more than two hundred years." -- Thomas Dacosta Kaufmann, The Burlington Magazine.
"[S]he discusses the material in the present volume with nuance and clarity, and with an infectious interest in the sheer complexity and consequence of the issues.Heal's book is inviting to read and adequately illustrated (many images will be unfamiliar; some images are in color). Heal has brought together masses of difficult material, and her volume provides much food for thought for scholars of various disciplines interested in the period or in issues of ideologically sensitive public art.Highly recommended."--P. Emison, CHOICE "a wonderful book, marked by intellectual breadth and erudition, analytical finesse and careful historical scholarship"--History Today "Bridget Heal has written a fascinating book. Based on a wealth of printed and archival material, and accompanied by wonderful illustrations, she vividly illuminates the visual world of early modern Lutheranism.It is one of the most important contributions to the study of the Reformation tradition for many years.
"--Joachim Whaley, The Art Newspaper "a magnificent book"--Journal of Religious and Theological Information.