The historiographical significance of the Reformation is debatable. Against the backdrop of the discussion surrounding continuities and upheavals between the Late Middle Ages and the Reformation, Thomas Kaufmann analyzes the extent to which the Reformation marked a "beginning." In doing so, he focuses on the contexts and forms which were used to establish earlier Christian traditions. At the same time he deals with the communication dynamics, especially the key media of pamphlets which, starting with Luther, set the Reformation process in motion. The creation of the doctrine and the construction of identity show the internal coherence and the dissociation procedure which influenced the evangelical movement.

"This expansive tome is for researchers, indispensable for those (especially historians) working in the field of Luther studies and of the early Reformation. [...] This contextual analysis of Luther's reception is precisely what is needed as scholars reassess the formative period of the Reformation as a whole and not solely through micro-historical analyses of various actors and movements focusing on their local impact."
John A. Maxfield in Lutheran Quarterly 28 (2014), pp. 233-235