Johann Gutenberg developed the movable-type printing press in Mainz, Germany, revolutionizing the production and dissemination of books, including the Bible. The printing press enabled the rapid spread of Reformation ideas, vernacular translations of scripture, and the democratization of religious knowledge. Gutenberg's invention transformed the relationship between Christianity, literacy, and literary culture.

The printing press made possible the mass production of religious poetry, including the metrical psalters, hymn collections, and devotional verse that shaped the literary culture of the Reformation and beyond. It enabled the widespread circulation of English poetry, from the works of the Metaphysical poets to the hymns of Isaac Watts.