(p. 29), This was one of three books my wife had to read for one of her history courses. So this continent-wide narrative, the first third of the book, is shaped by crisis points. It was a book which on occasion became overwhelming. In one sense, therefore, the Re formation conflicts stifled diversity. Go ahead and state that he did the equivalent if that's really true, but there's no reason to repeat c. This look at the Reformation is easy to follow. This is more a philosophical history of the Reformation than a standard, chronological history. All primary-source quotations are in modern spelling. I've had my eye on this book for several years. See all videos for this article. Only rather later did the word gain a broader reference. I will not deal with these except when the Orthodox story touches on or is intertwined with that of the Latin West. Also, the roles of various orders such as the Society of Jesus, (Jesuits). It is a survey of the European Reformation between 1490 and 1700. by R.C. What is the Reformation and why does it matter? There's a problem loading this menu right now. It was then, and it still is now. But these are too obvious and basic for Collinson, who spends much more time talking about Erasmus laying eggs..... Ch. Instead, this book spends much more time on tracing ideas rather than political facts and is accordingly more unwieldly. Not least among its virtues, the book faithfully reflects the variousness and confusion of the times, when it was hard to … The Reformation was a seismic event in European history, one which left an indelible mark on the modern world. The consequences of those shattering events are still felt today—from the stark divisions between (and within) Catholic and Protestant countries to the Protestant ideology that governs America, the world’s … Keeping scrolling to learn more about the Reformation. Reformation, also called Protestant Reformation, the religious revolution that took place in the Western church in the 16th century. Snarky comments throughout about issues/ people that didn't sit well with me in what I wanted to be a basic history. I hardly think it is "the finest available introduction" or a "Concise history" of the Reformation. By contrast, it is remarkable how many religious labels started life as a sneer. History of Europe - History of Europe - Reformation and Counter-Reformation: In a sense, the Reformation was a protest against the secular values of the Renaissance. Once this chronological narrative is complete, the third section takes up social and intellectual themes that do not lend themselves so readily to chronological treatment. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. Penguin Books; Illustrated edition (March 25, 2005). Reads more like a transcript of the good ole professor ruminating upon some basic historiographical questions after one too many sherries. This column offers a theory that combines relational diffusion (via Luther’s network ties) with spatial diffusion (via trade routes in the Holy Roman Empire), and … She suggested I read it since I was interested in the Reformation. Who was Martin Luther? It is therefore problematic to use Protestant as a simple description for sympathizers with reform in the first half of the sixteenth century, and the reader will find that often in this book I use a different word, “evangelical.” That word has the advantage that it was widely used and recognized at the time, and it also encapsulates what was most important to this collection of activists: the good news of the Gospel, in Latinized Greek, the evangelium. My decisions on this have been arbitrary, but I hope that they are at least internally consistent. Mr. MacCulloch talked about his book, [The Reformation: A History], published by Viking Books. The Reformation: A History of European Civilization from Wycliffe to Calvin, 1300 - 1564 (Story of Civilization series. Many anecdotes. Also more discussion of 19th century sociologist Max Weber than one would reasonably expect. I was disappointed in the superficial narrative. Yet that very cutting-down of options heightens the sense of difference between Catholic and Protestant Europe, because of the rival tidinesses that this process of sifting created. He has a deft way with words and phrases which made this book. it was a hard read. Even though the task has necessarily involved administrative and editorial drudgery, it has also been an exciting privilege: an unrivaled chance to see the extent of research and the emergence of original thought across the whole field of Christian history. I assume the problem is that they know much more about this period than I do and so are annoyed at how much is left out. He devotes equal weight to the Counter-Reformation -- so any of you who are Catholic or were raised in that religion would benefit from understanding the roots of "modern" Catholicism. Also, the word "concise" is generous. It concentrates mainly on Europe, however; that is, the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, England, Scotland, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden etc. Some of the conclusions drawn don't make sense to me, and I might suggest that the author comes from a more liberal persuasion. If this book can help to liberate such research for wider enjoyment and understanding, then I will feel that it has done a good job. Doing this also minimizes the unfortunate tendency to present the Reformation solely in terms of a handful of significant males, principally Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, Loyola, Cranmer, Henry VIII and a number of popes. A more appropria, I expected much more from this book even though it states that it was a "concise" history. I expected much more from this book even though it states that it was a "concise" history. Sold by Zaiah Enterprises, LLC and ships from Amazon Fulfillment. It is not a simple introduction to the topic though, instead it is more of a mature scholar's reflections and insights on the Reformation, its causes and influences, and on the history of history writing on the Reformation. The resulting division between Catholic and Protestant still marks Europe west of the lands of Orthodox (Greek, Russian, and oriental) Christianity, in a host of attitudes, assumptions, and habits of life which distinguish, for in stance, the remaining territories of Protestant Prussia from neighboring Catholic Poland, or the Protestant Netherlands from the Catholicism of the modern kingdom of Belgium. Sold by John Wiley & Sons The Reformation: A Brief History is a succinct and engaging introduction to the origins and history of the Protestant Reformation. Publisher's Description At a time when men and women were prepared to kill - and be killed - for their faith, the Reformation tore the Western world apart. There is a simple reason for this: So far, the Orthodox churches have not experienced a Reformation. As one who is looking for what the title suggests – “A History” – it is a bit too theory and theology-heavy, and without enough basic occur. Still, it’s well worth reading. The Reformation: A Brief History is a succinct and engaging introduction to the origins and history of the Protestant Reformation. Winner of the 2004 Wolfson Prize for History, and the Winner of the 2004 British Academy Prize, as well as Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award. The Reformation introduced many more complications to the word; in fact, there were very many different Reformations, nearly all of which would have said that they were aimed simply at recreating authentic Catholic Christianity. Collinson explores the people and ideas, and their impact, of this time period in fascinating and challenging ways. I don't think he was writing to the lay person but he was concentrating on his fellow academics. May this work contribute to unite always more and more all those who are partakers of that Divine life. I don't recommend this as a book for people with little historical background, not because they lack the background but because Collinson has too much background of his own in a short book. Collinson rambles over time and space, and by that I meant he rarely locates his discussions in any one period or geographic location, unnecessarily darkening the waters for anyone not already well versed in the major figures and events of the Reformation period, Even so, this little work, barely over 200 pages, is supposed to stand as a survey. It delves deeper into the myriad different, smaller and disunited sub-confessions of Protestantism, mainly, the differences (and antagonisms) between Lutheranism and Reformed Protestantism, but also the myriad of other smaller sub-confessions such as the Quakers, Methodists, Presbyterians, Puritans, Anabaptists, gnesio-Lutherans, Arminians, Huguenots etc. Welcome back. The Reformation was a time in the History of Europe, when some people began to question some of the Teachings of The Catholic Church and to challenge the authority of the Pope. Confused sometimes, but not bored. And it can be overwhelming. The Reformation is contained within the period historians customarily describe as early modern. For me, the most intriguing bit was in the epilog wherein the author introduces me to Max Weber, even though Collinson pans the English translation. Historians are likely to retort that blind belief has a record even more abysmal: Historical narratives told with a confessional viewpoint lurking in the background are very likely to bend the story to fit irrelevant preconceptions. In reality, it was more a "pick and choose" sort of history. The author is a church historian of international renown. The label “Protestant” thereafter was part of German or imperial politics for decades, and did not have a wider reference than that. by Modern Library, The Reformation: A History (Modern Library Chronicles). I read this for a history class because this year marks the 500th anniversary of Luther posting the 95 Theses. While I had to admit I am now more informed on what the Reformation was all about it how it influenced European history, I was sorely disappointed in Patrick Collinson's writing style and how he presented the material. Because the two first great powers to embark on this enterprise remained loyal to the pope, the early story of Europe’s religious expansion is more about Catholics than Protestants—with one huge exception. “Blind unbelief is sure to err,” sang the Christian hymn writer William Cowper in Georgian England. The power of ideas explains why the Reformation was such a continent-wide event: Using the common language of Latin, which all educated people spoke and wrote, religious revolutionaries could spread their message across smaller-scale culture and language barriers. Each of these shifts is visible in The Reformation: A Brief History by Kenneth G. Appold of Princeton Theological Seminary. This History of the Reformation has been written with the intention of describing a great religious movement amid its social environment. I found what he had to say about the Reformation in England the most intriguing. The simple title of the book, “The Reformation, A History” might indicate to the reader that the explanation of the implied subject would also be simple. “Catholic” is clearly a word a lot of people want to possess. Although to some extent an affectation, such names also served to emphasize the international nature of European culture and the pan-European applicability of ideas. I'm not sure what I expected when I picked this up on a whim, but I'm sure I expected more political history than this book focuses on. if you need to learn or are interested in the reformation it is informative and comprehensive. This judgment leads him through a wide-ranging narrative to follow the story of the Reformation beyond Western Europe, into Eastern Europe, and beyond the pivotal controversies into the history of renewal within Roman Catholicism, and on through the 17th … Some parts just go into too much detail, and he lose the narrative thread. His study of the Reformation is vast in its scope with many magisterial summaries and scholarly objectivity. The Reformation: A History (Modern Library Chronicles Series Book 19) - Kindle edition by Collinson, Patrick. As religious divisions become ever greater, it becomes necessary to split the narrative, so that Part II consists of a series of regional narratives from 1570, between northern, southern, and central Europe. 5 out of 5 stars A Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge since 1988, he was Regius Professor of History at the University until 1996. The supporters of this Scholarly clerics and academics at the time often adopted Latinized or ersatz-Greek names from their places of origin, like Johannes Pomeranus (“the Pomeranian”) for Johann Bugenhagen, or as translations of their ordinary surnames, like Johannes Oecolampadius for Johann Hussgen (“John House Lamp”!). From now on I will continue to use the shorthand term “Reformation,” but readers should note that this is often intended to embrace both Protestantism and the religious movements commonly known as Tridentine Catholicism, the Catholic Reformation, or the Counter-Reformation, which revitalized part of the old Church that remained loyal to the pope. But the literary and intellectual quality makes that a moot point in my book. A … Instead, this book spends much more time on tracing ideas rather than political facts and is accordingly more unwieldly. My subject, then, is the Church which, when united, might most accurately be described (though clumsily and in narrow technical ecclesiological jargon) as the Western Church of the Latin Rite; I shall more commonly call it the western Church or the Latin Church, and refer to the culture that it sustained as Latin or western Christendom. If I had not already studied the Reformation during my Masters Program, I would have been extremely unprepared for many of the terms the author uses and assumptions that he makes. Such moments are 1517, when the Church’s supposedly reforming Lateran Council ended without achieving much, and when Luther caught the imagination of central Europe as a symbol of social transformation; 1525, the culmination of seven years of popular excitement in which anything seemed possible, ending in the defeat of the German peasants’ rebellion and widespread popular disillusion; 1541-42, a moment when prospects for reunion and a civilized settlement of religious arguments were real, only to end in disappointment and futility; 1570-72, when a clutch of separate political crises shifted the balance in favor of Protestants in the north, and of Catholics in the south. September 5th 2006 AbeBooks.com: The Reformation: A History (9780143035381) by MacCulloch, Diarmaid and a great selection of similar New, Used and Collectible Books available now at great prices. Back in the eighth and ninth centuries many of them were convulsed by an “iconoclastic controversy,” which hinged on one of the great issues to reappear in the sixteenth-century Reformation. A classic Academic work on the Reformation - but not for the typical, casual reader, Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2017. To be fair, it is not really an introductory history of the reformation so if you are looking for a simple direct entry level explanation this is not it. This look at the Reformation is easy to follow. Rent $2.99 Buy $14.99 Please try again. How did this movement succeed? By Diarmaid MacCulloch. As an excellent summary of the Reformation number or email address below and we don ’ sell! Had on Western Civilization throughout history the 95 Theses, including Fellowship of the good ole professor ruminating some... S sometimes sets of short strings of details without strong links or much analysis do Bible. To music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and lose... 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