The Catholic Reformation: Savonarola to St. Ignatius Loyola. [Paperback]

John C. Olin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0823214788 | ISBN-13: 978-0823214785 | Publication Date: January 1, 1993 | Edition: New edition

This work contains fifteen key documents illustrative of reform in the Church in the period from 1495 to 1540, an age of great religious ferment and upheaval, which is marked historically by the crisis known as the Protestant Reformation. The documents collected in this work focus on the simultaneous struggle for renewal and reform within the Catholic Church. There was much amiss within the Church at the close of the Middle Ages. The Protestant Reformation threw into high relief the urgent need for religious reform. Involving basic questions of doctrine, practice, and authority, this severe trial put in jeopardy the very life of the existing Catholic Church. The balanced selection of notable and representative source materials tells their story in a lively and dramatic way. This important work on a little-known aspect of a turbulent era is a valuable contribution to Reformation studies.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John C. Olin was Professor Emeritus of History at Fordham University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 218 pages
• Publisher: Fordham University Press; New edition edition (January 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823214788
• ISBN-13: 978-0823214785
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #204,573 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great resource for Catholics and non-Catholics alike, May 9, 2001

By 

Andrew Casad (Chapel Hill, NC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Catholic Reformation: Savonarola to St. Ignatius Loyola. (Paperback)

Olin collects together several important documents pertaining to the sixteenth century Reformation of "the old Church" that became the Roman Catholic Church. Too often Catholics are not interested in the Reformation, seeing it as a time when the Church split. But as someone once pointed out to me, the questions that were raised during the sixteenth century in Europe were answered in a specific way by "the old Church" and helped to define what the Catholic Church would become. Olin's collection of works from the period, some of which are newly translated into English, clearly show that "the old Church" was aware of the need for reform and points out the steps taken by Christians to save the blessed Church which they loved and to which they remained faithful.