The European Reformations [Paperback]

Carter Lindberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 30, 1996 | ISBN-10: 1557865752 | ISBN-13: 978-1557865755 | Edition: 1

This narrative description and analysis of the European Reformations of the sixteenth century begins with a chapter on the history and historiography of Reformation scholarship and concludes with an extended reflection on the Reformations' religious, social, and cultural legacies. The storyline sets the initia Reformationis in the context of late medieval social, economic, and religious crises, and traces its differentiation through a series of internal and external crises into various Reformation movements which acquired specificity through confessionalization.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This narrative description and analysis of the European Reformations of the sixteenth century begins with a chapter on the history and historiography of Reformation scholarship and concludes with an extended reflection on the Reformations' religious, social, and cultural legacies. The storyline sets the initia Reformationis in the context of late medieval social, economic, and religious crises, and traces its differentiation through a series of internal and external crises into various Reformation movements which acquired specificity through confessionalization.

The conceptual interpretive framework is that of intellectual and religious history. Throughout the text the complementarity of events and structures, ideas and social forces, theology and popular religion are woven into the accounts of the reforming movements and their leaders. Along with textbook coverage of the dialectical relationship of the Reformations and early modern culture, attention is given to the Reformation's impact on attitudes and legislation concerning social welfare, education, toleration, women and the family, and Jews.

The text is supplemented by twenty illustrations, maps, genealogies, a chronology, and bibliography.

About the Author

Carter Lindberg is Professor in the School of Theology at Boston University. He has researched and written widely on the Reformation Period.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 1 edition (January 30, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557865752
• ISBN-13: 978-1557865755
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #258,097 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important development in Western culture, well explained., April 26, 2000

By 

Eric Frith - See all my reviews

This review is from: The European Reformations (Paperback)

This is a must-read. Lindberg's introduction to the Reformation not only weaves an exciting narrative about the men and women (mostly men) who shaped the Reformation, but provides insight to the culture that produced them with real sympathy and conviction.

In addition to the expected chapters on Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, the "radical reformers" et al, Lindbergh explains the Reformations (notice the plural--a key point of Lindberg's) as they unfolded uniquely in various countries and in response to peculiar stimuli. Political, social, and economic ramifications are also explored to some degree. Despite all this weighty content, Lindberg's writing is easy to read, his argument effortless. "The European Reformations" sheds light on both the 16th century and our own. I strongly recommend it.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars excelllent and well-written overview, July 30, 2002

By 

Willem Noe "scorpio-1" (Berlin) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The European Reformations (Paperback)

I much liked this book on the Reformations, readable, informative and well written. The author makes a credible case about the plural in the title. It is well and clearly written and gives a real and lively 'feel' of the human angle and controversies surrounding these latter-day Reformist 'Church Fathers'; People like Luther, Zwingli, Karlstadt and Calvin come from the pages as human and not as dry names with dates attached to them. I also appreciated the broad sociopolitical context in which their lives & times are presented.
Although not a specialist in the field at all, i do think that the author presents clearly the theological arguments as such for a layman reader such as myself. However, I do sometimes get the impression that he oversimplifies, perhaps for the sake of brief clarity. I also wonder whether all that was theologically controversial and interesting during the Reformation only took place in German-speaking areas? On the other hand, perhaps that was indeed were the main action was.
The author does create the impression that many of the theological ideas emerging during the Reformations were actually new (or does nothing to dispel that idea). Although in some senses undoubtedly innovative, one can argue that many of the concepts were not new at all, and often can be traced to ideas that were alive and kept reemerging, throughout the earlier history of Christianity, often also with solid Catholic antecedents. However, people like Luther believed their insights were new and different from what they thought of as suffocating and terrifying Catholic orthodoxy. And to them that made all the difference. In any case, I thoroughly and unexpectedly enjoyed this book and i rate it as highly recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Historical-Theological Look at the Reformation, October 20, 2008

By 

Trevin Wax - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The European Reformations (Paperback)

Carter Lindberg's The European Reformations (Blackwell Publishing, 1996) provides a historical-theological look at Europe during the 1400-1600's, especially the events surrounding the Protestant Reformation. Lindberg seeks to combine historical reporting with theological commentary, and for the most part, he succeeds. The result is one of the most important books on the Reformation to come out in the past 20 years.

The European Reformations tells the story of the Reformation chronologically, providing theological reflection and background for the battles that ensued. Lindberg also concentrates his book on geographical locations, devoting certain chapters to Germany, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, and England. He balances historical information with theological explanations - never leaving out the theological impetus for the Reformation, while also taking into consideration the political and social factors that pushed for revolution.

What makes Lindberg's book stand out from other prominent works on the Reformation is the "s" in the title. He is aware that the Reformation was not a monolithic event, but a diverse uprising of pastor/theologians who were motivated by similar theological discoveries though they often disagreed on important doctrines of the faith. The differences between Luther and Zwingli on the Lord's Supper or the relationship between church and state are seen in their context. Likewise, the Protestant "make-over" of England differs substantially from the Anabaptist movement in the Netherlands. The differences between the "reformations" are fascinating, and the serious historian must take them into account when studying this period of history.

Lindberg's book is long and sometimes laborious, but this is because of the enormity of the information he must cover, not because of his writing style. For a good history of the Reformation that takes into account the theology that propelled the changes, The European Reformations is the book to own.