Customer Reviews

The Reformation of the Sixteenth Century

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As is the case with almost all of Bainton's books, this book is very well written, easy to follow, and contains a good amount of historical facts and evidence. This text is very well researched, just take a look at the bibliography. However, the reader should keep in mind that this is a type of survey text, not a text with a specific target topic in mind within the Reformation; though Bainton does detail several key elements which he believes helped to shape the overall movement in Europe. Moreover, the Forward (by Jaroslav Pelikan) itself is worth the price of the book.

Bainton covers all the major figures, movements, creeds, Papal Bulls, positions, assertions, and historical settings which occurred during the Reformation. Some detail is left our (for further research), but for a survey text on the Reformation, this is one of the best!

Bainton begins with Luther (who is the core source of the Reformation) in Germany and then expands out into other areas and People who help to promulgate the ideas of Luther. He discusses the various movements such as Calvinism, Lutheranism, the Anabaptists, etc. Bainton also discusses the political atmosphere of the Reformation and details the ideas of nobility and political figures within the Reformation who either hindered or aided the movement. Finally, Bainton discusses the economic situations of various areas, its effects and ramifications of the Reformation.

Overall, this is a wonderful survey text to wet the appetite of the reader regarding the Reformation. Bainton has very easy to read writing style and he keeps his audience's attention well. If you are interested in the Reformation and have yet to really dig deep into the issues, then this is a great place to start. If you are seasoned researcher of the Reformation, I still believe you will glean some wonderful gold nuggets of facts and information from this text.

This is an example of what the fruits of scholarship should yield: careful, concise, clear, simple but uncompromised prose, moving from insight to insight, nothing gratuitous. If only such a book were available for every period in cultural history. Bainton renders the phenomena surrounding the Reformation so lucidly; really, in its own careful way, a small masterpiece.

A very boiled down book with unique vocabulary showing the interaction between the Roman Catholics, Luther, Calvin and the Anabaptists in the 16th Century and the impact on political, economic and family life.

Bainton describes the breach between Luther and Roman Catholicism. The major figures are Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, Erasmus, Knox, and Cranmer. He utilizes compare and contrasts on doctrines and positions; such as, justification by faith, predestination, separation of church and state.

Carl L. Possehl

First, I must admit that I like history, but I am not very familiar with the reformation. Having said that, I think Roland Bainton's book is an excellent introduction to the topic. It is very well written, well researched, and well presented. I was duly impressed with the author's ability to tell the story of what happened - the key discussions, decisions, participants, etc. without boring the reader. You can tell that Dr. Bainton possesses a deep understanding of this era.

I highly recommend this book to anyone hoping to learn more about this important part of European (and Christian church) history. You will learn a lot, and the author's profound analysis is well worth the read.

This book is a masterpiece, as are the author's two books on women in the Reformation (between them they cover women in France, Germany, Italy and a 4th country). Prof. Roland Bainton of Princeton was a truly extraordinary person -- deeply religious yet down-to-earth and a model of respect for all faith traditions in the US of his time (1940s and 50s). (He emigrated from England as a child and was, I *think*, associated with the Society of Friends.) The book is divided into relatively short, very clearly written, chapters, each on a distinct aspect of the Reformation. Although not disproportionate to the larger groupings of the Reformation -- Lutheranism, Calvinism (centered initially in Geneva), and Zwingli (in Zurich) -- this book provides an outstanding and very accessible introduction to the least-known and least-understand of the faith traditions of the Reformation: the Anabaptists. The Anabaptists were so committed to their understanding of the Gospels that they were willing to give their lives for their conviction that only adult baptism was legitimate. Their opposition to infant baptism and their belief in what today would be called pacifism exposed them to terrible persecution, for which Prof. Bainton conveys deep sympathy. We know the Anabaptists in the Americas today mostly as the Amish, the Mennonites, the Pennsylvania Deutsch (= Germans) ["Dutch" in this instance is a corruption of "Deutsch" which means "German"], the Hutterites, and the Brethren (or Church of the Brethren). This book is a quick read (unless you underline practically every sentence with different-colored highlighters as I did) and one I believe that readers will always be grateful for having read. Bright students from 8th or 9th grade through academics in other fields will all find much to appreciate in this book and in Prof. Bainton's other books on the Reformation, particularly the two entitled Women of the Reformation mentioned above. (He was VERY progressive in his respect for women given the period in which he wrote.) I would give all three titles the highest possible recommendation.

This is a sold book by Bainton, but which of his books isn't? If one is interested in history, theology, the reformation or protestantism one will find this a excellent book to read.

It does get a little wordy or tiresome for one who is not so inclined.

All of Bainton's work is scholarly and readable by the average lay person so one not fear reading the book.

J. Robert Ewbank author of "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the '"isms'"

Professor Bainton knows how to relay a sweeping grasp of history in an intelligent and readable way. His purpose with this book was to provide a good synthesis of Reformation times. He succeeded. As such, it is a valuable resource.

But because this book assumes some prior knowledge, I suggest first reading a few of his biographies, where he goes into greater depth: Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther [Illustrated], about the brilliant man of faith Martin Luther, and Erasmus of Christendom, about the peaceable Erasmus - who is, I suspect, one of Bainton's favourites - and Hunted Heretic: The Life and Death of Michael Servetus, 1511-1553, about Michael Servetus, burned for disagreeing with Church doctrine. Then this comprehensive little book ties all the strands together.

I disagree with reviewers who say Professor Bainton has "a Lutheran slant". He speaks a lot about Luther because (a) he was an expert on Luther, and (b) Luther was pivotal in the Reformation. My understanding is that Bainton was a humanist, perhaps more of a Unitarian than anything. This may colour his presentation, but obviously not much if people perceive a Lutheran slant; Bainton clearly tries to present divergent views fairly and honestly, even when he disagrees.

One problem, perhaps because the information was not available when Bainton published (1952), is with his depiction of former British chancellor Sir Thomas More as "saintly" (p. 197). Historian Bryan Moynahan explained in God's Bestseller: William Tyndale, Thomas More, and the Writing of the English Bible---A Story of Martyrdom and Betrayal that Mr. More was something of a religious fanatic with grisly habits of persecution, who kept a tree in his garden to which he bound "heretics" so he could whip and torture them. This is no saint. Hopefully there are not too many such misjudgements in this book. But I reluctantly downgraded my rating from 5 to 4 stars due to this and the lack of footnotes (however the modern editor added a bibliography).

For stories of the English Reformation I recommend Moynahan's book, linked above, which is a popular history, and also David Daniell's more academic biography of Tyndale: William Tyndale: A Biography.

So-so textbook history of the Reformation, with a decidedly Lutheran slant.