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Humanists and Reformers: A History of the Renaissance and Reformation
Bard Thompson
Manufacturer: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Renaissance
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ASIN: 0802836917 |
Customer Reviews:
Thorough and Friendly.......2001-02-05
I have been reading sections of this book for a class in Church History that I am co-teaching this semester, and I love it. Thompson does an inspiring job at making each individual a "real person" for the reader, which is often hard to find in history texts. Also, his in-depth and thorough look at both movements and people never becomes pedantic or tiresome, but rather creates a greater context into which these elements truly make sense. His writing is reachable, clear, humorous - friendly to the casual and professional student of the Reformation. Highly recommended!
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The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation: 4-Volume Set
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0195064933 |
Book Description
In 1517, Martin Luther's legendary Ninety-five Theses set in motion a chain of events that fundamentally altered European history. The resulting Reformation of the sixteenth century proved to be one of the most important and far-reaching phenomena of an era marked by dramatic religious and social upheaval. A critical chapter in the history of Christian thought, the movement provoked political, social, and cultural transformations that profoundly changed the Western world. The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation is the first major reference to cover the immense subject of the Reformation in its entirety. Setting the issues of theology and ecclesiology within the broader context of the social and intellectual history of the time, it is the most authoritative reference available on early modern European society as a whole. The Encyclopedia is a unique compendium of contemporary scholarship focusing on the complete range of religious and social changes wrought by the Reformation-- including not only issues of church polity and theology but also related developments in politics, economics, demographics, art, and literature. It is an unparalleled source of information on the personalities and events of the era, with broad coverage ranging from biographies to extensive treatments of topics such as Lutheranism, women, law, the Augsburg Confession, music, the Holy Roman Empire, peasants, the Bible, persecution, and literacy. Offering exhaustive interdisciplinary and international coverage of all aspects of the Reformation, this is the ultimate reference on the subject. Transcending the bounds of denominational encyclopedias and dictionaries of Reformation history currently available, it offers the only comprehensive picture of western Europe and the British Isles, along with southern Europe, Scandinavia, and east-central Europe in the early modern period. It is the first source scholars, students, and general readers in any discipline will reach for when studying the Reformation.
Customer Reviews:
A very fine, accurate, brief review of European History.......2007-08-04
The student above who felt this review book was too LONG completely misses the point. One does not read through a book like this as a substitute for the textbook -- which is what I imagine this poor young student though he could do. One relies on it to clarify areas of confusion. As a good reference and review book to read either before a chapter or as review afterward, this is a genuinely excellent book.
First, it's a nice size. It's smaller (height and width) than most of the enormously giant-sized review books available so it's like a real book. And it's printed on real paper, not cheap newsprint like most of the AP review books are. Small enough that you can easily grab it off the shelf or carry it around with you. And, the page layout makes it easy to find things. Everything is treated in brief paragraphs with clear topic headings. Pages are brief so you move through it page-after-page very quickly. It really couldn't be easier to use.
As a history teacher, I look into this book from time to time to double-check an historical issue or event or to check up on correct chronology of events I can't quite recall. It saves a lot of time compared to paging through much longer, denser books.
As a review book, I imagine this would be very good to refresh a student's memory of lots of important (and, frankly, many less important!) events, people, and ideas. However, students who are looking for a book to replace their textbook will be disappointed as this book assumes you have some idea what is going on historically. You could read it alone and understand the history pretty well, but I doubt you'd be very confident without the analysis of the textbook which this does not have.
The one thing most lacking from books like this is overall themes and ideas. Most review books lack this so this is not so much a criticism as something to be aware of. History has patterns, themes, and MAJOR themes to be aware of (The rise of democracy, the clash of civilizations, the struggle for equality, impact of the Enlightenment, the impact of economic changes . . . and so on). If all you know are facts, events, and dates, you will be lost--but you already knew that!
This book assumes you are aware of these themes (See your textbook or your teacher if you aren't -- believe me, they are very important) and is designed simply to remind you of all that pesky information you might not have understood so well the first time. In that respect, this is a very fine book and clearly worth the money as one of the better European History review books.
Another caveat: It is NOT designed specifically to prepare you to "ace" the AP exam. It doesn't have the usual tips and tricks stuff that most review books have. It is designed for students who want to understand and remember the history, not for students that want quick shortcuts to faking out the exam. Of course, it goes without saying that students who understand the history tend to "ace" the exam -- without shortcuts and so-called "insider" information that isn't really very useful.
4 stars only because of lack of larger themes, but I'm a very tough grader!
Must Have for the AP Euro Exam.......2007-05-14
I had one of the most boring textbooks invented for the AP Euro class. I couldn't stand reading it and as a result, I was not one of the top scorers on the tests in my class. However, I used this book to study for my in-class final and the AP exam and I did well on both. Thanks to this book, I got a 5 on the AP. The book has good information and it helped me learn things that my AP teacher did not teach in our class. I recommend that you buy this book in order to do well on the AP. My only negative comment is that it has no practice exams but since the book is not associated with AP, it is a flaw that is easy to forgive.
Modern European History.......2007-03-12
Very helpful book. It has maps in it and its written in a very good language and nothing fancy.
it's great.......2007-03-01
i just took the ap euro exam last year (got a 5) and this was my favorite prep book out of all prep books (also had barrons and REA). concise, easy to carry around, excellent index, even smells nice (if you're a weirdo like me who likes to sniff bookpaper)- mod euro history condensed my piles of lecture notes to little easy-to-read paragraphs. altho i wouldn't recommend solely studying from this book (read your textbook and notes too. make flashcards till your hand falls off.), I definitely recommend getting it.
Perfect for Reviewing for Tests.......2007-01-24
So, I just finished my AP Euro class (the class exam was last week). I managed to get an A in what is considered a highly difficult course at my school, and I can proudly say that I only read my textbook the first week of the class. While other students spent hours poring over tedious 5 pt. font pages in our convoluted textbook, I simply read this. Before every M/C test or essay, I would quickly read the chapter[s] that corresponded with whatever subject we were studying. Many times, Modern European History had answers to questions on the test that the textbook didn't even mention. It covers every topic in the textbook in appropriate depth, and makes everything truly easy to understand. I highly recommend this; it saved my life!
Customer Reviews:
YOU REALLY CANNOT GO WRONG WITH THIS ONE.......2006-01-16
If you are interested in overall history, as I am, or merely interested in a certain era, then you cannot go wrong with Durant's wonderful series, this volum included. Covering the period of time which changed the world from what was to what we know now, Durant's wonderful style brings home fact after fact in a very readable format and text. Durant's work can read like a novel and I actually found myself learning very obscure facts all the while enjoying every page. There are many smaller works covering the Reformation, some very good ones also, but this one covers in in more depth than any I am familiar with and is much more readable than most. Like the rest of his work, this volume is well reasearched and like the rest of this particular series, can be read alone, no worse the wear. Don't be daunted by the 900 plus pages, they go much faster than you think. Recommend this one highly.
The Sixth Volume in The Story of Civilization!.......2004-08-30
In this, the Sixth volume in the classic series, "The Story of Civilization," Dr. Will and Ariel Durant have compiled a detailed recount of Europe's tumuluous emergence from the Middle Ages.
At over >940 pages in length, the reader will be treated to a historical narrative of: The Great Schism. The Hundred Years' War. Ferdinand and Isabella. Christopher Columbus. Martin Luther. Suleiman the Magnificent. Henry VIII. Ignatius Loyola. And much, much more including plates and maps.
Although written to stand alone, or within the series, the Durants have created a smoothly written prose of unparalleled, authoritative historical value. It is to be enjoyed by professional and layperson alike. I rate it as five stars as part of the Magnum Opus known as "The Story of Civilization."
"The Reformation As It Was".......2001-10-05
While this is not the most precise book on the Reformation, it is the most unique, thorough, and probably the largest. It is an epitome of the entire age in general, rather than a mere focus on particulars. One third of the book lapses before a singal mention of Martin Luther is made, but this is certainly not a flaw, Durant just shows how calls to reform happened centuries before him. Most histories simply focus on Luther, Calvin, and Henry the 8th, and fail to cover the whole age of the Reformation. This is not the case here. Durant begins with the condition of the Roman Catholic Church during the Papal Schism, moves to Wycliffe, shifts to Huss, and merges them with Zwingli, Luther,etc. Some forgivable digressions are made, but they end up serving their purpose well. Will Durant, a Catholic, judges the full scope of the Reformation with impartialty, revealing the pro's and con's of both institutions with sagacity. All in all this work is industrious and inspiring.
Catching Up With Our Past.......2001-02-16
Reading Will Durant's History of European Civilization from Wycliff to Calvin 1300-1564 will be an illuminating experience for readers unacquainted with factual descriptions of life during those years. For having views on religion or government contrary to time or country thousands died slow deaths tied to a stake surrounded by a pile of burning wood. Those who committed less serious crimes against the church or state received the kinder, quicker death of one strong blow of a sword removing their head. Even belonging to royalty was no insurance for living to an old age. With the death of a ruling king or queen, only one member of the family could inherit the throne. Therefore it was not unusual for the quick murder of potential heirs who commonly were family members. The discovery of America by Christopher Columbus is commonly taught as a wonderful event in world history. How many know that of the three ships, the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, only two returned, the largest, the Santa Maria having been destroyed in a storm. The harrowing return trip in two tiny, badly over-crowded open ships, stands as one of the miracles of ocean travel. In our observation of Columbus Day do we know the initial good will of the natives was quickly lost. On a later trip Columbus observed "The Europeans had roamed the island robbing the natives of gold and women; they had established a tropical paradise with five women to each man; they had quarreled and murdered one another, and nearly all the rest had been killed by the outraged Indians.
Later on in the Spanish conquest of Yucatan, the Aztec Empire and the socialistic civilization of the Incas Durant observes the conquered people were more civilized but not equal to the guns of the conquerors. Many knowledgeable insights such as these explain why Durant continues to hold the readers' attention throughout his lengthy books. It is understandable that reading nine hundred page books is anything but common practice in current times. Our average families find both husband and wife spending more hours at work with less time in the home. Nevertheless, for those who never got beyond grade school or high school Will Durant's historical books will build a factually informed education about the nature of government and religion in previous centuries preparing us for beginning the challenges of the 21st century. If you feel your mind being diminished by television's long commercials and the mere bits and bytes of news, start reading Will Durant's fascinating accounts of what was really going on inside the twists and turns of life in our European fatherland. You will soon find yourself building a more accurate picture of the countries from which we have come from and what our special gifts to the human race have been. This education will heighten your competence and self esteem as we wrestle with the changes within the United States and the world in the 21st century.
Voila un homme!.......2001-01-20
Just as he does in the other volumes of his "Story of Civilization," Durant bites off a huge chunk of history and manages to chew it all. "The Reformation" is encyclopedic, but he still manages to achieve penetrating depth and detail about many trends, events, and people amid the three centuries that he covers. The tone of his prose is always just this side of mirthful. You will learn of the lifelong contest between Charles V and Francis I. You will learn about a day in the life of an average Briton in Henry VIII's time (dinner at 10:00 am, "supper" about 4:00, no utensils). You will read the life of Rabelais and the French Paul Bunyan that he created. You will develop an appreciation of Hans Holbein the Younger, the painter of almost photographic portraits at Henry VIII's court. You will learn of saintly popes, greedy popes, and power-hungry popes. You will read passages from Martin Luther, whose violent intolerance (and whose attitude toward bigamy) will shock you. You will learn an enormous amount from this book, and you will enjoy doing it.
Book Description
This is a survey and analysis of the European Reformation of the sixteenth century. During this period western Christianity underwent the most dramatic changes in its entire history. From Iceland to Transylvania, from the Baltic to the Pyrenees, the Reformation divided churches and communities into `Catholic' and `Protestant', and created varying regional and national traditions. The new protestant creed rejected traditional measures of piety - vows, penances, pardons, and masses - in favour of sermons and catechisms, and an everyday morality of diligence, neighbourly charity, and prayer. In the process it involved many of Europe's people for the first time in a political movement inspired by an ideology and nourished by mass communication. Using the most important recent research, Euan Cameron provides a thematic and narrative synthesis of the events and ideas of the Reformation. He examines its social and religious background, its teachers and their message, and explores its impact on contemporary society. The European Reformation is an incisive and comprehensive study, which includes maps and suggestions for further reading. It will be invaluable for all students of early modern Europe.
Customer Reviews:
Fluid Summary.......2001-10-18
"The Reformation", by Euan Cameron is a book presenting his thesis for the start of this period of religious and social upheaval. His aim is to give the background and the causes for the reformation and the perhaps even draw conclusions upon the outcome of 'modern' Europe.
Cameron claims the backing of two schools, the socio-economic and the history ideas in forming this book. While he says that the two seperate have many of their own strengths he also points out that they have their faults. In the face of this he combines the ideas and approaches of both schools in this book.
The Reformation by starts with a classical introduction of the popular piety during the late middles ages. The two positions, that the period before the Reformation was characterised by an increased secularisation of society. That religion was an important factor in the lives of the people and that they actually great in their respect for the church. He draws the best points of both arguments and concludes the first chapter with a new thesis somewhat combining the old and also bringing in new aspects.
This is the process which Cameron proceeds throughout the book. Taking opposing views and resolving them to make the picture fit within his story. He starts with the background of the reformation, society, history, etc. Then Reformers and their messages are discussed with the same counter-argumentation scheme. In his third section he presents the establishment of the reformation churches, again with arguments by different historians concerning the coalition between the politicians and theologians. And finally he conculudes with a discussion of the frustration of late reformers and the second generation of reformers.
What can be seen in this book is that the reformation is a complex and involved event. There seems to be no one correct approach which will solve all the questions. It is rather a conglomerated mixture. With particulars unique to this time, special in the criticisms that it raised and the history that is sprung from.
Cameron's book is a good compilation of the ideas and arguments of the reformation. It provides a good summary of the events and peoples. His style is fluid and easy to follow. A very enlightening and useful read.
Fluid Summary.......2001-10-18
"The Reformation", by Euan Cameron is a book presenting this era religious and social upheaval. His aim is to give the background and the causes for the reformation and the perhaps even draw conclusions upon the outcome of 'modern' Europe.
Cameron's viewpoint comes from two schools, the socio-economic and the history of ideas, in forming this book. While he says that the two schools have many of their own strengths he also points out that they have their faults. In the face of this he combines the ideas and approaches of both schools in this book.
`The Reformation' by Cameron starts with an introduction of the popular piety during the late middles ages. Two positions, that the period before the Reformation was characterised by an increased secularisation of society and that religion was an important factor in the lives of the people -due to their respect for the church are then discussed. He draws the best points of both arguments and concludes the first chapter with a new thesis somewhat combining the old and also bringing in new aspects.
This is the process which Cameron proceeds throughout the book, taking opposing views to create a comprehensive narrative. He starts with the background of the reformation; society, economy, etc. Then Reformers and their messages are discussed with the same counter-argumentation scheme. In his third section he presents the establishment of the Reformation churches concerning the coalition between the politicians and theologians. And finally he conculudes with a discussion of the frustration of late reformers and the second generation of reformers.
What can be seen in this book is that the reformation is a complex and involved event. There seems to be no single approach which will solve all the questions. It is rather a conglomerate mixture.
Cameron's book is a good compilation of the ideas and arguments of the reformation. It provides a good summary of the events and peoples. His style is fluid and easy to follow. A very enlightening and useful read.
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The Humanistic Tradition, Book 3: The European Renaissance, The Reformation, and Global Encounter (Humanistic Tradition)
Gloria K. Fiero
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
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The Humanistic Tradition, Book 4: Faith, Reason, and Power in the Early Modern World
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The Humanistic Tradition, Book 2: Medieval Europe And The World Beyond (Humanistic Tradition)
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The Humanistic Tradition, Book 5: Romanticism, Realism, and the Nineteenth-Century World
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The Humanistic Tradition, Book 1: The First Civilizations and the Classical Legacy (Humanistic Tradition)
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The Humanistic Tradition, Book 6: Modernism, Globalism, and the Information Age
ASIN: 0072910119 |
Book Description
"The Humanistic Tradition is quite simply the finest book of its type. Fiero manages to integrate the political, cultural, and social history of the world into one coherent and fascinating whole. It is a masterpiece of scholarship . . . balanced, interesting, easy to read, and consummately beautiful. Our professors praise its accuracy and scope and our students unanimously say it is their favorite textbook." — Sonia Sorrell, Pepperdine University
The Humanistic Tradition features a flexible, topical approach that helps students understand humankind's creative legacy as a continuum rather than as a series of isolated events. This widely acclaimed interdisciplinary survey offers a global perspective, countless illustrations, and more than 150 literary sources. Available in multiple formats, The Humanistic Tradition explores the political, economic, and social contexts of human culture, providing a global and multicultural perspective which helps students better understand the relationship between the West and other world cultures.
Customer Reviews:
Magnificent Work.......2000-04-28
This book is well written by the instructor. It explains all the aspects of the German Anglo and Italian Mediterranean Cycles. This book contains many illustrations- Kings,Queens,Albrecht Durer, Luther, Pope Sixtus, and also Women Renaissance Reformation figures of the time. This work is clear and direct, a must for any historian or enthusiast reader
Readable, quick reference, good for overall understanding.......1999-08-05
Dr. Zophy has gone through a lot of trouble to make this book a readable guide for first-time students of Renaissance history. It follows a clear outline and is followed by a short list of dates at the end of each chapter. Visual aids also abound in the book with several paintings and examples of art from different periods. However, there are some problems in the actual references. Also, there is a problem with the priority of some topics, which favor women who made little difference while leaving out more important religious figures in history.
Could clearly be better!.......1999-05-13
Zophy has put together in one volume the essence of two earlier volumes, and unfortunately omits imporant information in doing so. He is fairly clear, and does well in treating the main issues and people of the era, but omits many important people (like Savonarola). Also, the index has a lot of false references! Nevertheless, it is a handy a helpful guide to this historical era; the chronological charts at the end of each chapter are very helpful.
Zophy Distills the Essence of the Renaissance and Reformatio.......1998-01-15
I had the pleasure of being in Dr. Zophy's Renaissance History Graduate Seminar during the time that he was writing this book. This gave me the opportunity to see the book in its prepublished state. Despite these prejudices in favor of the book, I can honestly say that Dr. Zophy's history of the Renaissance is the most readable and accessable overview of that period that I have found. His scholarship is above reproach and the organization of the book only serves to enhance its authority. Because Dr. Zophy is an excellent teacher, his focus in Dances Over Fire and Water is instructional. The addition of timelines and annotated bibliographies at the end of each chapter not only aid students in organizing the events of the Renaissance and Reformation, but provide a jumping off point for independent research. While Zophy covers the expected topics in Renaissance and Reformation history, he places special emphasis on the role of women in the arts and politics. The inclusion of women's history topics in a general text should help dispell the notion that women's history can somehow be separated from the history of western civilization and therefor trivialized. Zophy's excellent writing, sense of humor, and scholarship should make Dances Over Fire and Water a standard in graduate and undergraduate classes for years to come.
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Law and Protestantism: The Legal Teachings of the Lutheran Reformation
John Witte Jr.
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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From Sacrament to Contract: Marriage, Religion, and Law in the Western Tradition (Family, Religion, and Culture)
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ASIN: 0521012996 |
Book Description
The Lutheran Reformation of the early sixteenth century brought about immense and far-reaching change in the structures of church and state, and in religious and secular ideas. This book investigates the relationship between the law and religious ideology in Luther's Germany, showing how they developed in response to the momentum of Lutheran teachings and influence. John Witte, Jr. argues that it is not enough to understand the Reformation in either only theological or legal terms but that a perspective is required which takes proper account of both.
Book Description
Here is a lively study of marriage and the family during the Reformation, primarily in Gemany and Switzerland, that dispels the commonly held notion of fathers as tyrannical and families as loveless.
Did husbands and wives love one another in Reformation Europe? Did the home and family life matter to most people? In this wide-ranging work, Steven Ozment has gathered the answers of contemporaries to these questions. His subject is the patriarchal family in Germany and Switzerland, primarily among Protestants. But unlike modern scholars from Philippe Arics to Lawrence Stone, Ozment finds the fathers of early modern Europe sympathetic and even admirable. They were not domineering or loveless men, nor were their homes the training ground for passive citizenry in an age of political absolutism. From prenatal care to graveside grief, they expressed deep love for their wives and children. Rather than a place where women and children were bullied by male chauvinists, the Protestant home was the center of a domestic reform movement against Renaissance antifeminism and was an attempt to resolve the crises of family life. Demanding proper marriages for all women, Martin Luther and his followers suppressed convents and cloisters as the chief institutions of womankind's sexual repression, cultural deprivation, and male clerical domination. Consent, companionship, and mutual respect became the watchwords of marriage. And because they did, genuine divorce and remarriage became possible among Christians for the first time.
This graceful book restores humanity to the Reformation family and to family history.
Customer Reviews:
Ozment's Historical Jewel!.......2001-05-04
"When Fathers Ruled" comes highly recommended by R. J. Rushdoony, and for good reason. (We should always take seriously the recommendations from a man who read 40,000 books in his lifetime). Steven Ozment begins this jewel of a work by informing us of the pathetic state of marriage at the dawn of the sixteenth century. Neo-Platonism* reigned supreme within the Church during the late Middle Ages (as it does today, except without the misogyny, that is, hatred of women--women were viewed then as less "spiritual" than were men, quite a contrast to Victorianism!), and this carried on past the Renaissance. Along with the neo-Platonic disdain for marriage (for "spiritual" reasons) among primarily the clergy, monks, and nuns was an equally unhealthy disdain from the lawless populace, those who preferred fornication and adultery in the local whorehouses. Not only did the Reformers have to contest neo-Platonism and its despising of the familial institution, but they also had to contest Roman Catholic marriage laws, which did more harm than good for European society. The Reformers found the allowance of "secret" marriages and the various "impediments" to marriage by the Roman Catholic Church to be most disruptive to European society, and they set about to change these laws. Reading this book is somewhat of an eye-opener if one tends to hearken back to the Reformation era with romantic notions of a near-perfect society. The Reformers, as Ozment teaches, faced much defiance during their perverse times. Ozment details many curiosities, including the "kidnapping" of nuns from convents and nunneries (Ozment calls them "cloisters") by their newly-converted, Protestant relatives. Perhaps the Reformers' best contribution to the family was the restoration of the biblical roles of husband/father and wife/mother. They attacked with equal vehemence the woman who usurped the role of her covenant head and the "lion" of a husband who terrorized his wife. Women were perhaps the largest beneficiaries of their reforms. With the help of the Reformers women began to see the convent, and its various abuses, as less than ideal, and they embraced biblical marriage instead. Prior to the Reformation some towns held eight times more cloistered women than men (this was primarily due to misogyny). Not so afterwards. Some, as previously mentioned, had to be "rescued" by loved-ones while a few escaped on their own. One thing was certain, though: there would no longer be convents and nunneries so full that many women had to be sent away for lack of room. The 1520s saw a transformation in how men viewed women. The young generation of women in the 1520s, at least in Lutheran Germany, shunned the convents and embraced covenantal marriage, arguably, unlike any time in centuries past. Ozment then goes on to detail the various marriage and divorce laws in several cities, e.g., Zurich, Basel, and Nuremberg, and their accompanying problems. He spends a whole chapter on wives' tales within the art of midwifery and early "medicine" and offers a fine chapter on child-rearing, which was then taught according to the Bible, for the most part. When Fathers Ruled represents the best historical work on the family that I've read. Ozment cites anecdotes that will make you scratch your head, laugh out loud, cringe with horror, and, perhaps, even cry. Ozment's main point of the book is this: if you want to reform the world, then you must first reform your own household. World-wide reformation will not occur as long as we fail to properly raise our children. The only deficiency of this book is that the discussion rarely extends beyond Lutheran Germany.
* For a thorough understanding of neo-Platonism see Ignatius Loyola's various writings and study his behavior in particular. Neo-Platonism is characterized by an extreme exaltation of the eternal/spiritual over and against the temporal/physical. The spirit, soul, and body of man were all originally created good (as well as the created order in general), but neo-Platonists see the body and soul (even after salvific regeneration) as intrinsically inferior, if not evil (as well as the world); hence, they tend to be ascetic (self-abasers) and anti-intellectual. Moreover, neo-Platonists see man's problem as metaphysical rather than ethical. Man's not in rebellion to God; he is just trapped in an evil body. Thus, they reject biblical salvation. The telos (end) for neo-Platonists is their escape from the world (and all its responsibilities). For an excellent introduction to this idea, see R. J. Rushdoony's "The Flight From Humanity."
Ozment's _When Fathers Ruled_ deals in matters of the hearth.......2000-06-23
While most history of Reformation Europe will focus on the events in the pulpit, classroom, and council chamber, Ozment's _When Fathers Ruled_ returns to the hearthside to examine family life in the 16th century. Written in a scholarly but readable style -- and yes, the footnotes are worth examining -- Steven Ozment discusses the impact of the Reformation in the daily activities and home lives of both leader and follower in the pivotal era of the Second Millenium. Many of his observations are food for thought today, such as the impact of institutional childcare on the health (and longevity) of children in France. His quotations from popular books of the day -- the rise of which was as radical a development as the explosion of the Internet is today -- flesh out a portrait of a patriarchal society where most women may have been at home, but were most certainly not cut off from the thought and ferment of this tumultuous era. Many of the footnotes cite the original German with non-standard spelling (the correction of which was a later outgrowth of Luther's Bible and Gutenburg's press, incidentally), which either adds to their charm or frustrates the "babelfish.com" dependent.
Overall, an excellent companion to d'Aubigne's _History of the Reformation_. Four stars.
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