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The Roots of the Reformation: Tradition, Emergence and Rupture
Renowned historian G. R. Evans revisits the question of what happened at the Reformation. Contravening traditional paradigms of interpretation, Evans charts the controversies and challenges that roiled the era of the Reformation and argues that these are really part of a much longer history of discussion and disputation. Evans takes up several issues, such as Scripture, ecclesiology, authority, sacraments and ecclesio-political relations, and traces the shape of the charged discussions that orbited around these through the patristic, medieval and Reformation eras. In this, she demonstrates that in many ways the Reformation was in considerable continuity with the periods that preceded it, though the consequential outcome of the debates in the sixteenth century was dramatically different.
528 pages, Paperback
First published March 22, 2012
About the author
G.R. Evans
80 books6 followersProfessor Emeritus of Medieval Theology and Intellectual History at the University of Cambridge
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 26, 2012
Here is a book I wish I would have had during my Master of Theology (ThM) program in Historical Theology! It would have come in mighty handy during my Reformation module to help me understand the extensive backdrop that sits behind one of the most monumental events in Church history.
Sure I have and read Copleston's A History of Medieval Philosophy and Knowles The Evolution of Medieval Thought . I have and read Oberman's The Dawn of the Reformation and MacCulloch's The Reformation . But what I didn't have, until getting this review copy from IVP, was a one-stop shop examining the roots of the Reformation. And that's exactly what I have now, an excellent single source that revisits the question of what happened at the Reformation by establishing the history leading up to the Reformation and the issues the church was dealing with at the time. It's called The Roots of the Reformation: Tradition, Emergence and Rupture
, a resource I think any student of the Reformation—inside and outside a formal academic setting—needs on their bookshelf.
The book is divided into three section: Part 1 traces major themes of the Reformation that find their genesis in the medieval (and even early church) era, such as the ideas of church, faith and beliefs, the biblical text, sin, and the dynamic between the church and state; Part 2 is less thematic and more socio-historic with emphasis on medieval education, social concerns, life of both the preacher and laity alike, the monastic life, and popular preachers; and Part 3 bridges the Medieval Era into the Reformation by emphasizing major soci-historical and theological/philosophical movements, including the Renaissance, Luther and Calvin, the Counter-Reformation, Zwingli and the Anabaptists, the dynamics of Church and State, and finally an important section on the Bible. In a way, the book then spends roughly 2/3 explaining the backstory to the later 1/3 Reformation story, a division I found appropriate and helpful in gaining sure footing in the roots of the Reformation in this hefty 500 page tome.
Evans tackels her subject matter with the ease of someone who's formed a kindred-spirit bond with the material, which makes sense as she is professor of medieval theology and intellectual history at the University of Cambridge. Thankfully, the reader experiences this relationship through a highly approachable writing style that brings the story of the Reformation to life. And along the way, she brings along multitudes of primary text witnesses to bear on her storytelling enterprise, something I often find lacking in sweeping historical treatments—for example, MacCulloch's much lauded treatment of the Reformation's history has nary a primary jot or tiddle to be found! I especially loved the more biographical elements throughout that gave flesh to the major players and their lives.
Of particular interest was an entire chapter at the end devoted to the Bible, in which she discusses some of the history of English translation and the role translating had in the life of the Reformation church. As Evans makes plan, "The rediscovery of the Bible in its original languages had been the great transforming moment of Reformation Bible study. The task of establishing which is the true text took on new dimensions at the Reformation, when scholars tried to recover the original text by going back to the original sources. 'Back to the sources' had been the cry." (420) In returning back to those sources much of the thrust of the Reformation was making the Bible accessible to ordinary people, which flew in the face of a previous edict from King Henry IV that made such translations an act of heresy. From here she highlights the role of the text in personal study and group bible study, preaching, and even translation theory. Her chapter was a delightful highlight of how the Reformers approached an important pillar of their movement, the Bible.
One of the more, I'll say, peculiar aspects of this book was the way in which the author goes out of her way to define certain vocabulary terms she thinks the reader will struggle understanding. For example, in chapter 3 ("The Idea of Faith") she explains that from the earliest times Christians found they needed "approved statements" of the faith, going on to put in parenthesis the word "creed" to define said approved statements, as if the reader wouldn't know that's what she meant or what "approved statements" were. This happened several times throughout the book, which I found to be a bit distracting. Perhaps she included such devices to make the book more useable (also read: marketable) as a college text book. Regardless, more advanced learners and readers would like to do without such pedantry.
The book ends with a helpful summation of key Reformation concerns and their history. Topics like justification by faith alone, biblical interpretation, the number of sacraments, and the church-state relationship all find their way into this handy hand list. Then at the end of each section is a "link" ending with helpful tie-ins to specific chapters and parts of chapters. This will be one list I'll for sure have handy when doing Reformation research!
All in all, I found this to be a measured, well-informing guide to the before, during, and after periods of the Reformation. It's unusual to find such a single-volume guide that provides broad enough coverage of the issues to make it a worthy overview, while also addressing those issues indepth without getting bogged down in details and rabbit trails. This book accomplishes both masterfully. I would heartily recommend this volume to college students who need a good supplemental source, as well as non-collegiate students of the Reformation. Evans work will be put to good work for any Protestant seeking to reconnect to their own roots.
Sure I have and read Copleston's A History of Medieval Philosophy and Knowles The Evolution of Medieval Thought . I have and read Oberman's The Dawn of the Reformation and MacCulloch's The Reformation . But what I didn't have, until getting this review copy from IVP, was a one-stop shop examining the roots of the Reformation. And that's exactly what I have now, an excellent single source that revisits the question of what happened at the Reformation by establishing the history leading up to the Reformation and the issues the church was dealing with at the time. It's called The Roots of the Reformation: Tradition, Emergence and Rupture
, a resource I think any student of the Reformation—inside and outside a formal academic setting—needs on their bookshelf.The book is divided into three section: Part 1 traces major themes of the Reformation that find their genesis in the medieval (and even early church) era, such as the ideas of church, faith and beliefs, the biblical text, sin, and the dynamic between the church and state; Part 2 is less thematic and more socio-historic with emphasis on medieval education, social concerns, life of both the preacher and laity alike, the monastic life, and popular preachers; and Part 3 bridges the Medieval Era into the Reformation by emphasizing major soci-historical and theological/philosophical movements, including the Renaissance, Luther and Calvin, the Counter-Reformation, Zwingli and the Anabaptists, the dynamics of Church and State, and finally an important section on the Bible. In a way, the book then spends roughly 2/3 explaining the backstory to the later 1/3 Reformation story, a division I found appropriate and helpful in gaining sure footing in the roots of the Reformation in this hefty 500 page tome.
Evans tackels her subject matter with the ease of someone who's formed a kindred-spirit bond with the material, which makes sense as she is professor of medieval theology and intellectual history at the University of Cambridge. Thankfully, the reader experiences this relationship through a highly approachable writing style that brings the story of the Reformation to life. And along the way, she brings along multitudes of primary text witnesses to bear on her storytelling enterprise, something I often find lacking in sweeping historical treatments—for example, MacCulloch's much lauded treatment of the Reformation's history has nary a primary jot or tiddle to be found! I especially loved the more biographical elements throughout that gave flesh to the major players and their lives.
Of particular interest was an entire chapter at the end devoted to the Bible, in which she discusses some of the history of English translation and the role translating had in the life of the Reformation church. As Evans makes plan, "The rediscovery of the Bible in its original languages had been the great transforming moment of Reformation Bible study. The task of establishing which is the true text took on new dimensions at the Reformation, when scholars tried to recover the original text by going back to the original sources. 'Back to the sources' had been the cry." (420) In returning back to those sources much of the thrust of the Reformation was making the Bible accessible to ordinary people, which flew in the face of a previous edict from King Henry IV that made such translations an act of heresy. From here she highlights the role of the text in personal study and group bible study, preaching, and even translation theory. Her chapter was a delightful highlight of how the Reformers approached an important pillar of their movement, the Bible.
One of the more, I'll say, peculiar aspects of this book was the way in which the author goes out of her way to define certain vocabulary terms she thinks the reader will struggle understanding. For example, in chapter 3 ("The Idea of Faith") she explains that from the earliest times Christians found they needed "approved statements" of the faith, going on to put in parenthesis the word "creed" to define said approved statements, as if the reader wouldn't know that's what she meant or what "approved statements" were. This happened several times throughout the book, which I found to be a bit distracting. Perhaps she included such devices to make the book more useable (also read: marketable) as a college text book. Regardless, more advanced learners and readers would like to do without such pedantry.
The book ends with a helpful summation of key Reformation concerns and their history. Topics like justification by faith alone, biblical interpretation, the number of sacraments, and the church-state relationship all find their way into this handy hand list. Then at the end of each section is a "link" ending with helpful tie-ins to specific chapters and parts of chapters. This will be one list I'll for sure have handy when doing Reformation research!
All in all, I found this to be a measured, well-informing guide to the before, during, and after periods of the Reformation. It's unusual to find such a single-volume guide that provides broad enough coverage of the issues to make it a worthy overview, while also addressing those issues indepth without getting bogged down in details and rabbit trails. This book accomplishes both masterfully. I would heartily recommend this volume to college students who need a good supplemental source, as well as non-collegiate students of the Reformation. Evans work will be put to good work for any Protestant seeking to reconnect to their own roots.
March 22, 2018
This is a good book to lay the foundation for further studies on the Reformation. It is detailed, yet not difficult to read.
June 17, 2012
Evans provides a wonderful text to further conversation about the place of the Reformation in European and church history. She places it firmly within the medieval context and addresses numerous topical connections concerning reform, ecclesiology and authority, sacraments and soteriology, Scripture, church and state (among many topics), following them from the early and medieval church through the Reformation. It is a big book, full of good examples and is well written - it should be fun to teach. It will not be the sole text for teaching the Reformation though. It is, in some ways, too narrowly focused at times. Evans does not provide a complete Reformation history and to read it fruitfully someone should have an acquaintance with the background history she is covering. She does not pull back to view the entire context very often and sometimes I felt her details on particular individuals and texts left out other potential contributors. She also at times brings the conversation past the Reformation, but does so only erratically. That said I enjoyed reading it and will turn to it again and again as reference and an aid to teaching, especially for the context and debate around essential doctrinal issues.
December 17, 2012
This book caught my attention because of its attempt to consider the Reformation in the context of the mediaeval world, instead of the more common tendency to view it as part of a heroic narrative involving a break from the bad, old days of the Dark Ages into a new world of progress. Dr. Evans spends 2/3s of the book outlining the mediaeval background and only a third on the actual Reformation. That takes a little getting used to because the proportion, if we're lucky, tends to go the other way.
Dr. Evans writes in a textbook style here, so, of course, tends to glide over the more interesting elements of the story. This book is excellent for an overview, but needs to be supplemented by more reading to understand both the background and the actual event of the Reformation. Still, well worth reading for the big picture.
Dr. Evans writes in a textbook style here, so, of course, tends to glide over the more interesting elements of the story. This book is excellent for an overview, but needs to be supplemented by more reading to understand both the background and the actual event of the Reformation. Still, well worth reading for the big picture.
May 4, 2012
A great read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews