Christ's Churches Purely Reformed: A Social History of Calvinism

by Philip Benedict

This sweeping and eminently readable book is the first synthetic history of Calvinism in almost fifty years. It tells the story of the Reformed tradition from its birth in the cities of Switzerland to the unraveling of orthodoxy amid the new intellectual currents of the seventeenth century. As befits a pan-European movement, Benedict's canvas stretches from the British Isles to eastern Europe. The course and causes of Calvinism's remarkable expansion, the inner workings of the diverse national churches, and the theological debates that shaped Reformed doctrine all receive ample attention. The English Reformation is situated within the history of continental Protestantism in a way that reveals the international significance of English developments. A fresh examination of Calvinist worship, piety, and discipline permits an up-to-date assessment of the classic theories linking Calvinism to capitalism and democracy. Benedict not only paints a vivid picture of the greatest early spokesmen of the cause, Huldrych Zwingli and John Calvin, but also restores many lesser-known figures to their rightful place. Ambitious in conception, attentive to detail, this book offers a model of how to think about the history and significance of religious change across the long Reformation era.

Genres: History, Church History, Religion, Nonfiction, European History, Grad School, Academic

624 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Joel Zartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great, prodigious book. I find it really put things together for me. Plenty of insights, good explanations, things structured properly. Took over 15 pages of notes on it.

[Etienne OMNES · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christ's chruches purely reformed est une somme d'histoire de Philipp Benedict [qui est juif non pratiquant, mais excellent historien] sur l'histoire de la tradition réformée **confessionnelle**. Il s'agit donc de l'histoire des Eglises réformées des 16e et 17e siècle. Autre particularité, que j'ai beaucoup apprécié: c'est une histoire **sociale** c'est à dire que l'on aborde surtout à quoi ressemblait la Réforme "sur le terrain" et non seulement dans les biographies des quelques saints.

La partie I traite du début de la tradition réformée. C'est celle qui m'a le moins apporté, étant donné qu'elle suit pas mal les figures fondatrices qui sont souvent reprises: Zwingli, Calvin, mais aussi des moins souvent connues comme Bullinger et Jan Laski.
La partie II a été plus intéressante à mes yeux, étant donné qu'elle suit l'histoire des réformés dans tout l'espace européen, non pas par les biographies des grands évangélistes et autres, mais par leur composition sociale, leur vitesse d'expansion, les grands évènements politiques et culturels qui ont affectés la propagation de l'Evangile. J'ai découvert des histoires qui m'étaient totalement inconnues comme l'histoire des réformés polonais, hongrois et néerlandais, et redécouvert l'histoire de l'Angleterre réformée. Même pour l'histoire de l'Eglise réformée de France, j'ai appris plein de choses sur les "huguenots de terrain"
La partie III traite de la maturité de cette tradition confessionnelle au 17e siècle. Plus thématique, elle traite du devenir de l'orthodoxie doctrinale sous un angle plus politique et culturel que doctrinal. Elle parle du contexte politique très divers auxquels ont fait face les diverses églises nationales, encore un gros coup de coeur. Et enfin un chapitre sur l'histoire de l'église anglaise du 17e siècle, dont les tournants et la complexité m'ont étonné du début à la fin.
La partie IV m'a enthousiasmé: Philipp Benedict y mesure l'impact réel de la Réforme sur la vraie vie des gens ordinaires. Au delà des grands théologiens et de l'impact philosophique de la doctrine réformée, à quel point les pasteurs ont ils transformés la vie des petits cévenols? On y parle de l'histoire du pastorat, de la discipline d'église, et de la piété réformée, montrant globalement que si l'idéal réformé était beau et élevé, et qu'il a été ardemment poursuivi, nos pères n'étaient finalement pas des bêtes de piété, mais des gens très ordinaires. J'ai été édifié et encouragé par ces pages.

Je recommande fortement ce livre pour tous ceux qui sont intéressés par l'histoire de la tradition réformée confessionnelle. Ce sont presque 15 livres en un. En revanche, il y a une telle densité d'information qu'il m'a fallu un temps fou pour le lire, et absorber convenablement les informations. Prévoyez donc de le lire lentement.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work does something amazing: It provides a rather detailed look at the growth of the Reformation – as first represented by Luther, through the division into the two camps – Reformed and Lutheran. Benedict then traces the Reformed camp as if develops in the nations of Europe that were impacted by the Reformation, focusing particularly on France, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and England. He follows the spread of the unique emphases from the original centers of Reformed scholarship: Geneva, Zurich, and Strasbourg into the various nations of Europe, thus coloring each national church with its own unique character. These chapters of the book are particularly helpful for understanding the current character of the Anglican church, for instance, and the Reformed churches of today in France and Holland. Benedict closes out the book with a look at how Calvinism has impacted modern society in the realms of civics, jurisprudence, politics, and economics, not just theology. Since men always order their lives according to their theology, this is an important contribution.

I have long suspected that the spread of heretical doctrine throughout Europe (and subsequently to America) after the Reformation was due, in large part, because the intellectual leaders in the various European churches interacted with the works of foreign theologians without recognizing the background and framework out of which these writing grew. Local theological concerns, political crises and moral problems unique to one nation, as well as the personal character of that particular culture, do not necessarily (one might safely say “never”) translate directly to another nation's situation. Reading Anglican Puritans, for instance, without the lens of their particular state church and its impact on the daily life of English citizens, by Americans or Dutch, easily lends to mistaken ideas and even erroneous doctrine due to the failure to read between the lines and recognize the unique situation into which these works were original written. Benedict's book only confirms this suspicion of mine.

Coming it at just under 700 pages (chapter end notes included), one wonders that the book isn't three or four times its size considering the wealth of resources Benedict has drawn from and cited. Nothing about this book feels “cursory,” even though the subject each chapter easily merits a separate book. Judicious use of primary sources provides a sense that the subject has been examined comprehensively without inflating the book's size into multiple volumes.

[Hugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een poging om mijn Nederlandse vriendin te snappen.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular. Truly the best single volume book introducing the Reformations of the 16th and 17th centuries from a "social" perspective—i.e. these Reformations as they were on the ground, and in people's lives. The chapters in Part IV were a bit of a drag, but other than that, this was excellent.

[Sean McGowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. I cringed at some parts, but overall this is an excellent, in-depth study of the Reformed tradition. Highly recommended.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate Benedict's honesty in disclosing the fact that he is "a total outsider, an agnostic, non practicing Jew raised in a secular household" (xxv). In the conclusion, Benedict writes that he believes that traditional understandings about how influential Calvinism was (especially in economics and democracy) are not historically sustainable. Given his initial admission, I'm not convinced that he is free from all bias. Of course, given my own presuppositions, I'm not convinced that I am either.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fine piece of historical scholarship. Masterful. The last chapter is an excellent assessment of the various theories relating Calvinism and modernity (i.e. Weber's thesis, Calvinism and democracy, Calvinism and capitalism).

[Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, fair-minded, and comprehensive. This is the book to read if you are interested in the development of the Reformed Protestant tradition in the early modern period. Benedict makes clear that the Reformed movement is much more than just John Calvin, John Knox, and a few other luminaries. He argues that several of the lesser known reformers were just as, if not more important than the traditional big names. He covers the well trod areas such as the Swiss and Imperial cities, the British isles, and the Netherlands, but also provides coverage of the impact the Reformed had in France and eastern Europe. We also get to see developments on the ground and not just from the top. Highly recommended!

[Josep Marti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly the most scholarly recent work on this subject— the author’s insights on the Reformation and the movements that came out of it are enlightening and challenging, and although I don’t agree with his rejection of a relationship between the Reformed tradition and the forge of the modern world, he makes good arguments against the apologetically cheap historiography of some members of the Calvinist wing of the Church.

[Becky Carlan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part 2 of this book was really good! The way the Reformation was manifested in different countries was interesting. Part 4 too, especially the last chapter “The Practice of Piety” was really interesting, detailing what reformation looked like, especially in education. The other parts are a little too “high-brow” lending themselves more to specific post-graduate study in history.

[Sam Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, thorough exploration of the development of reformed thought and practice in reformed communities throughout Europe ~ 1500-1700. Chapters on Poland-Lithuania/Transylvania/Hungary were a bit more difficult for me to read (probably due to a deficiency in my knowledge of that area) but everything else felt very readable. Interesting critique of Weber’s thesis in the last chapter.

[Zack Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soapbox: Heady, comprehensive social histories should not have endnotes! Use footnotes!

Balanced and thorough. Gives a good sense of the breadth and diversity of the early Reformed tradition, albeit by losing much of the drama.

[Ben Sibley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Better than I expected based on the author, if someone wants an overarching history of "Calvinism" from societal perspective, this ain't bad.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another in the confessionalization vein, but does argue for differentiation between the national Reformed churches, based on local politics, socioeconomics and culture, each of which contributed to the divergent paths in the development of the various Reformed tradition. Points to recommend it: highly critical of the Weber thesis. Points against: unsatisfactory discussion of the internal processes of conversion and confessionalization as they affected the individual.

[Scott Oakland]

I just started this book and have only gotten as far as the introduction, but clearly this is a scholarly work. The fact that the author Philip Benedict, a Brown University professor, is not a Christian adds to its uniqueness. It's put out by Yale Press.

[Jesse]

Highly recommended by Darryl G. Hart.

[Lashonda Slaughter Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains a very detailed look at Calivinism in Europe from the 1500s to 1700, my only problem with it is that it doesn't really address the nature of the church in the American colonies.