The Protestant Reformation, Major Documents

by Lewis William Spitz

This book consists of a series of statements from men and women dating between 1501 to 1559. These statements illustrate the ideas, beliefs, and somtimes the fates, of the people who had come to share a profound discontent with the church as it then existed and a positive determination to change it. Writings Erasmus and Hutten the humanists, Luther and Melanchthon, Zwingli, Sattler the Anabaptist, Servetus the Unitarian, Calvin the theologian and lawgiver, and the English reformers, a special breed -- from the rabble-rousing Fish to Cromwell the administrator, Starkey the moderate, the King and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Spitz provides historical and theological context for each document and a reading list for further exploration.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Theology

190 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

Reviews

[Andrew Boyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating things in here. Calvin's four office view in the Geneva Confession was intriguing: teachers in schools (seminaries? Unclear) are an ordained office, and deacons are basically nurses and doctors in church-run hospitals. Also I didn't realize how much fighting there was at the time of the Reformation, my goodness.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The documents included span the years 1501-1559 and the spectrum of thinkers that were discontented with the church they encountered. Many of them left the church, Erasmus was the sole remaining Catholic. This is a good general introduction to the major players and where they stand. We see Luther, Calvin, Erasmus, Zwingli, Servetus and the English reformers. The introduction places the documents in context well.