Seminary or University?: The Genevan Academy and Reformed Higher Education, 1560-1620

by Karin Maag

This is a wide-ranging study of confessional higher education in Switzerland and North-Western Europe in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. At its core is an extensive and deep study of the Genevan archives, particularly rarely-used documents from the post-Calvin period. These archival sources, together with those of institutions from other European centres, form the basis of a detailed and authoritative study of the ideological divisions, institutional structures and communication networks of the leading Reformed centres of higher education.
The study is illuminated by revealing and often touching portraits of the students, professors and administrators who populated the lecture halls and libraries of the institutions. Dr Maag has used this wealth of institutional and personal records to demonstrate the wide variety of strategies employed by Reformed educational establishments in their struggles to survive and prosper in a period of religious, political and social ferment.

210 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book contains some novel information unearthed from archives, but mostly reads as a poorly organized summary of the standard history. The historical chapters contain absolutely no clear internal organization. On the other hand, the second half of the book that deals with the Genevan Academy in international context is luminous. Here the careful archival work yields compelling insights and provides kindling for future studies. I find it difficult to believe that the same person wrote both halves.

[Caleb Harris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book in its entirety simply because of my interest in the subject, not because of the merits of its writing--which, to be frank, is some of the driest, most boring, poorly-organized I've read in recent memory.

To parrot a previous review, the book lacks a strong internal principle of organization, with the first half (ch. 1-3) discussing the history of the Genevan Academy during the stated period (and with a painful amount of detail, I might add), and the second half (ch. 4-7) comparing/contrasting the Genevan Academy with other centers of Reformed higher education during the same period. Of these two halves, the second is certainly the more interesting, though it is difficult to see any meaningful connection between it and the first half (except for the fact that both have to do, at least in part, with the Genevan Academy).

I think it's fair to say that Maag has come a long way in her writing career; I just read her recently-published Worshiping with the Reformers and found it pretty much the polar opposite of this book: it boasts thoroughness without becoming pedantic, examines multiple topics while remaining internally coherent, and maintains a scholarly tone without lapsing into dryness or monotony. This book accomplishes none of these things.

Overall, the reader with a moderate interest in this subject could, in all likelihood, content himself by just reading the conclusion, which in 10 pages covers all the meaningful details and ideas of this book without the overwhelming amassment of facts, figures, and names typical of the rest of the book.

[Ruth Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it for my paperwork. One might wish for more detail on the structure of an academy during this period and the factors that distinguished it from a university, nevertheless it’s still helpful because I had barely any knowledge about the subject. Maag’s writing is lucid and organised, and I appreciated it!