Europe's Reformations, 1450-1650: Doctrine, Politics, and Community

by James D. Tracy

In this widely praised history, noted scholar James D. Tracy offers a comprehensive, lucid, and masterful exploration of early modern Europe's key turning point. Establishing a new standard for histories of the Reformation, Tracy explores the complex religious, political, and social processes that made change possible, even as he synthesizes new understandings of the profound continuities between medieval Catholic Europe and the multi-confessional sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. This revised edition includes new material on Eastern Europe, on how ordinary people experienced religious change, and on the pluralistic societies that began to emerge.
Reformation scholars have in recent decades dismantled brick by brick the idea that the Middle Ages came to an abrupt end in 1517. Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses fitted into an ongoing debate about how Christians might better understand the Gospel and live its teachings more faithfully. Tracy shows how Reformation-era religious conflicts tilted the balance in church-state relations in favor of the latter, so that the secular power was able to dictate the doctrinal loyalty of its subjects. Religious reform, Catholic as well as Protestant, reinforced the bonds of community, while creating new divisions within towns, villages, neighborhoods, and families. In some areas these tensions were resolved by allowing citizens to profess loyalty both to their separate religious communities and to an overarching body-politic. This compromise, a product of the Reformations, though not willed by the reformers, was the historical foundation of modern, pluralistic society.
Richly illustrated and elegantly written, this book belongs in the library of all scholars, students, and general readers interested in the origins, events, and legacy of Europe's Reformation.

Genres: History, Religion, Politics, Nonfiction, Church History, European History

390 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1999

Reviews

[Victoria Hawco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not enough pictures.

[Charles Nicholas Saenz · Rating 3 out of 5]

James D. Tracy structured his survey of the Reformation around two simple premises. First, the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century was one of several reform movements in the history of Western Christendom. Second, though religion serves as an important motive force behind history, it is one among many. Both views are in line with much recent scholarship concerning the period and offer an approach in keeping with the times.

Regarding the format of the book, Tracy focuses on doctrinal, political, and social devlopements seperately in three separate, but overlapping sections designed to stress the impact of the religious reform movement on a range of factors related to life in early modern Europe. Tracy's presentation of material, though well-intentioned, does lack seem of the excitement of other interpretations. By breaking the book apart into three parts, he also sacrifices the opportunity to show much of the historical contingency that seems to be at the heart of his argument.

[Lauren Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good introduction to the ideas, people and politics of the reformation(s). Tracy certainly shows why it was "reformations" and not "reformation." I thought his ending with these brief discourses on other religions kind of odd. He says he is showing how reformation plays out elsewhere in other religions but it fell flat for me. I would recommend this to anyone without a background in the subject.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty dry - lots of info and divided in chapters that can seem somewhat redundant (the concluding chapter on global perspective is a rather bizarre and unsuccessful attempt to include non-European content).

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best book on the Reformation I have read so far.

[Al Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The history of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation is a challenge for any author. Not only is the subject charged even today with bias based upon religious position, but the historiography itself is difficult to wade through with enough objectivity to glean the facts away from the opinion. Further, the movement is not a singular event, but one of multiple events connected and isolated in a myriad of ways. The challenge any author has in addition to the above is to present a meaningful overview of the Reformation that is as useful to the academic as well as casual reader.

Europe's Reformations, 1450-1650 manages to maintain that balance, and provide a fair bit of detail for the academic, while not getting bogged down in them. The book is divided into three sections so that the amount of details could be presented without impeding the flow. All sides are represented, as well as the effects upon Europe and in a nod to Global Historical studies, it's impact outside of Europe in the final chapter. There was much to surprise me in this book and I would recommend it as the foundation book for gaining an understanding of the subject.

[Megan]

Europe's Reformations, 1450-1650 by James D. Tracy (1999)

[Bill]

Reading this one for school, not for fun.