The Radical Reformation / Edition 1

by Michael G. Baylor

Overview

This book is a collection of writings by early Reformation radicals that illustrates both the diversity and the areas of agreement in their political thinking. The texts are drawn from the period 1521-1527, centering on the German Peasants' War of 1524-1526. The thinkers represented—Muntzer, Karlstadt, Grebel, Hut, Denck, and others—differed on important theological issues, yet all rejected the magisterial Reformation as serving the interests of society's elites. They advocated a strategy of Reformation from below, a sweeping transformation of society to the benefit of the lay commoner and the local community. With the start of the Peasants' War, radicals divided over the issue of the legitimacy of force. This division shaped the ways in which they confronted the failure of the Peasants' War and the new strategies for survival developed in its aftermath. Appended to the texts are a number of political programs of the Peasants' War. These documents illustrate ways in which the radicals contributed to the uprising, and how the war itself led to greater clarity in the political theory of the radical Reformation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521379489
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	10/31/1991
Series:	Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	338
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.71(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; Introduction; Chronology 1521–8; Bibliographical note; 1. Thomas Müntzer, The Prague Protest; 2. Thomas Müntzer, Sermon to the Princes (or An Exposition of the Second Chapter of Daniel); 3. Andreas Karlstadt, Letter from the Community of Orlamünde to the People of Allstedt; 4. Conrad Grebel, Letter to Thomas Münzter; 5. Andreas Karlstadt, Whether One Should Proceed Slowly; 6. Thomas Müntzer, A Highly Provoked Defense; 7. Felix Manz, Protest and Defense; 8. Anonymous, To the Assembly of the Common Peasantry; 9. Hans Denck, On the Law of God; 10. Hans Hut, On the Mystery of Baptism; 11. Michael Sattler, The Schleitheim Articles; 12. Balthasar Hubmaier, On the Sword; 13. Han Hergot, On the New Transformation of the Christian Life; Appendices: Programs of the Peasants' War: a) The Eleven Muhlhausen Articles; b) The Twelve Articles of the Upper Swabian Peasants; c) The Memmingen Federal Constitution; d) The Document of Articles of the Black Forest Peasants; e) The Forty-six Frankfurt Articles; f) Michael Gaismair's Territorial Constitution for Tyrol; Biographical notes; Notes to the texts.

Editorial Reviews

"We have here a very useful reader on the radical wing of the Protestant Reformation of the early sixteenth century....After a compact but informed introduction, a six-page chronology, and a concise bibliographical note, Professor Baylor presents in fresh translation thirteen key documents illustrating core concerns of the radicals." Donald F. Durnbaugh, Utopian Studies

From the Publisher