Requesting an unbiased book on Reformation

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Catholic books by theologians are unbiased because we’ve got nothing to “protest” against 🤷
 
R_C said:
Catholic books by theologians are unbiased because we’ve got nothing to “protest” against 🤷
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Unless we are talking pure mathematics, I am of the opinion everything is biased. It’s all a matter of degree. I was hoping to find an account of the Reformation and it’s ultimate effects on society, with as little of an agenda as possible.
 
StMikhael said:
Unless we are talking pure mathematics, I am of the opinion everything is biased. It’s all a matter of degree. I was hoping to find an account of the Reformation and it’s ultimate effects on society, with as little of an agenda as possible.
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Probably you need to read a number of books from both sides. The Catholic books DO tend to be a little defensive at times about Protestant accusations. Both sides seem to leave out details picked up by the other. On the Protestant side, you might try Alistair McGrath’s “The Intellectual Origins of the European Reformation”, Philip Schaff’s series on church history, and “Here I Stand”, which is a short and fairly balanced biography of Martin Luther. Be warned that the Reformation may be the most complex event the human race has ever gone through on religious, economic, political and cultural bases.

I would also go and see what the Orthodox have to say, seemingly being “neutral observers”. What I found was surprising, shocking and alarming, and should be to any Catholic or Protestant.

It’s too soon to see the ultimate effects of the Reformation on society. Try in another 1000 years or so. 🤷
 
Truthstalker said:
I would also go and see what the Orthodox have to say, seemingly being “neutral observers”. What I found was surprising, shocking and alarming, and should be to any Catholic or Protestant.

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Thanks,

Can you recall any good sources on the above?
 
StMikhael said:
Thanks,

Can you recall any good sources on the above?
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I spent a while on an Orthodox forum years ago, in the time of the Great CAF crash. It would be easy to find such a forum with an internet search, and they would tell you quickly what they think of the Reformation, and refer you to something off their site if you ask. It’s probably against Forum rules to tell you the site. Sorry!
 
The series of lectures by Professor Thomas Madden available at most libraries in the Audio section called Christianity at the Crossroads: The Reformations of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries is pretty good.
 
StMikhael said:
Is there sucha thing? If so, have an recommendations?
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I would contend that there is no such thing as an unbiased book about anything at all. Let alone something as controversial and complex as the reformation. People are biased. We all have a bias with which we view all phenomena. Our “world view” or our way of perceiving. One could not write anything worth reading without tapping their own emotions, and worldview, unless it was a technical manual. I am also interested in reading some good books about the Reformation, and will look through the thread with interest for some titles. But “unbiased”? It’s a nearly meaningless word when applied to anything that anybody actually cares about. And people don’t write books about things they don’t care about. Good luck 😉

Peace,

Steve
 
StevenFrancis said:
I would contend that there is no such thing as an unbiased book about anything at all. Let alone something as controversial and complex as the reformation. People are biased. We all have a bias with which we view all phenomena. Our “world view” or our way of perceiving. One could not write anything worth reading without tapping their own emotions, and worldview, unless it was a technical manual. I am also interested in reading some good books about the Reformation, and will look through the thread with interest for some titles. But “unbiased”? It’s a nearly meaningless word when applied to anything that anybody actually cares about. And people don’t write books about things they don’t care about. Good luck 😉

Peace,

Steve
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I think we agree, see post # 3.

I am interested in two aspects of study of the Reformation.
  1. The Reformation itself - what led to it (more then just the 95 Thesis); what precisely was the intent and hopes, and was the intent and hope satisfied or taken too far.
  2. Much more subjective. The long term result (more difficult to ascertain). How, and too what extent, did it change the word. For the better or worse.
I appreciate the recommendations thus far.
 
Greetings in Christ!

I remember coming away from Catholic Historian Brad Gregory’s History of Christianity in the Reformation Era thinking that he did a very good job of fairly representing all sides. But this estimation may be due to my ignorance. In terms of “The long term result,” Gregory also has a new book called, The Unintended Reformation, but I have not had the opportunity to look at it yet.

I am currently reading, History of the Catholic Church. I haven’t made it to the Reformation period yet, but I’m enjoying the book so far. Chapter 1 was excellent!

With love in Christ,
Pete
 
I am 75% of the way through "The Reformation, A History" by Diarmaid MacCulloch published in 2003 and designated a Winner of the National Critics Circle Award.

I think it is excellent. But I have not read others so I cannot compare. But is seems to be unbaised and certainly covers many events and personalities over 200 plus years.
 
StMikhael said:
I think we agree, see post # 3.

I am interested in two aspects of study of the Reformation.
  1. The Reformation itself - what led to it (more then just the 95 Thesis); what precisely was the intent and hopes, and was the intent and hope satisfied or taken too far.
  2. Much more subjective. The long term result (more difficult to ascertain). How, and too what extent, did it change the word. For the better or worse.
I appreciate the recommendations thus far.
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As I see it, those two questions are more suited to a long discussion. I wonder if you are sturggling with remaining in the Church (if you are a member) and if it because of your disillusion with a member or maybe many members of the Church.

Annie

P.S.
A good history of the Church and what led up to the reformation is William Carrolls HISTORY OF CHRISTENDOM.
 
Annie39 said:
As I see it, those two questions are more suited to a long discussion. I wonder if you are sturggling with remaining in the Church (if you are a member) and if it because of your disillusion with a member or maybe many members of the Church.

Annie

P.S.
A good history of the Church and what led up to the reformation is William Carrolls HISTORY OF CHRISTENDOM.
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This book as been recommended twice. I’ll be looking into it. I also initially like the looks of the Unintended Reformation by Brad Gregory.

I am not “struggling with remaining in the Church”. However, life experience has taught me that even when I feel strongly about something and find myself bewildered that others may feel differently, I can still have a lot to learn from their views and often find I should have more room for sensitivity to their positions.

I think more knowledge is always good and aquiring the knowledge with an open mind can only produce good fruit. The Great Schism of 1053 along with the Reformation are two events I think all Catholics can only learn from. In both those arenas (Greek Orthodox and Protestant) there are certainly many well learned and well meaning individuals who are much much smarter than myself ;). And yet they hold dear in thieir hearts to different beliefs.
 
gilliam said:
The series of lectures by Professor Thomas Madden available at most libraries in the Audio section called Christianity at the Crossroads: The Reformations of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries is pretty good.
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Thank you, this looks to be an excellent resource as well.
 
Madden has a lot of great lecture series (my local library has six or seven of his courses), but Gregory’s Reformation course is more lengthy, and perhaps less biased in favor of Catholicism. If you can, listen to both! And if you want a Luther-friendly series, check out Philip Cary’s Luther: Gospel, Law, and Reformation. He’s an ecumenically-minded Lutheran scholar of Augustine, and a lively lecturer.

With love in Christ,
Pete
 
StMikhael said:
Is there sucha thing? If so, have an recommendations?
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My particular area of interest is with Luther studies. No there isn’t such a thing as an unbiased book on Luther, but there are books that at least have proper documentation and attempt to get further than vilifying caricatures. About 10 years ago, I became interested in Roman Catholic interpretations of Luther. I found this subject itself had a long complicated history. I compiled two articles:

The Roman Catholic Perspective of Martin Luther (Part One)

The Roman Catholic Perspective of Martin Luther (Part Two)

If you skim through these links, you’ll see what to avoid. I would pick some good scholarly Roman Catholic books, and some good Protestant books. Here’s just a few of many:

Roman Catholic
Jared Wicks: Luther and His Spiritual Legacy
Joseph Lortz: The Reformation: A Problem for Today
Franz Posset: The Real Luther

For one of the best overviews I’ve ever come across on the different interpretations of Luther throughout history, Roman Catholic scholar John P. Dolan’s History of the Reformation, A Conciliatory Assessment of Opposite Views (New York: Desclee Company, 1964) is extremely useful. Dolan is the author of the Luther entry in the New Catholic Encyclopedia, an entry far different than that in the old Catholic Encyclopedia.

Protestant
Martin Brecht’s multi-volume biography of Luther is probably the best modern treatment of Luther available. For shorter treatments, there are two basic historical biographies of Luther, I would recommend. The first is Roland Bainton’s Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. The book is straightforward, and though criticized for being too lenient on Luther, it is a highly reliable historical work. The second is Heiko Oberman’s Luther: Man Between God and the Devil. This biography is more daring. It presents more of a “Luther, warts and all”. As with Bainton’s book, the historical and biographical information is set forth accurately.

Regards,

James
 
I’ve read Roland Bainton’s Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. I would suggest you avoid conceptualizing the Reformation as rotating around Luther. Theologically, Zwingli was a little earlier. Look at Erasmus (who stayed Catholic). I am Reformed, and we consider what Luther did as something independent from us - we are certainly not Lutheran. But by that I mean no disrespect to Lutherans, it’s just that there is more than one stream of thought among Protestants. The Reformation was VERY complex. Did I say that already? Probably.
 
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