Age of Reform 1250 1550 An Intellectual & Religious History of Late Medieval & Reformation Europe

"Ozment's masterly synthesis of the intellectual and religious history of the period 1250-1550 clarifies the impact of late medieval ideas on early modern society. Its appeal derives from its breadth of scholarship and clarity of style. Ozment reviews the current state of research on late medieval intellectual history, explicates the basic ideas of the scholastic, spiritual, and ecclesio-political traditions, and analyzes the impact of these on Protestant reformers."--Choice
"It is not only a clear and coherent substantive history; it is also an extremely fair-minded discussion of the interpretations and issues involved."--Gordon Leff, The Times Literary Supplement
"As one would expect of Steven Ozment, he has produced a masterful study. . . an intellectual and religious history of late medieval and Reformation Europe."--Christianity Today
"A high level survey of current work on religious thought and practice from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century. For Ozment, the period involved was neither the waning of the Middle Ages nor was it the dawning of a new era. Rather, it was a period in which the people of Europe at all levels underwent a series of intellectual and spiritual crises culminating in the Protestant Reformation. . . . A stimulating, readable survey of late medieval Reformation religious thought that will be of interest to both teachers and students."--James Muldoon, History

"A masterful . . . intellectual and religious history of late medieval and Reformation Europe."--Christianity Today

"A learned, humane, and expressive book."--Gerald Strauss, Renaissance Quarterly

The seeds of the swift and sweeping religious movement that reshaped European thought in the 1500s were sown in the late Middle Ages. In this book, Steven Ozment traces the growth and dissemination of dissenting intellectual trends through three centuries to their explosive burgeoning in the Reformations--both Protestant and Catholic--of the sixteenth century. He elucidates with great clarity the complex philosophical and theological issues that inspired antagonistic schools, traditions, and movements from Aquinas to Calvin. This masterly synthesis of the intellectual and religious history of the period illuminates the impact of late medieval ideas on early modern society.

Interpretation of medieval intellectual history -- Scholastic traditions -- Spiritual traditions -- Ecclesopolitical traditions -- On the eve of the reformation -- Mental world of Martin Luther -- Society and politics in the German reformation -- Humanism and the reformation -- Swiss reformation -- Sectarian spectrum: Radical movements within Protestantism -- Calvin and Calvinism -- Marriage and the ministry in the Protestant churches -- Catholic reform and counter reformation -- Protestant resistance to tyranny: Career of John Knox -- Legacy of the reformation -- List of Abbreviations.