The Intellectual Origins of the European Reformation

Spans traditional divisions between medieval and modern, and provides insights not only into the theological controversies but also into the developments in secular philosophy and learning which were to contribute to the mental outlook of the religious controversialists.

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Dr McGrath's book spans traditional divisions between medieval and modern, and provides insights not only into the theological controversies but also into the developments in secular philosophy and learning which were to contribute to the mental outlook of the religious controversialists. It is widely recognized that the 16th-century Reformation remains one of the most exciting and fascinating areas of scholarship. A central and important question raised by modern research concerns the intellectual origins of that phenomenon, and the last twenty years have seen a revolution in our understanding of the Renaissance and medieval scholastic theory and their relation to the Reformation. The author here makes available the results of scholarly investigation. He provides an examination of the nature of late medieval religious thought and presents a detailed analysis of the impact of Renaissance humanism and late medieval scholasticism. This is followed by a study of the change in attitudes to theological sources and methods as the late Middle Ages gave way to the Reformation.
His findings call into question many traditional presuppositions, opening the way for more reliable interpretations concerning the origins and nature of the Reformation.