3 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Periods, 1500–1750
3
The Reformation and Post-Reformation Periods, 1500–1750
Contents
Reformation – or Reformations?
Developments in Theological Literature
In the previous chapter, we explored how Christian theology underwent major development and transformation during the Middle Ages. At its height, this period produced some highly significant contributions to Christian theology. Yet many scholars of this fascinating era detect a sense of tiredness, a loss of intellectual energy, toward the end of this period, during the fifteenth century. By this time, the Renaissance had consolidated its hold on many centers of theological education and scholarship, creating pressure for new theological paradigms and expressions. The scene was set for a major shift in the methods, concepts, and vocabulary of Christian theology in western Europe. Historically, this paradigm shift began to take place in the early sixteenth century. The movement in question was complex, yet is often referred to in a single phrase – the Reformation.
A major new period in western Christian theology opened in the sixteenth century. The styles of Christian theology associated with the medieval period gave way to new paradigms. The most significant development was the period of reformation within the western European church, as a result of movements that sought to return the western church to more biblical foundations in relation to its belief system, morality, and structures. As Christianity was virtually landlocked within Europe at this stage in its history, these developments were destined to have a major impact subsequently on the subsequent global expansion of Christian theology.
The Reformation initially led to the formation of a cluster of Protestant churches in Europe and subsequently to the renewal and reformation of the Catholic church in the same region – partly in response to the challenge of Protestantism and partly as a result of internal pressure for reform from within. These movements are often distinguished using the terms “Protestant Reformation” and “Catholic Reformation.” For historians, the importance of this period lies in the social and political consequences of the Reformations, leading to the division of Europe on religious and not merely national grounds, which laid the grounds for the Wars of Religion of the seventeenth century. Yet for our purposes in this volume, the real significance of the Reformation lies in its theological programmes and debates. We begin our discussion of this matter by considering and clarifying the terms used to refer to the various elements of this important period in theological history.