War Against the Idols: The Reformation of Worship from Erasmus to CalvinIn the second decade of the sixteenth century medieval piety suddenly began to be attacked in some places as 'idolatry', or false religion. Wherever these ideas became accepted, churches were sacked, images smashed and burned, relics destroyed, and the Catholic Mass abolished. This study calls attention to the centrality of the idolatry issue for the Reformation. It traces the development of Protestant iconoclastic theology and practice, provides a survey and synthesis of its unfolding from Erasmus through Calvin, and lays a foundation for understanding the Reformed ideology that stood in conflict with Catholicism and Lutheranism. Professor Eire's main thesis is that the argument against 'idolatry' was central to Reformed Protestantism, both in its theological aspect and in its political ramifications, and that it reached its fullest and most enduring expression in Calvinism. |
Contents
INTRODUCTION | 1 |
THE STATE OF LAY DEVOTION IN THE LATE MIDDLE AGES | 8 |
Medieval critiques of popular religion | 18 |
ERASMUS AS CRITIC OF LATE MEDIEVAL PIETY | 28 |
Erasmuss critique of late medieval piety | 36 |
The limitations of the erasmian critique | 45 |
Early reformers and the question of idolatry | 54 |
Karlstadt and the idols at Wittenberg | 55 |
Lefèvres contribution to Protestantism | 193 |
JOHN CALVINS ATTACK ON IDOLATRY | 195 |
Calvins theology of worship | 197 |
Calvins analysis of reverential act | 212 |
the dangers of misdirected worship | 225 |
Calvins challenge | 228 |
CALVIN AGAINST THE NICODEMITES | 234 |
Calvins involvement with Nicodemism | 235 |
Luthers response to Karlstadts iconoclasm | 65 |
Ulrich Zwingli and the reformation of worship at Zurich | 73 |
Bullinger and the history of idolatry | 86 |
Martin Bucer and the Reformation in Strassburg | 89 |
popular attacks on Catholic piety | 94 |
Drawing the battle lines | 104 |
ICONOCLASM REVOLUTION AND THE REFORMATION IN SWITZERLAND AND GENEVE 15271536 | 105 |
Bern | 108 |
The spread of iconoclasm | 112 |
Basel | 114 |
Neuchåtel | 119 |
Iconoclasm and the Reformation in Geneva 15306 | 122 |
Iconoclasm as a revolutionary tactic | 151 |
HUMANISM AND REFORM IN FRANCE THE SEEDS OF CALVINISM | 166 |
Lefèvre and late medieval piety | 168 |
The two branches of the Fabrician reform | 182 |
The Affair of the Placards | 189 |
Calvins antiNicodemite writings | 240 |
The evidence reconsidered | 250 |
The political dimensions of Calvins opposition to compromise | 254 |
Calvins antiNicodemite theology | 256 |
Calvins alternatives to compromise | 259 |
Calvins age | 271 |
FROM ICONOCLASM TO REVOLUTION THE POLITICAL DIMENSIONS OF THE WAR AGAINST IDOLATRY | 276 |
Calvinist iconoclasm in Western Europe | 279 |
The development of theories of resistance | 282 |
Lutheranism and the question of resistance | 284 |
Calvinist theories of resistance | 287 |
The further development of Calvinist resistance theories | 296 |
Idolatry as the Calvinist resistance theories | 304 |
CONCLUSION | 311 |
319 | |
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War Against the Idols: The Reformation of Worship from Erasmus to Calvin Carlos M. N. Eire No preview available - 1986 |
Common terms and phrases
Actes et Gestes argues argument attack on idolatry Basel became began believe Bern Bernese Beza Bucer Bullinger Calvin Calvinist cathedral Catholic piety Catholic worship Christ Christian church Commentary corruption council critique cultic objects cultus divorum destroyed divine doctrine Erasmus Erasmus's eucharist external Fabrician faith false France French Fromment Geneva God's Gospel Guillaume Farel Herminjard Histoire History holy honor human humanist Ibid iconoclasm ideology idolatry idols images Institutes issue Jacques Lefèvre d'Etaples John Calvin Karlstadt Knox late medieval Lefèvre Lefèvre's Levain Luther Lutheran magistracy magistrates Martin Bucer Mass material Meaux medieval piety miracles Neoplatonic Neuchâtel Nicholas Manuel Nicodemism Nicodemites Paris persecution Petit Traicté Pierre Viret Pilgrimage political popular preaching principles Protestant Protestantism radical Reformation relics religion religious removal revolution revolutionary riot Roussel saints says scripture sermon sixteenth century spiritual Strassburg Swiss theology theory of resistance tion treatise true Ulrich Zwingli Viret Wittenberg Zurich Zwingli