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finden sich in Scultetus’ Werk. Auch die Art und Weise, wie er sich
Zugang zu dem Manuskript verschafft hat, wird rekonstruiert.
Christian Mosers Dissertation leistet einen substantiellen Beitrag
zur Erforschung nicht nur der Reformationsgeschichte Bullingers
und seines übrigen historiographischen Werks, sondern auch der
Geschichtsschreibung in der Frühen Neuzeit insgesamt. Mit seinen
quellengesättigten, durchweg überzeugenden Interpretationen sowie den Auflistungen und edierten Stücken wird die Arbeit ein
grundlegendes Hilfsmittel für die weitere Forschung auf diesen
Gebieten darstellen. Auch der Theologe Heinrich Bullinger tritt
nun in einer wesentlichen Hinsicht profilierter hervor.
Christoph Strohm, Heidelberg
The Myth of the Reformation, ed. Peter Opitz, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2013 (Refo500 Academic Studies 9), 382 p.
– ISBN 978–3–525–55033–5.
This volume is a collection of some of the papers read at the Refo500 Conference (June 8–10, 2011) held in Zurich. The goal of
the conference was to broaden our understanding of the 16th century Reformation(s) by, primarily, debunking widely held myths
about it (them).
The collection consists of 19 papers by as many presenters. They
range from the question, »Was the Reformation a German Event«
brilliantly answered by Emidio Campi, to Jon Balserak’s »Examining the Myth of Calvin as a Lover of Order« (he was not, he was,
we come to learn, quite the pot-stirrer), to Christine Christ-von
Wedel’s »Bildverbot und Bibelillustration im reformierten Zürich«
which examines the very odd fact that though the Zurich reformers were dead set in opposition to images in the Churches, their
Bibles were amply festooned with illustrative artwork. Other subjects treated are the Spanish Reformation, the Polish Reformation,
the Apocalyptic Luther, the Church and the State, the political
piety of Viret and Farel, the »Myth of the Reformed Pastor«, the
myth of the Danish Luther, Thomas Cranmer’s martyrdom, and
the part played by art among Catholics and Protestants.
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Space prohibits an examination of each of these engaging and, in
varying degree, interesting presentations. All are, to be certain,
commendable. But I would like to focus on a few of them which, in
my view, merit extra attention (though I wish I could add others).
The first, Jon Balserak’s »Examining the Myth of Calvin as a
Lover of Order« (pp. 160–175). Balserak writes: »I wish to overturn [...] the interpretation which says that Calvin’s ideas were
revolutionary but that Calvin, the man, was not – he was profoundly conservative and a lover of order and peace« (160). And
then he sets out doing exactly that: »Calvin was, in the end, a good
deal more than this collection of images suggests. He was, in fact,
an activist, a schemer, a ›ruthless‹ individual, a careful planner and
an outstanding hater [...] [he was] the veritable Osama bin Laden
of Sixteenth-century France« (161). Balserak does not simply make
astonishing and eye-popping claims and leave them unsubstantiated; he makes them and proves them by means of Calvin’s own
works. A new portrait of Calvin is painted here which will surprise
many. At the end of the essay (and this is true in the case of all of
them), a very useful up to date bibliography is supplied.
The second especially noteworthy essay is Daniel Timmerman’s
»The Myth of the Reformed Pastor? Continuity and Change in
Heinrich Bullinger’s use of 1 Corinthians 14« (190–210). Bullinger’s ministry is the focus of this essay and more particularly Bullinger’s understanding of the Pastor as exegete. Timmerman makes
it clear that Bullinger’s use of 1 Corinthians 14 evolved over time
and as a response to present needs and circumstances. What did
not change was Bullinger’s belief that the Reformed Pastor was to
be skilled in the biblical languages in order to properly interpret
Scripture to and for the present. In particular, he »states that a
›candidate of the holy scriptures‹ must be experienced in Hebrew
and Greek. [...] He affirms that no one can ›prophesy‹ better than
›Zwingli, our prophet‹. [...] Bullinger positively refers to prophesying as interpreting the Bible from the original languages. [...]
[and] he simply assumes knowledge of the languages as an indispensable prerequisite for the bishop or pastor« (200f.). With further evidence as well, Timmerman portrays Bullinger as one who
battled the Left wing of the Reformation and the Traditionalists
with an insistence on a learned Pastorate.
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Finally, and briefly, I’d like to point out Christine Christ-von
Wedel’s, again, really amazingly interesting essay titled »Bildverbot
und Bibelillustrationen im reformierten Zürich« (299–320). As she
states the issue: »Was konnte die bilderfeindliche Zürcher Reformation veranlassen, ihre Bibel zu illustrieren oder doch dem Drucker und Verleger Christoph Froschauer Illustrationen zuzugestehen« (299). The brief answer: »[...] er habe nicht alle Bilder abgelehnt, sondern nur solche, die in den Kirchen verehrt wurden«
(299). The remainder of her beautifully illustrated essay includes
further examination of the central question and images from various editions of the Zurich Bible. The piece concludes with a table
which compares the Zurich Bibel of 1531 with the Köln Bible of
1478/79 in terms of illustrative materials.
Amazing as well is the lead essay by Emidio Campi and even the
Preface by Peter Opitz is informative. This collection should be
read by students of the Reformation as it manifested itself in its
many forms. It debunks many widely held myths.
My only regret, and this of course cannot be helped, is the fact
that none of the essays included focuses on the contributions of
Huldrych Zwingli to the Reformation nor is there a very much
needed debunking of the myth that still circulates that Zwingli
died as a combatant in battle at the Second Kappel War. He was
there, as a chaplain, not as a fighter. Would that the volume at
hand had included a proper reconsideration of that fact. Still, what
an amazing series of essays sure to educate.
Jim West, Petros, TN, USA
L’expérience de la différence religieuse dans l’Europe moderne
(XVI e-XVII e siècles), ed. Bertrand Forclaz, Neuchâtel: Editions
Alphil-Presses Universitaires Suisses, 2013. 410 p. – ISBN
978–2–940489–09–1.
Bertrand Forclaz offers here the Proceedings of a 2010 conference
he organized with his colleagues of the History Institute at the
University of Neuchâtel and dedicated to Willem Frijhoff on the
occasion of his 70th birthday. In his Foreword, after having explained the importance of the conference theme and its relevance