Download or read book Reformation Myths written by Rodney Stark and published by SPCK. This book was released on 2017-08-17 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What has the Reformation ever done for us? A lot less than you might think, as Rodney Stark shows in this enlightening and entertaining antidote to recent books about the rise of Protestantism and its legacy. ‘Rodney Stark takes no prisoners as he charges through five hundred years of history, upsetting apple carts left and right. Almost everything you thought you knew about the Reformation turns out to be a false narrative. . . In future, anyone who makes sweeping claims about the benefits of Protestantism ought to check their assumptions against Stark’s research first.’ Clifford Longley, author and journalist ‘Stark brings the insights of a distinguished sociologist of religion to bear on a range of inherited assumptions about the impact of the Reformation . . . The result makes for salutary reading in this year of commemoration and (not always justified) celebration.’ Peter Marshall, Professor of History, University of Warwick ‘Stark changed the way we think about the early Church and this book may change the way you think about Protestantism . . . Reformation Myths cuts through pious certainties and challenges us to think again about our cultural history.’ Linda Woodhead MBE DD, Professor of Sociology of Religion, Lancaster University

Download or read book The Unintended Reformation written by Brad S. Gregory and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2015-11-16 with total page 345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a work that is as much about the present as the past, Brad Gregory identifies the unintended consequences of the Protestant Reformation and traces the way it shaped the modern condition over the course of the following five centuries. A hyperpluralism of religious and secular beliefs, an absence of any substantive common good, the triumph of capitalism and its driver, consumerism—all these, Gregory argues, were long-term effects of a movement that marked the end of more than a millennium during which Christianity provided a framework for shared intellectual, social, and moral life in the West. Before the Protestant Reformation, Western Christianity was an institutionalized worldview laden with expectations of security for earthly societies and hopes of eternal salvation for individuals. The Reformation’s protagonists sought to advance the realization of this vision, not disrupt it. But a complex web of rejections, retentions, and transformations of medieval Christianity gradually replaced the religious fabric that bound societies together in the West. Today, what we are left with are fragments: intellectual disagreements that splinter into ever finer fractals of specialized discourse; a notion that modern science—as the source of all truth—necessarily undermines religious belief; a pervasive resort to a therapeutic vision of religion; a set of smuggled moral values with which we try to fertilize a sterile liberalism; and the institutionalized assumption that only secular universities can pursue knowledge. The Unintended Reformation asks what propelled the West into this trajectory of pluralism and polarization, and finds answers deep in our medieval Christian past.

Download or read book The Myth of Ritual Murder written by R. Po-chia Hsia and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 1988-01-01 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the mid-fifteenth century to the early seventeenth, German Jews were persecuted and tried for the alleged ritual murders of Christian children, whose blood purportedly played a crucial part in Jewish magical rites. In this engrossing book R. Po-Chia Hsia traces the rise and decline of ritual murder trials during that period. Using sources ranging from Christian and Kabbalistic treatises to judicial records and popular pamphlets, Hsia examines the religious sources of the idea of child sacrifice and blood symbolism and reconstructs the political context of ritual murder trials against the Jews. "This volume combines clarity of thinking, elegance of style, and exemplary scholarly attention to detail with intellectual sobriety and human compassion."--Jerome Friedman, Sixteenth Century Journal "Hsia has... succeeded in turning established knowledge to illuminatingly new purposes."--G.R. Elton, New York Review of Books "This meticulously researched and unusually perceptive book is social and intellectual history at its best."--Library Journal "A fresh perspective on an old problem by a major new talent."--Steven Ozment, Harvard University R. Po-chia Hsia, professor of history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, is also the author of Society and Religion in Münster, 1535-1618

Download or read book The Myth of the Reformation written by Peter Opitz and published by Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. This book was released on 2013-06-19 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Im Juni 2011 fand die erste Konferenz des Reformation Research Consortium (RefoRC) am Institut für Schweizerische Reformgeschichte an der Theologischen Fakultät Zürich statt. Der Titel »Mythos der Reformation« ermutigte kritische Perspektiven auf herkömmliche Vorstellungen über die Reformation des 16. Jahrhunderts. Peter Opitz bietet eine Auswahl von dort gehaltenen Vorträgen und versammelt facettenreiche Aspekte und Perspektiven zur Thematik. Dadurch gelingt es Opitz zumindest einen Mythos zu widerlegen, nämlich dass die Reformationszeit eine langweilige Periode war, in der es nicht viel mehr außer den herkömmlichen Mythen zu entdecken gäbe.

Download or read book Ten Modern Evangelism Myths written by Ryan Denton and published by Reformation Heritage Books. This book was released on 2021-04-24 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Could it be that mistaken beliefs about evangelism lead to a decrease in getting it done? Ten Modern Evangelism Myths recounts the most popular misconceptions about evangelism followed by an easy-to-read response. Every Christian who wants to share their faith will find encouragement here to be bolder and more direct in their approach—while still showing love to those in their predicament of unbelief. You’ll be more effective because you will be clearer about Christianity and more clearly yourself when talking about it. Finally, here is relief from the confusion generated by gimmicks-based and “me-centered” approaches to evangelism. Table of Contents: Foreword - Rob Ventura Myth 1: Theology Doesn’t Matter When Evangelizing Myth 2: The Gospel Isn’t Enough When Evangelizing Myth 3: Evangelism Is Unsuccessful If No One Is Converted Myth 4: The Lost Should Never Be Offended by Our Evangelism Myth 5: There’s Only One Right Way to Evangelize Myth 6: Evangelism and Apologetics Are Different Myth 7: Reformed Christians Don’t Evangelize Myth 8: Hell Should Be Left Out of Evangelism Myth 9: Only Church Leaders and Professionals Should Evangelize Myth 10: The Church Is Unimportant for Evangelism

Download or read book Ten Myths about Calvinism written by Kenneth J. Stewart and published by Apollos. This book was released on 2011 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Intent on setting the record straight about Reformed theology, church historian Ken Stewart identifies ten myths held by either or both Calvinists and non-Calvinists and shows how they are gross mischaracterizations of this theological stream.

Download or read book German Reformation written by R. W. Scribner and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2017-03-14 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past twenty years, new approaches to the history of the Reformation of the Church have radically altered our understanding of that event within its broadest social and cultural context. In this classic study R. W. Scribner provided a synthesis of the main research, with a special emphasis on the German Reformation, and presented his own interpretation of the period. Paying particular attention to the social history of the broader religious movements of the German Reformation, Scribner examined those elements of popular culture and belief which are now seen to have played a central role in shaping the development and outcome of the movements for reform in the sixteenth century. Scribner concluded that 'the Reformation', as it came to be known, was only one of a wide range of responses to the problem of religious reform and revival, and suggested that the movement as a whole was less successful than previously claimed. In the second edition of this invaluable text, C. Scott Dixon's new Introduction, supplementary chapter and bibliography continue Scribner's original lines of inquiry, and provide additional commentary on developments within German Reformation scholarship over the sixteen years since its first publication.

Download or read book Welfare Reform Success Stories written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Ways and Means. Subcommittee on Human Resources and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Religion and Superstition in Reformation Europe written by Helen Parish and published by Manchester University Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Superstition" is one of the most fought over terms in the history of early modern popular culture, especially religious culture, and is also one of the most difficult to define. This volume offers a novel approach to the issue, based upon national and regional studies, and examinations of attitudes to prophets, ghosts, saints, and demonology, alongside an analysis of Catholic responses to the Reformation and the apparent presence of "superstition" in the reformed churches. It challenges the assumptions that Catholic piety was innately superstitious, while Protestantism was rational, and suggests that the early modern concept of "superstition" needs more careful treatment by historians.

Download or read book Myths of Venice written by David Rosand and published by Univ of North Carolina Press. This book was released on 2012-09-01 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the course of several centuries, Venice fashioned and refined a portrait of itself that responded to and exploited historical circumstance. Never conquered and taking its enduring independence as a sign of divine favor, free of civil strife and proud of its internal stability, Venice broadcast the image of itself as the Most Serene Republic, an ideal state whose ruling patriciate were selflessly devoted to the commonweal. All this has come to be known as the "myth of Venice." Exploring the imagery developed in Venice to represent the legends of its origins and legitimacy, David Rosand reveals how artists such as Gentile and Giovanni Bellini, Carpaccio, Titian, Jacopo Sansovino, Tintoretto, and Veronese gave enduring visual form to the myths of Venice. He argues that Venice, more than any other political entity of the early modern period, shaped the visual imagination of political thought. This visualization of political ideals, and its reciprocal effect on the civic imagination, is the larger theme of the book.

Download or read book Myths of Modern Individualism written by Ian Watt and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1996 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this volume, Ian Watt examines the myths of Faust, Don Quixote, Don Juan and Robinson Crusoe, as the distinctive products of modern society. He traces the way the original versions of Faust, Don Quixote and Don Juan - all written within a forty-year period during the Counter Reformation - presented unflattering portrayals of the three figures, while the Romantic period two centuries later recreated them as admirable and even heroic. The twentieth century retained their prestige as mythical figures, but with a new note of criticism. Robinson Crusoe came much later than the other three, but his fate can be seen as representative of the new religious, economic and social attitudes which succeeded the Counter-Reformation. The four figures help to reveal problems of individualism in the modern period: solitude, narcissism, and the claims of the self versus the claims of society. They all pursue their own view of what they should be, raising strong questions about their heroes' character and the societies whose ideals they reflect.

Download or read book Myth Formation in the Fiction of Chinua Achebe and Amitav Ghosh written by Nilanjan Chakraborty and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2020-09-28 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book studies culture in terms of myths and how they function to construct the identity of communities. It focuses on myth formation in the fiction of Chinua Achebe and Amitav Ghosh, two major twentieth century authors from Nigeria and India respectively. The book analyses how these two authors use myth in their works to study the cultural mores of the societies they represent. Achebe represents the Igbo community of Nigeria and Amitav Ghosh represents various communities in India in both the pre-colonial and postcolonial phases, ranging from Bihar to Sundarbans in south Bengal. The book focuses on the area of myth studies in the postcolonial area of study, delving into a comparative study between the two authors and how they contribute to myth studies through their fiction.

Download or read book Encyclopedia of Martin Luther and the Reformation written by Mark A. Lamport and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2017-08-31 with total page 975 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Encyclopedia of Martin Luther and the Reformation is a comprehensive global study of the life and work of Martin Luther and the movements that followed him—in history and through today. Organized by a stellar advisory board of Luther and Reformation scholars, the encyclopedia features nearly five hundred entries that examine Luther’s life and impact worldwide. The two-volume set provides overviews of basics such as the 95 Theses as well as more complex topics such as reformational distinctions. Entries explore Luther’s contributions to theology, sacraments, his influence on the church and contemporaries, his character, and more. The work also discusses Luther’s controversies and topics such as gender, sexuality, and race. Publishing at the five hundredth anniversary of the Reformation, this is an essential reference work for understanding the Reformation and its legacy today.

Download or read book 7 Myths about Singleness written by Sam Allberry and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2019-02-14 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If marriage shows us the shape of the gospel, singleness shows us its sufficiency. Much of what we commonly assume about singleness—that it is primarily about the absence of good things like intimacy, family, or meaningful ministry—is either flat-out untrue or, at the very least, shouldn’t be true. To be single, we often think, is to be alone and spiritually hindered. But the Bible paints a very different picture of singleness: it is a positive gift and blessing from God. This book seeks to help Christians—married and unmarried alike—value singleness as a gift from God so that we can all encourage singles to take hold of the unique opportunities their singleness affords and see their role in the flourishing of the church as a whole.

Download or read book Popular Culture and Popular Movements in Reformation Germany written by R. W. Scribner and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 1988-07-01 with total page 379 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Reformation has traditionally been explained in terms of theology, the corruption of the church and the role of princes. R.W. Scribner, while not denying the importance of these, shifts the context of study of the German Reformation to an examination of popular beliefs and behaviour, and of the reactions of local authorities to the problems and opportunities for social as well as religious reform. This book brings together a coherent body of work that has appeared since 1975, including two entirely new essays and two previously published only in German.

Download or read book Celebrating the Legacy of the Reformation written by Benjamin K. Forrest and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2019-07-01 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this compilation of essays, experts in the field provide an in-depth look at the long-lasting impact of the Protestant Reformation. Readers will gain new insights into the legacies of theology, spiritual formation and personal worship, catechism and preaching, and the missions and martyrs of the Reformation. Celebrating the Legacy of the Reformation will inspire and challenge readers to learn from the past for the sake of the future.

Download or read book Myths and Memories of the Black Death written by Ben Dodds and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-12-11 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores modern representations of the Black Death, a medieval pandemic. The concept of cultural memory is used to examine the ways in which journalists, writers of fiction, scholars and others referred to, described and explained the Black Death from around 1800 onwards. The distant medieval past was often used to make sense of aspects of the present, from the cholera pandemics of the nineteenth-century to the climate crisis of the early twenty-first century. A series of overlapping myths related to the Black Death emerged based only in part on historical evidence. Cultural memory circulates in a variety of media from the scholarly article to the video game and online video clip, and the connections and differences between mediated representations of the Black Death are considered. The Black Death is one of the most well-known aspects of the medieval world, and this study of its associated memories and myths reveals the depth and complexity of interactions between the distant and recent past.