The Dawn of the Reformation: Essays in Late Medieval and Early Reformation Thought

Although this book is a collection of essays and they were written some years ago, it still brings many reflections...

Exactly as advertised. Very satisfied!

Professor Heiko Oberman attempts a collection of essays concerning the "pregnant plurality" of the Reformation era, as opposed to Gilson's inferred infertile approach. In the end I didn't see much difference with Oberman's own accounts of the critical forces driving the times or in Oberman's approach as differing from Gilson's, he just calls movements by other terms, gives names like "hedge waters" or "Forerunners" for precursor movements, and so forth, as opposed to Gilson's thesis/antithesis.../synthesis. In fact Oberman's scholarly placement of Luther in the nominalist camp only broadens Gilson's conclusions and Gilson's given emphasis on Occam as a driving beacon of the times over Luther and justifying Luther's near absence in Gilson's book "The Unity of the Philosophical Experience".Dr. Oberman also emphasizes the Capernican revolution. Gilson put more focus on Descartes and Occam, among others, in this regard. Then Joseph Campbell placed more emphasis on the discovery of the new world as being a main influence for a crisis of faith and shifting public consciousness to a new devotion in science.Oberman's interpretation of the acceptance of a more action oriented exegise and the idea of "the priesthood of the masses" which was spawned by the Franciscans against papal powers and then later contributed to the peasant revolts, which Luther had also had played a part in and, in the end, feared they had gone overboard, were interesting and not completely developed. The idea of modern democracy being spurred in Switzerland by the inadvertant results of Franciscan endeavors was interesting as well. The rise of nominalism (with Occam's razor, etc.) rising in popularity due to so many false predictions of the end of the world from the mystical circles and the, hinted at, lack of enthusiasm in scholastic circles aided the more grassroots efforts of the Franciscans in changing society at its very core was the most interesting part of the book, yet I felt more could be done in illucidating this.the essays also investigate what is known of this era and where one might want to investigate further. Prof Oberman choose to focus on Luther but there are many insights gleened, here, as to the Franciscans.Professor Oberman brings hermeneutics and its consequences to a vibrant historical intrigue.