The Radical Reformation
The Radical Reformation by Michael G. Baylor, published by Cambridge University Press in October 1991, is an eighth edition that spans 295 pages. This book presents a collection of writings from early Reformation radicals, highlighting both their diverse political thoughts and shared beliefs. The texts, drawn from the years 1521 to 1527, focus on the German Peasants’ War of 1524-1526 and feature influential figures such as Muntzer, Karlstadt, Grebel, Hut, and Denck, who collectively rejected the magisterial Reformation in favor of a grassroots transformation of society.
Readers will find that the book delves into the complexities of radical political thinking during a tumultuous period in history. It explores the differing theological perspectives of these thinkers while emphasizing their common goal of advocating for the lay commoner and local communities. The text also addresses the division among radicals regarding the use of force during the Peasants’ War, which significantly influenced their responses to its outcomes. Additionally, the book includes political programs from the Peasants’ War, illustrating the radicals’ contributions to the uprising and the evolution of their political theories in its aftermath.
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This book is a collection of writings by early Reformation radicals that illustrates both the diversity and the areas of agreement in their political thinking. The texts are drawn from the period 1521-1527, centering on the German Peasants’ War of 1524-1526. The thinkers represented–Muntzer, Karlstadt, Grebel, Hut, Denck, and others–differed on important theological issues, yet all rejected the magisterial Reformation as serving the interests of society’s elites. They advocated a strategy of Reformation from below, a sweeping transformation of society to the benefit of the lay commoner and the local community. With the start of the Peasants’ War, radicals divided over the issue of the legitimacy of force. This division shaped the ways in which they confronted the failure of the Peasants’ War and the new strategies for survival developed in its aftermath. Appended to the texts are a number of political programs of the Peasants’ War. These documents illustrate ways in which the radicals contributed to the uprising, and how the war itself led to greater clarity in the political theory of the radical Reformation.
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