Beard, Charles. Martin Luther and the Reformation in Germany Until the Close of the Diet of Worms. London: Philip Green, 1896.
http://www.amazon.com/
Objective: assess intersection between Wittenberg, Cambridge, Canterbury and Cranmer during Cranmer's critical years of 1503-1530.
Overall, Mr. Beard will discuss: Imperial politics, religious life in Germany, the Renaissance, Luther before the Puritan revolt (“Puritan” is our term, thanks to Tractoes and in devoted memory of their rugged antipathies to the Reformation and their selective and abusive use of the term "Puritan"), 95 Theses, 1519 and the friends and foes, 1520 and Luther’s appeal to Germans, Luther and Romanist dogma, and the Diet of Worms. In short, Mr. Beard will zero in narrowly.
The first four chapters lay the foundation, chapters 1-4. Chapters 5-9 deal with a contracted period of 1517-1521. Thus, at the outset, Mr. Beard has already triumphed over Mr. Pollard's discussion of Mr. (abc) Cranmer.
It’s bearing on the Church of England and Cranmer more narrowly lies behind the work. Mr. (prof.) Alfred Pollard flew his jet in a fly-over at 30,000 feet in 25ish pages covering Cranmer’s Cambridgensian life…a period of 1503-1530. Totally unsatisfactory. Ergo, we return to the Continent and a history of the period, watching for questions as may bear on the “English outpost.” Or, what did Mr. Cranmer know and when did he know it?
The Reformation was both doctrinal and practical. It's often been told. It was a "Puritanical movement" to reclaim inveterate doctrinal and practical corruptions. We’ve coined a term for some ACNAers, that is, the “ATTers.” “ATTer” = “…at that time-ers.” This ATT-movement would appear to be a Tractarian-Anglo-Catholic effort to "relativize" the Thirty-nine Articles to points controverted “at that time.” As if the 39 might be dismissed. Perhaps the 39 should be ditched? Reviewed? Updated? Surely, the Westminster Standards are substantive improvements to the 39. Ergo, one will need to see what those doctrinal and practical corruptions were for an "ATT" analysis.
Several reforms movements had existed and predated Mr. Luther. Monasticism in several versions and iterations were Puritanizing or Reformatory movements. Various councils were further efforts: Pisa, Constance, and Basel in the 15th century. A larger and excellent discussion is held by Mr. Charles Hardwick on the manifold complaints against the Church in the 15th century; we defer a further review (ft. 1). Mysticism was another effort at reform although such perfectionistic, quirky, and eccentric standards and heights (or introspective abysses) could only appeal to select minorities. Perhaps the Brethren of the Common Life might be included as one illustration, amongst others. The Fifth Lateran Council (1512-1517) was also another effort to mitigate Conciliarism and bring reform, cleansing and "purifications." Profligate Renaissance popes were in the mix. Obviously, the 15th century was the predicate for Mr. Cranmer's efforts in the 16th century.
In this inquiry, aside from a review of Germany and Luther (as vital as that is), the governing issue is and will become: what did Mr. (abc) Thomas Cranmer know, when did he know it, and what did he think? Of note, the influences, books, ideas and responses between 1503 to 1530. What was happening with Mr. Cranmer before getting distracted by Mr. (king henry) Tudor’s “great problem” or the “divorce that never was.” What is the intersection between Wittenberg and Canterbury? Or Cambridge and Oxford? If one seeks that from Mr. Pollard, little will be forthcoming or answered. Why does a man write a volume entitled Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation and then essentially do a fly-over?
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1 Hardwick, Charles. A History of the Articles of Religion. (London: George Bell & Sons, 1876). This would provide excellent background material. It is available online at: http://books.google.com/
. Accessed July 20, 2013.
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