Those who led the Reformation saw themselves as bringing "light" to people to see new horizons. Not exactly enlightenment figures, these reformers saw spiritual light as the most important, and most lacking. As this image from a 1540 broadside suggests, spiritual light had many physical counterparts -- reform one and the other, logically, had to follow suit since both were connected by the same Creator. And both had new horizons opening up to the people

by Hans Schoen

          The Reformation was the first "revolution" -- perhaps the first real revolution in world history. And revolutions are the fountains, the genesis, of new horizons. It was this term and reality -- revolution -- that so characterized the Early Modern Period and gave new visions, new horizons to the lives of ordinary, and extraordinary, people. What is a 'revolution' defined as? A good question, that. Let's see track this, comparing Reformation with Renaissance, and with the usual revolutions in England, the Colonies and France. A definition of 'revolution' would be an excellent beginning..... Excellent basis for exam questions as well.

        It is interesting that other religions have undergone various reforms -- reforms of the type summed up in the motto 'semper reformanda' and illustrated by the 12th-century western church reform. But none have undergone a Reformation of the thorough and splintered type that 16th-century Europe would experience. Islam has gone through phases more or less secular and fundamentalist; some have described Buddhism as a reform of Hinduism; some religions have morphed and/or synthesized into others as with the Ba'hai or the Zoroastrian faiths. But none have undergone the seriously deep self-critical searchings, and widely-scoped changes of this Reformation. Given the resulting Wars of Religion, the Reformation may not have been a 'good thing.' On the other hand, so many positive results also emerged (including modern democracy, first instituted in a major state -- England -- out of its variant of Reformation) -- so many positives that we can concluded safely, yet again, that this was a seriously ambiguous movement! (see below for more on both sides)

           These, The Ten Characteristics of the Reformation, need to be highlighted, or lost in the shuffle of other great historical events. (One might add an eleventh. Or twelfth. Or...)

1. The Reformation, usually termed a religious reform movement of the 16th century, has in reality been on-going since New Testament times to today.
2. It was known as "Reformation" at the time, unlike "Renaissance" or "Medieval" or "Classical" -- all terms applied to periods long afterward by non-participants; hence the Reformation is the first self-aware Movement (even if it WAS a 1500-year Movement!)
3. It was a movement of the People -- all classes, kinds, ages in Western Civ involved  -- unlike the elite, male, educated, and usually Italian Florentines that made up the bulk of the Renaissance, yet the most populist -- the Anabaptist -- was the smallest and most ridden with failure in its day, yet perhaps it was also the most influential.
4. It was begun as a reform of the Catholic religion, but soon it deeply affected every aspect of life throughout and beyond PARIS GEM
5. It centered on rationality as a way to identify true religion and Truth itself about both the Spirit and the world
6. It centered on and promoted education and literacy to both the elite and the masses, yet often attacked education as anti-reform or going too far beyond reform
7. It promoted capitalism, mercantilism, communism and just about every other economic system
8. It promoted (or invented) equality of class, society, gender, ethnicity -- and promoted hierarchy, tyranny, inequality in every area -- depending on where you look
9. It promoted science, technology, democracy, freedom, materialism, order, peace, security (and the opposite of each of these particulars as well) along with true antinomianism
10. The Reformation is, yes you guessed it boss, ambiguous in most of its horizons. Storm-clouds on the horizon threaten damage and promise life-giving water --  reality is that sometimes both happen at once.

Your opportunity to teach us:

       The Reformation is divided into FIVE separate movements: Lutheran, Anabaptist, Anglican, Calvinist, Catholic. We will study each and the whole, beginning with Martin Luther's beginning, the relationship to the Anabaptist and Radical response, etc. The Reformation movement agreed in one aspect: 'off the Anabaptists!'

      Our time with the Reformation will cover overviews, context, causes, course from Martin Luther through the other FOUR movements. Our text on the Reformation also covers each movement, one chapter each. For our Discussion, prepare to present: Which of the Reformations movements was Most Revolutionary? One way to begin: After defining terms, of the five reformation movements, scour and OWN ONE movement, along with that one chapter in the book and any other useful source on that movement. Having gotten that anchor, do the same for the others. To what extent was that movement "Revolutionary" (New Horizons?)? What characteristics defined and distinguished it, What course did it follow? Who were its main leaders? What main events & ideas? Throughout your 3-or-so minute presentation, cite documents in our text that support, enlighten, expand, explain and otherwise evidences your ideas.

  Then flip things around: To what extent was the Renaissance (and its various facets, movements, ideas, leaders, documents etc) Revolutionary? Scroll back up a bit to the picture and substitute "Renaissance" for "Reformation" and re-search again.

       Feel free to get into character, if you like, and be a Renaissance or Reformation figure of your movement -- shaking your finger (index please) at us and all! Not only does this invite us to 'walk a mile in their sandals', but also can be much fun to ham it up.

       Again, Mid-term days are your days: each student will present one Renaissance or Reformation Movement to the class in a few -- short -- minutes, using pertinent documents in the book to show that movement's inner character, especially the new horizons its offered and/or resulted in as perhaps an unintended consequence.