Catholic Reform in the Age of Luther: Duke George of Saxony and the Church, 1488-1525 (Studies in Medieval and Reformation Traditions, 209)

Book info: Catholic Reform in the Age of Luther: Duke George of Saxony and the Church, 1488-1525 (Studies in Medieval and Reformation Traditions, 209) (Hardcover, 718 pages) – Brill, 2017. Language: English.

In his portrait of Duke George of Saxony (1471–1539) Christoph Volkmar offers a fresh perspective on the early Reformation in Germany. Long before the Council of Trent, this book traces the origins of Catholic Reform to the very neighborhood of Wittenberg. The Dresden duke, cousin of Frederick the Wise, was one of Luther's most prominent opponents. Not only did he fight the Reformation, he also promoted ideas for renewal of the church. Based on thousands of archival records, many of them considered for the first time, Christoph Volkmar is mapping the church politics of a German prince who used the power of the territorial state to boost Catholic Reform, marking a third way apart from both Luther and Trent. This book was orginally published in German as Reform statt Reformation. Die Kirchenpolitik Herzog Georgs von Sachsen, 1488-1525. Editorial Reviews Review “This book is a milestone in early modern studies. […] superior book, a combination of good writing and translation, easily digestible themes, and effective interpretation of archival, primary, and secondary evidence.” - Andrew A. Chibi, in: Sixteenth Century Journal 49:4 (Winter 2018), pp. 1163-1165 About the Author Christoph Volkmar, Ph.D. (2007), is Director of Magdeburg City Archives and lecturer (Privatdozent) at the University of Leipzig. He is author of Die Heiligenerhebung Bennos von Meißen (Aschendorff, 2002) and Jörgs Junker. Landadel und Reformation im Mittelelberaum (forthcoming).