My Book Annotation on-Reformers in Profile, Edited by B. A. Gerrish

[Wayne S. Benner]

Annotation-Reformers in Profile, Edited by B. A. Gerrish. Copyright 2009, use by permission only.

Edited by B. A. Gerrish, of the University of Chicago, Reformers in Profile, offers a vast range of influential individuals of the Reformation age. The forward, is a testament to the academic abstaining from alignment with any of those written about, thus keeping the University of Chicago and B. A. Gerrish out of any one alignment. Interestingly, the introductions states that, “One could present the Reformation strictly from the standpoint of a chosen hero- Martin Luther or John Calvin and thus divide the rest.“ If this text rested at that, it would still be worthwhile, but “such a perspective makes it hard to treat the forerunners and rivals with any kind of historical sympathy…they were after all men with their own programs of reform, and the integrity of each one’s individual vision cannot be preserved as long as it is viewed as merely, adjuntival to some other more substantive vision.”

The attention to the concepts of each person within the text and their social influence, “Our concern here has been more with typology than with historical influence, (or theological salvation….that is to say, the reformers profiled here have been selected, for the most part, as representatives of distinctive concepts of Reform.” Late Medieval Reformers are covered, as well as “Four main patterns of reform: Humanistic, Protestant, Radical and Roman Catholic.” Each reformer was directed to the reader in a detailed and informative, yet non biased approach, as the introduction would have you currently ascertain.

The text begins with John Wyclyf and Pierre d'Ailly of the Medieval Reform. The Humanistic, Protestant, Radical and Roman Catholic Reform follow in that order. The individuals discussed are (already noting Wyclyf and d'Ailley,) Deseiderus Erasmus, Martin Luther, Ulrich Zqingli, John Calvin, Thomas Cranmen, Mennon Simons, Thomas Muentzer and Ignatius Loyola and in said order. Each reformer was pronounced in a similar structure (which made assimilation of information satisfying.) A detailed biography would persist for each individual, from birth to death. Specific dates for treaties and other writings were included, moving each, “profile,” forward easily. Appointments to positions and additional experiences for each, reformer proved an invaluable resource for the layman to understand the, “like-process,” for each individual. Woven from start to finish, the formation of individual opinion and why and how each come about, in the context of the certain Reformers historical perspective.

“B.A. Gerrish, (John Neveen,) is Professor of Emeritus and Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Chicago Divinity of School.” Well equipped to provide detailed accounts of not merely the popular reformers, but, possibly the ten most important in context. The text lives up to it’s title, providing a profile of reformers. Refreshing in content, the details of each biography insights an academic approach, that willfully allows the non academic a great understanding of an important moment in world history.