The Reformation of the Sixteenth Century by Roland Bainton

The Reformation of the Sixteenth Century by Roland Bainton

Introduction

The book is on the Reformation that occurred during the Sixteenth century. In the book, Roland Bainton has written about various different themes and accounts of history. Any reader can gain great knowledge about the time when other religious views were developed and established out of Christianity. This book discussed the major events that affected the Reformation and the most prominent figures that contributed to the movement like Martin Luther. The major themes included the sacrifice, the saintly women, Luther's struggle for faith and the imitation of Christ.

Summary of Content

Bainton has written about the theme of sacrifice, which receives controversial acclaim. The next theme is the imitation of Christ that I was not comfortable in grasping. Bainton has written about the trend toward hagiography. In the twentieth century, Roland Bainton continued the trend toward hagiography. He sketched saintly woman in a biographical manner. Most of these saintly women were from well-to-do and ruling families or married to Protestant reformers. Bainton's book portrayed the idea that the Protestant Reformation brought religious women in equality with men. This view was supported by Miriam Christman, Jane Douglass, Elise Boulding, Sherrin Wyntjes, and Stephen Ozment. However, like historians of his times and those who came later, I do not agree with this theme. Women did not have equality with men on the basis of religion or anything else. Women's religious status did not change till the Quaker movement in the Seventeenth Century.

Bainton has discussed the controversial figure, Martin Luther and his struggle for faith. Bainton portrayed Luther in such a way that no matter how controversial he was people would be able to see him as a rational being. These changes have affected especially how Martin Luther was ...