Luther and the Peasants: Religion, Ritual, and the Revolt of 1525

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Kenneth G. Appold (James Hastings Nichols Professor of Reformation History, James Hastings Nichols Professor of Reformation History, Princeton Theological Seminary)

Luther and the Peasants

Religion, Ritual, and the Revolt of 1525

Kenneth G. Appold (James Hastings Nichols Professor of Reformation History, James Hastings Nichols Professor of Reformation History, Princeton Theological Seminary)

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English

Oxford University Press
25 April 2025

European history; Revolutions, uprisings, rebellions; History of religion; Roman Catholicism, Roman Catholic Church; Protestantism & Protestant Churches

The German Peasants' Revolts of 1525 were a defining moment both for the Protestant Reformation and the history of European culture. But while the conflicts are well-studied, they are typically analyzed today from political and socioeconomic perspectives, whereas the protagonists themselves framed them in religious and theological terms. Luther and the Peasants takes these perspectives seriously to offer a novel and timely reinterpretation of the uprisings. A detailed examination of peasants' religious lives reveals commitments to peace, social harmony, and the environment that came into conflict with spiritual priorities of the Protestant Reformation, notably with those of Martin Luther. Drawing on the peasants' own documents, such as the famous manifesto The Twelve Articles, the book provides a thorough re-examination their actions, including their negotiations with lords and their organization into bands and Christian brotherhoods, and a fresh analysis of their behavior in battle. This ritual reconstruction makes peasants' statements and behaviors historiographically legible for the first time, effectively giving voice to an illiterate rural people, and offers new ways of reading Luther's 1525 writings on peasants, which are among his most challenging works. In this context, the 1525 conflict between Luther and the peasants comes to light as the collision of two different religious worlds, each incomprehensible to the other. This, in turn, reveals the important role played by religion in a defining moment of early modern European history.

By: Kenneth G. Appold (James Hastings Nichols Professor of Reformation History James Hastings Nichols Professor of Reformation History Princeton Theological Seminary)
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 240mm, Width: 160mm, Spine: 20mm
Weight: 484g
ISBN: 9780198946892
ISBN 10: 0198946899
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 25 April 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Kenneth G. Appold received his PhD in Religious Studies from Yale University in 1994, and is the James Hastings Nichols Professor of Reformation History at Princeton Theological Seminary. He has authored numerous books and articles on early modern Christianity, Reformation-era theology, and European cultural and intellectual history. He has taught at universities throughout the world, including Germany, France, Russia, Japan, and South Korea.