It argues that in central respects, north american and european life in the. Gregory is a full professor of history at notre dame, where he is the director of the notre dame institute for advanced studies. I would like to draw attention to three aspects of brad gregorys the unintended reformation, a book whose courage and ambition i applaud, if for no other reason than that it exemplifies what an engaged form of historiography and. Nov 08, 2012 professor gregory discusses his new book, the unintended reformation, which shows how the unsolved doctrinal disagreements and concrete religiopolitical conflicts of 16th and 17thcentury europe. The only question is whether the reformation is to be praised or blamed for this allegedly pioneering role. It argues that in central respects, north american and european life in the early twentyfirst century is the complex, longterm, unintended result of the reformation eras unresolved doctrinal disagreements and destructive religiopolitical conflicts. Sep 01, 2016 brad gregory s the unintended reformation is a shockingly bad book. Studying its effects is not just for religious people. Notre dame historian brad gregory s 2012 volume, the unintended reformation. How a religious revolution secularized society cambridge.
Gregory places his account of science and christianity in the first chapter because it most strikingly. Notre dame historian brad gregory follows the latter course, as the title of his book, the unintended reformation. Gregory analyzes luthers inadvertent role in starting the reformation and the epochal changes that followed. The unintended reformation is impressive in its scope and ambition but riddled with fallacies that dramatically inhibit its effectiveness in moral persuasion, the authors seemingly primary aim. Gregory s greatest contribution is his portrayal of the reformation of christianity as a central moment of disturbance and creativity in the modern western world. How a religious revolution secularized society, is such a doorstopper. Brad gregory laments that society has lost the ability. Luther and other protestants intended to reform the church. Read the unintended reformation pdf how a religious. Nov 06, 20 invariably, though, the gravitational pull of the unintended reformation is away from social and material historiography and toward philosophical theology, which itself, in the two centuries leading up to the reformation, becomes a far more fragmented enterprise than gregory acknowledges. This book has been widely perceived to be informed by a catholic metaphysic, even as gregory continues to disavow that framework, or declares it as irrelevant to his historical analyses. Brad gregory shows that historians have as much to contribute to contemporary debates about business and social ethics as most philosophers or economists.
Brad stephan gregory born 1963 holds the dorothy g. In rebel in the ranks, university of notre dame professor brad s. Gregorys the unintended reformation blame it on luther, jan. The answer goes back to the reformation and its aftermath. In the unintended reformation, gregory argues that prior to the reformation the catholic church offered western civilization a solid, unified worldview that addressed all facets of life.
In a work as much about the present as the past, gregory identifies the unintended consequences. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Gregory, a leading historian of the reformation, is dissatisfied with the hyperspecialization of the contemporary historical profession and unafraid to stand apart from the pack and. This contrasted with the traditional view of god as existence itself. Gregory is one of the most important scholars of early modern european intellectual and religious history, and judging by the attention his book has received, the unintended reformation is one of the most important scholarly books in recent memory. Gregory identifies the unintended consequences of the reformation for the modern. The pdf file you selected should load here if your web browser has a pdf reader plugin installed for example, a recent version of adobe acrobat reader if you would like more information about how to print, save, and work with pdfs, highwire press provides a helpful frequently asked questions about pdfs alternatively, you can download the pdf file directly to your computer.
How a religious revolution secularized society 2011 reconnected with executive director of the collegium institute, daniel cheely, to answer. Exhaustively documented, and in some ways just exhausting, though at the same time exhilarating, brad gregory s the unintended reformation is a towering achievement. Mar 08, 2012 brad gregory s first book, salvation at stake. The work is first introduced with a brief overview. Jun 22, 2012 the answer goes back to the reformation and its aftermath. Tell your boss you must, absolutely must, run to your local, independent bookstore and buy brad gregorys the unintended reformation.
Harnessing historical scholarship to cultural criticism, gregory argues that some of the most problematic. In a work that is as much about the present as the past, brad gregory identifies the unintended consequences of the protestant reformation and traces the way it. The american founding fathers, like many interpreters since, tended to draw a connection between the reformation as the dawn of modern liberation and individual religious freedom, even though martin luther, john calvin, and all the other major protestant reformers of the 16th century opposed such notions and wouldve been. The unintended reformation is a wideranging revisionist history that concerns the present as much as the past. On the one hand, the potential of gregorys understanding of periodization may be applauded. The unintended reformation is simply the most intelligent treatment of the subject by a contemporary author. To say the least, the legacy of the reformation era that weve inherited is a complicated one.
And, contrary to popular belief, the catholic church was not a dead monolithic monster. Sep 21, 2012 gregorys story begins prior to the reformation with two very religious philosophertheologians and franciscan friars, john duns scotus 12668 and william of occam 128548. His book deals with the legacy of the reformation and its influence on the modern western world. How a religious revolution secularized society 2011 reconnected with executive director of the collegium institute, daniel cheely, to answer questions about the future of. The unintended reformation page 2 the immanent frame. Keeping with the spirit of the literatures dissatisfaction with the present and with the failure of modernity to live up to its promise of an emancipated and happy humanity, brad gregorys the unintended reformation traces the absence of any substantive common good, and the triumph of capitalism, consumerism, and individualism to the long. According to notre dame professor of european history, brad gregory, the very way we conceive of private and public spheres today was an ironic result of the effects of the reformation era. The unintended reformation matthew cantirino first things. Nov 16, 2015 gregory s greatest contribution is his portrayal of the reformation of christianity as a central moment of disturbance and creativity in the modern western world. This essay explicates the force of these contradictory statements. How a religious revolution secularized society is an ambitious experiment in historical explanation that is as much about the present as the past. Belknap press of harvard university press, 2012 in calvin theological journal 47, no. How a religious revolution secularized society cover interview of january 24, 2012. Gregory argues that historical echoes every history graduate student should read brad gregorys the unintended reformation.
Gregory, protestantism sought to restore religious truth and, by various metamorphoses, including confessional states, generated indifference to truth and luxuriant confusion about life questions. In a work as much about the present as the past, brad s. Dec 11, 20 brad gregory, author of the unintended reformation, looks at the impact of the protestant reformation on western society and culture. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Gregory s claim is that we got here as the result of the unintended consequences of. With the scholarship of a worldclass historian and the keen eye of a biographer, university of notre dame professor brad gregory paints an indepth portrait of martin luther as a reluctant rebel in the ranks and the reformation as a movement largely beyond his control. On the one hand, the potential of gregory s understanding of periodization may be applauded. Gregory and the intellectual debates surrounding the work.
Why martin luther and the reformation still matter. That old throneandaltar lament is presented anew in brad gregorys recentlypublished the unintended reformation. Ebook the unintended reformation as pdf download portable. How a religious revolution secularized society cambridge, ma. Christian martyrdom in early modern europe, was much admired. Griffin collegiate professor of early modern european history at the university of notre dame, and author of the unintended reformation.
I n 1844, the spanish priest, philosopher, and polemicist jaime balmes published the third and final volume of his massive protestantism and catholicism compared, with respect to european civilization. The unintended reformation, by contrast, ranges over six centuries and tackles almost everything that is wrong with our world today, from moral relativism to. Brad gregory, author of the unintended reformation, looks at the impact of the protestant reformation on western society and culture. Symposium on the unintended reformation with brad gregory. Mar 02, 2018 to say the least, the legacy of the reformation era that weve inherited is a complicated one. How a religious revolution secularized society and will include conversation with russ leo, assistant professor of english at princeton university.
Secularizationthe unintended consequence of the reformation. Professor gregory discusses his new book, the unintended reformation, which shows how the unsolved doctrinal disagreements and concrete religiopolitical conflicts of 16th and 17thcentury europe. Gregory, protestantism sought to restore religious truth and, by various metamorphoses, including confessional states, generated. Instead, the emergence of univocal forms of theological. You intend one thing and end up with something very different. Gregory identifies the unintended consequences of the reformation for the modern condition. He reveals how luthers insistence on the bible as the sole authority for christian truth led to conflicting interpretations of its meaningand to the rise of competing churches, political conflicts, and social upheavals. The symposium is about gregorys book, the unintended reformation. How a religious revolution secularized society by brad s. Evaluation of the book the unintended reformation interrogates historical evidence and draws. Is the ultimate fruit of the reformation consumerism, secularism, and relativism. Gregorys greatest contribution is his portrayal of the reformation of christianity as a central moment of disturbance and creativity in the modern western world. Intellectual history and the return of religion and the author of the unintended reformation. Gregorys book is a taut polemic against what he sees as the intellectual bankruptcy of modernity as a whole.
Brad gregorys the unintended reformation is a shockingly bad book. He thinks many of the longterm outcomes of the reformation would have surprised and even dismayed the reformers. Gregory, a leading historian of the reformation, is dissatisfied with the hyperspecialization of the contemporary historical profession and unafraid to stand apart from the pack and to stretch himself beyond his field of expertise. Jan 21, 2014 keeping with the spirit of the literatures dissatisfaction with the present and with the failure of modernity to live up to its promise of an emancipated and happy humanity, brad gregorys the unintended reformation traces the absence of any substantive common good, and the triumph of capitalism, consumerism, and individualism to the long. This was preceded by a post where he considers in a more technical fashion the history of the ideas in metaphysics, namely analogy and univocity of being, which dr gregory seems to think are historically determinative. In the unintended reformation, brad gregory offers a sweeping indictment of contemporary life in the west, and a sweeping historical narrativeor a series of six narratives, to be preciseto explain how we got to where we are today. In a work that is as much about the present as the past, brad gregory identifies the unintended consequences of the protestant reformation and traces the way it shaped the modern condition over the course of the following five centuries. In a work as much about the present as the past, gregory identifies the unintended consequences of the reformation for the modern condition. In this endeavor, he has no equal among living authors. The unintended reformation, by contrast, ranges over six centuries and tackles almost everything that is wrong with our world today, from moral. The symposium is about gregory s book, the unintended reformation. Brad gregory, a history professor at notre dame, is deeply unhappy with modern life. I wish this book could have had a happier ending, he says late in the unintended reformation, an.
The pdf file you selected should load here if your web browser has a pdf reader plugin installed for example, a recent version of adobe acrobat reader if you would like more information about how to print, save, and work with pdfs, highwire press provides a helpful frequently asked questions about pdfs. He maintains that scotus conception of univocal placed god in the same order or type of existence as his creation. Dec 04, 20 in the unintended reformation, brad gregory offers a sweeping indictment of contemporary life in the west, and a sweeping historical narrativeor a series of six narratives, to be preciseto explain how we got to where we are today. Gregorys story begins prior to the reformation with two very religious philosophertheologians and franciscan friars, john duns scotus 12668 and william of occam 128548. This essay takes up a variety of issues arising from within the narrative offered in brad s. First, gregory reportedly maintains that protestant belief in salvation by grace alone precludes the view that growth in caritas is essential to salvation. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle. How a religious revolution secularized society, suggests. Pdf brad gregory, the unintended reformation carole. What is bold and unusual about the unintended reformation is that it comes from an explicitly christian perspective and ends by arguing that only religion.
Brad gregorys the unintended reformation is an extraordinary book. Sep 01, 2016 this essay takes up a variety of issues arising from within the narrative offered in brad s. Griffin chair in the department of history at the university of notre dame. Assuming, of course, that we approve of modern political pluralism, about which brad gregorys the unintended reformation is, at best, ambivalent. Martin luther may very well turn over in his grave if he was able to see what happened to what he started 500 years ago. Martin luther, the reformation, and the conflicts that continue to shape our world.
Gregory welcomes questions in advance of this event by email. It analyzes the historical formation of some of the dominant beliefs, ideas, assumptions, practices, and institutions of the contemporary western world. The consequences of the protestant reformation are the subject of brad s. Gregory argues that this legacy was also for the most part unintended. Gregory seeks to evidence his perspective that the secularized modern western. Reflections on brad gregorys the unintended reformation mdpi. Griffin associate professor of early modern european history at the university of notre dame. It synthesizes centuries of history and multiple avenues of thought to analyze how we arrived at certain negative aspects of modernity. Whereas the reformers wanted to reform and purify society in. Brad gregorys unintended revelations journal of medieval.