War against the idols : the reformation of worship from Erasmus to Calvin

In the second decade of the sixteenth century medieval piety suddenly began to be attacked in some places as ''idolatry,'' or false religion. This study calls attention to the importance of the idolatry issue during the Reformation. In the second decade of the sixteenth century medieval piety suddenly began to be attacked in some places as 'idolatry', or false religion. Wherever these ideas became accepted, churches were sacked, images smashed and burned, relics destroyed, and the Catholic Mass abolished. This study calls attention to the centrality of the idolatry issue for the Reformation. It traces the development of Protestant iconoclastic theology and practice, provides a survey and synthesis of its unfolding from Erasmus through Calvin, and lays a foundation for understanding the Reformed ideology that stood in conflict with Catholicism and Lutheranism. Professor Eire's main thesis is that the argument against 'idolatry' was central to Reformed Protestantism, both in its theological aspect and in its political ramifications, and that it reached its fullest and most enduring expression in Calvinism The State Of Lay Devotion In The Late Middle Ages -- Erasmus As Critic Of Late Medieval Piety -- Early Reformers And The Question Of Idolatry -- Iconoclasm, Revolution, And The Reformation In Switzerland And Geneva, 1527-1536 -- Humanism And Reform In France : The Seeds Of Calvinism -- John Calvin's Attack On Idolatry -- Calvin Against The Nicodemites -- From Iconoclasm To Revolution : The Political Dimensions Of The War Against Idolatry. Carlos M.n. Eire. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Beginning with the revolt against what was seen as the idolatrous practices of the Catholic church in the 16th century, this book studies the development of Protestant iconoclastic theology and practice. It also shows why the Reformed ideology stood in conflict with Catholicism and Lutheranism GUILLAUME Farel, leader of the Reformation in France and Switzerland, and friend and mentor to John Calvin, was deeply impressed by a pilgrimage he made as a child.