Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt played a key role in the development of the evangelical understanding of the Lord's Supper. In 1521 he wrote several pamphlets urging a reform of the Mass. In 1524 he broke with Martin Luther and published a second group of pamphlets rejecting the traditional belief in Christ's corporeal presence in the Eucharist. Despite the importance of Karlstadt's tracts, they are little known today, and his understanding of the Lord's Supper is often reduced to a caricature. For the first time, Amy Nelson Burnett translates his thirteen pamphlets into English, illuminating Karlstadt's importance for the Reformation debate over the Eucharist and his contribution to what would become Reformed sacramental theology.

Edited by Ronald K. Rittgers and Vincent Evener, Protestants and Mysticism in Reformation Europe offers an expansive view of the Protestant reception of medieval mysticism, from the beginnings of the Reformation through the mid-seventeenth century. Providing a foundation and impetus for future research, the chapters in this handbook cover diverse figures from across the Protestant traditions (Lutheran, Reformed, Radical), summarizing existing research, analysing relevant sources, and proposing new directions for study. Each chapter is authored by a leading scholar in the field. Collectively, Protestants and Mysticism in Reformation Europe calls for a comprehensive reassessment of the relationship of Protestantism to its medieval past, to Roman Catholicism, and to the enduring mystical element of Christianity.

The debate over the Lord's Supper had momentous consequences for the Reformation, causing the division of the evangelical movement, influencing the formation of political alliances, and contributing to cultural differences among the Protestant territories of Germany and Switzerland. Karlstadt and the Origins of the Eucharistic Controversy is the first full-length study of the beginning of that debate. Going beyond the traditional focus on Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli, it emphasizes the diversity of the "sacramentarian" challenge to traditional belief in Christ's corporeal presence in the bread and wine of the Eucharist, and it re-evaluates the significance of Luther's colleague, Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt, for the debate. Burnett describes Luther's earliest criticisms of the mass and the efforts in Wittenberg to reform liturgical praxis to correspond with his ideas. She then looks at pamphlets written by other reformers to show how Luther's understanding of the sacrament was adapted and modified outside of Wittenberg. Ultimately, Burnett shows how Karlstadt's eucharistic pamphlets introduced into the public debate arguments that would become standard Reformed criticisms of the Lutheran position. The book also demonstrates the influence not only of Erasmus but also of John Wyclif and the Hussites for discussions of the sacrament, highlights the role of the reformers of Basel and Strasbourg for developing the "Zwinglian" understanding of the Lord's Supper, and draws attention to the early eucharistic theology of the Silesians Kaspar Schwenckfeld and Valentin Krautwald. This book will be an indispensable guide for readers seeking to understand the issues surrounding the outbreak of the eucharistic controversy in the sixteenth century.

On the five-hundredth anniversary of the 1519 debate between Martin Luther and John Eck at Leipzig, Luther at Leipzig offers an extensive treatment of this pivotal Reformation event in its historical and theological context. The Leipzig Debate not only revealed growing differences between Luther and his opponents, but also resulted in further splintering among the Reformation parties, which continues to the present day. The essays in this volume provide an essential background to the complex theological, political, ecclesiastical, and intellectual issues precipitating the debate. They also sketch out the relevance of the Leipzig Debate for the course of the Reformation, the interpretation and development of Luther, and the ongoing divisions between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism.

"Debating the Sacraments argues that Reformation debates concerning baptism and the Lord's Supper cannot be treated in isolation. It demonstrates the continuing influence of Erasmus on Luther's evangelical opponents and examines the role of printing in fanning the public controversy over the sacraments"--Provided by publisher.

With this eighth volume in the series, the reader will encounter a radical Reformer who was not an Anabaptist, but who has been widely credited with significantly influencing the early generations of the Anabaptists. Many themes that came to be distinctive among the Anabaptists were found first in the varied writings of Carlstadt.

This readable, accessible introduction provides a solid grounding in the history of the Protestant Reformation. In honor of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Glenn Sunshine examines the key people and ideas of this movement. Questions for discussion and suggestions for further reading provided for each chapter make this book ideal for the classroom or group study.