The Reformation Movement in Germany provides readers with a strong narrative overview of the most recent work on the Reformation in the German lands.

During the late Middle Ages, a considerable number of men in Germany and Switzerland were executed for committing sodomy. Even in the seventeenth century, simply speaking of the act was cause for censorship. Here, in the first history of sodomy in these countries, Helmut Puff argues that accusations of sodomy during this era were actually crucial to the success of the Protestant Reformation. Drawing on both literary and historical evidence, Puff shows that speakers of German associated sodomy with Italy and, increasingly, Catholicism. As the Reformation gained momentum, the formerly unspeakable crime of sodomy gained a voice, as Martin Luther and others deployed accusations of sodomy to discredit the upper ranks of the Church and to create a sense of community among Protestant believers. During the sixteenth century, reactions against this defamatory rhetoric, and fear that mere mention of sodomy would incite sinful acts, combined to repress even court cases of sodomy. Written with precision and meticulously researched, this revealing study will interest historians of gender, sexuality, and religion, as well as scholars of medieval and early modern history and culture.

Book Review

An unusual anthology of material in translation, quite unlike the spate of source books and compilations of snippets which continue to pour from the presses. Strauss has assembled 35 documents of widely differing nature in order to illustrate a single topic, the uneasy state of Germany in the 15th and early 16th centuries, the period leading up to, and including, the beginnings of the Lutheran Reformation. It is a complex tale of grievances against the Papacy, social unrest, economic exploitation in various forms, imperial weakness, and wounded national pride. An excellent introduction provides the necessary background; brief headnotes to each selection and useful footnotes give further clarification; the translations are highly readable." -Choice. "Strauss permits humanists, knights, craftsmen, and peasants to proclaim their dissatisfaction in their own earthly words, show the causes, and suggest remedies. His selections from the vast body of 'grievance literature', dating chiefly from about 1490 to about 1525, provide the first genuine review of his age of dissent available to the English reader, while brief introductions place the period and each document in historical context." - Library journal

In international culinary history, Germany is still largely a blank space, its unparalleled wealth of source material and large body of published research available only to readers of German. This books aims to give everybody else an overview of German foodways at a crucial juncture in its history. The Reformation era, broadly speaking from the Imperial Reforms of the 1480s to the beginning of the Thirty Years’ War, laid the foundations for many developments in German culture, language, and history, not least the notion of its existence as a country. Understanding the food traditions and habits of the time is important to anyone studying Germany’s culinary history and identity. Using original source material, food production, processing and consumption are explored with a view to the social significance of food and the practicalities of feeding a growing population. Food habits across the social spectrum are presented, looking at the foodways of rich and poor in city and country. The study shows a foodscape richly differentiated by region, class, income, gender and religion, but united by a shared culinary identity that was just beginning to emerge. An appendix of recipes helps the reader gain an appreciation of the practical aspects of food in the age of Martin Luther.

A concise, critical study of Martin Luther and his impact on the modern world. The book covers Luther’s life, work as a reformer, theological development, and long-term influence. The book is extensively based on the writings of Martin Luther and draws connections between his life and teachings and the modern day world. Intended for use by students, the book assumes no initial familiarity with Luther and would be ideal for any interested person who wants to get to know Martin Luther; one of the key figures in European history.