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9 - The Theologians and the Clergy: Who Were They?

from Part One - Theology in an Age of Cultural Transformation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2023

By
Charlotte Methuen
Edited by
Kenneth G Appold  and
Nelson Minnich
Kenneth G Appold
Affiliation:
Princeton Theological Seminary, New Jersey
Nelson Minnich
Affiliation:
Catholic University of America, Washington DC
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Summary

This chapter considers the theologians and clergy of the Reformation period, asking about their social background, and how this changed during the period and between confessions; how and where they were educated; and their social status. It begins by discussing the situation of clergy in the medieval church, and tracing the way that this changed in response to the Council of Trent’s decree introducing seminaries. It then turns to Protestant theologians in the German territories and Switzerland, exploring the ways in which their social backgrounds and education differed from that of Catholic clergy. Finally, it discusses the effect of the Reformation on the theological education of women, and offers a brief consideration of the social milieu of the leaders and preachers in radical and, later, dissenting groups.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge History of Reformation Era Theology , pp. 149 - 172
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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References

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