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.

"A bold synthesis of intellectual and social history which explains the appeal of Protestantism to the German and Swiss cities, the media of its communication, and the means of its establishment."--Religious Studies Review "This book is a stimulating addition to the recent work in urban history, and it offers a new and thought-provoking perspective on the teachings and appeal of early Protestantism."--History "Ozment very masterfully combines the history of ideas and social history in a work of exacting scholarship and persuasive argumentation. It will no doubt become a seminal work in its field."--The Annals "This fine study is a pleasure to read, shows an excellent understanding of the late medieval scene, and presents convincing evidence that magistrates and city council leaders were not the 'motors of reform' in the cities of Germany and Switzerland.... There is nothing in print in English that is comparable."--Choice "A work of unusual interest and value. . . . Essential reading for all students of the Reformation."--New Review of Books and Religion

An unabridged, unaltered edition of the Disputation on the Power & Efficacy of Indulgences Commonly Known as The 95 Theses

In this comprehensive study of the Swiss Reformation, Gordon examines the event in the context of the history of the Swiss Federation. The Reformation is presented as a narrative of events followed by an examination of various key themes surrounding the event.

Communal Reformation is the most original and provocative book to appear in its field in the past quarter-century. It met with an enthusiastic response, particularly in England and the United States, when first published in Germany in 1985 and is now available in translation. Peter Blickle's groundbreaking study, which is intended for scholars and students interested in the history of pre-modern Europe, the development of Germany, the history of Christianity, and historical sociology, reconstructs the connection between the crisis of rural society at the end of the Middle Ages, the great Peasants' War of 1525, and the reformation as a social movement. Blickle focuses on southern Germany, Switzerland, and Austria in the later Middle Ages and Early Modern eras (roughly 1400 to 1600), though his work has important implications for the social and religious history of Europe as a whole.