Infant Baptism in Reformation Geneva: The Shaping of a Community, 1536-1564 / Edition 1

by Karen E. Spierling

Overview

Spierling (early modern Europe, U. of Louisville, US) examines the role of baptism in defining a religious community, specifically the Reformed Christian community of 16th-century Geneva. Geneva was a civic and religious community in the process of establishing control of its own government and church by the early 1530s, he explains, and he is particularly concerned with the goals and concerns of Genevan parents regarding their children and the ways that those interests challenged and coincided with the various priorities of church and city leaders. The definition of the community was not imposed from above or resisted from below, he argues, but was negotiated among church leaders, civic leaders, and the parents and relatives of the children being raised in the community. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780754634904
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	02/09/2005
Series:	St Andrews Studies in Reformation History
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Karen E. Spierling is Visiting Associate Professor of History at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

Table of Contents

Contents: Introduction: infant baptism and the definition of community; Infant baptism in the 16th century: doctrine and liturgy; Catholic baptismal traditions in reformed Geneva; Godparents: a tradition reformed; Baptising illegitimate children; Raising children in reformed Geneva; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

'This is an excellent study for anyone interested in the development of Reformed Protestant theology in a practical setting.' The Journal of Ecclesiastical History 'This is an excellent study for anyone interested in the impact of practical issues of society, culture and politics on the formation not only of theological views but also on the implementation of that theology in practice.' History 'This work should be read by students of Early Modern history and the theology of the time.' Colloquium ’In Infant Baptism in Reformation Geneva, Karen Spierling successfully negotiates the boundaries of a number of historiographical traditions and concerns, and presents a handsomely produced volume... Generally, this is a reliable and valuable study providing a good analysis of a number of archival data regarding baptismal issues and infractions that presented a not trivial challenge to the consolidation of Reformation Geneva.’ Sixteenth Century Journal ’This is fascinating study that adds greatly to the understanding of the practice of infant baptism in Calvin's Geneva...’ Calvin Theological Journal

From the Publisher

This book grew out of questions generated at a Web site that management consultant Beale organized to communicate the ideas of Polkinghorne (Faith, Science, and Understanding), a physicist and Anglican priest, who maintains that science and religion are complementary modes of thought. It organizes selected questions under seven topics. Each question is followed by the responses of Beale and Polkinghorne, sometimes as a single answer and sometimes by the authors individually. Its three appendixes ("Anthropic Fine-Tuning," "Brain and Consciousness" and "Evolution") are substantial, constituting a third of the book, although they repeat some material from earlier chapters. True to the book's subtitle, not all of the dialogue includes science, such as "How much do you need to believe to be a Christian?" and "What place do non-Christians have in God's universe?" While many of the questions and the authors' answers are informed by Christian assumptions, topics such as human consciousness and suffering are of universal interest.Many readers will welcome this accessible format, but some may find the blurring of science and theology confusing. (Jan.)

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