State University of New York College at Buffalo - Buffalo State College Digital Commons at Buffalo State History Theses History and Social Studies Education 12-2014 Reforming Christianity by Reforming Christians: Devotional Writings of the Late Medieval and Reformation Era Christopher J. Quail State University of New York College at Buffalo, [email protected] Advisor Martin F. Ederer, Ph.D. Associate Professor of History First Reader Martin F. Ederer, Ph.D. Associate Professor of History Second Reader York A. Norman, Ph.D. Associate Professor of History Department Chair Andrew D. Nicholls, Ph.D., Chair and Professor of History To learn more about the History and Social Studies Education Department and its educational programs, research, and resources, go to http://history.buffalostate.edu/. Recommended Citation Quail, Christopher J., "Reforming Christianity by Reforming Christians: Devotional Writings of the Late Medieval and Reformation Era" (2014). History Theses. Paper 29. Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/history_theses Part of the European History Commons, and the History of Religion Commons Reforming Christianity by Reforming Christians: Devotional Writings of the Late Medieval and Reformation Era by Christopher J. Quail An Abstract of a Thesis in History Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts December 2014 State University of New York College at Buffalo Department of History and Social Studies Education 1 ABSTRACT OF THESIS Reforming Christianity by Reforming Christians: Devotional Writings of the Late Medieval and Reformation Era During the late medieval and Reformation era in Europe, a series of Christian devotional works were created that stressed a deeper personal relationship with Christ, rather than ritual and public devotion alone. These works span the time period from the early fifteenth century through the early seventeenth century and prepared the way for and shaped the Protestant and Roman Catholic reformations alike. The devotional works addressed here were created in the quest for reform, of both the individual and the Church. This occurred as the importance of developing a better relationship with Jesus was taking on a new urgency for both pre-Reformation and post- Reformation Catholics as well as for Protestants. For all denominations an important social common denominator was the emergence of a larger group of educated, literate laity confronting very difficult times. In the end, Latin Christianity would not survive the new approaches to Christianity intact, although varying branches of Christianity would find the reform and direction they craved—albeit at the price of religious and cultural unity that continues to influence (and trouble) European civilization to this day. 2 DEDICATION / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project is dedicated to those people who always knew that I could finish it. Special thanks go to my wife Melanie, my mother Dale, and my aunt Deb for their support and motivation. I would also like to thank Dr. Ederer for his most generous contribution of time, expertise, and patience. Thanks also go to Dr. Norman for agreeing to be on the committee. 3 State University of New York College at Buffalo Department of History and Social Studies Education Reforming Christianity by Reforming Christians: Devotional Writings of the Late Medieval and Reformation Era A Thesis in History by Christopher J. Quail Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts December 2014 Approved by: Martin F. Ederer, Ph.D. Associate Professor of History Chairperson of the Committee/Thesis Advisor York A. Norman, Ph.D. Associate Professor of History Andrew D. Nicholls, Ph.D. Chair and Professor of History Kevin J. Railey, Ph.D. Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------ 6 Chapter II Thomas à Kempis and The Imitation of Christ ------------------------------ 40 Chapter III Erasmus and The Handbook of the Christian Knight --------------------- 50 Chapter IV Martin Luther: The Tipping Point to the Reformation --------------------- 61 Chapter V John Calvin and the Institutes of the Christian Religion ----------- 75 Chapter VI Ignatius of Loyola and The Spiritual Exercises ------------------------------ 87 Chapter VII St. John of the Cross and The Dark Night ------------------------------ 99 Chapter VIII Francis De Sales and The Devout Life --------------------------------------- 112 Chapter IX Conclusion ------------------------------------------------------------------ 129 Works Cited ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 141 5 Chapter I Introduction The later Middle Ages through the Reformation era was a time of abrupt and widespread change. 1 A Christian Europe would be fragmented, as the Roman Catholic Church ceased to be the sole ecclesiastical authority in Western Europe. From this period emerged several devotional Christian writings that stressed a deeper personal relationship with Christ, rather than ritual and public devotion alone. For the first time, an individual and private spirituality was becoming more common. The devotional writings of Thomas à Kempis, Martin Luther, Ignatius Loyola, and others were the means by which these authors and their readers were able to reconcile their flawed human natures with the rigid and terrifying undercurrent of Ockhamist theology that had become prevalent in the late Medieval period. To some degree, the devotional works were also a reaction to the harsh realities of late Medieval life that seemed to make a deeper devotion advisable. While these works of Christian devotion also represent an underlying spirituality that was always part of the Roman Catholic tradition, these were increasingly intended for a broader, non- monastic readership, and always stressed reform of the individual and of Christianity. With that common denominator, these works span the time period from the early fifteenth century through the early seventeenth century and prepared the way for the Protestant and Roman Catholic reformations alike. For most Europeans, the later Middle Ages bordered on the apocalyptic. After a period of relative peace (1214-1294), the continent consistently endured warfare, famine, and disease. As a result, these factors contributed to a culture that grew fixated with death. Ironically, at the 1 Hans J. Hillerbrand, ed., The Protestant Reformation (New York: Harper & Row, 1968) , xi. 6 same time Europe was in the midst of social and material progress. By 1300 Europe had become a land of extensive farming and livestock development with landlords seeking to maximize their crop yields. There was also a noticeable increase in the proportion of the urban to the rural population. 2 During the late medieval period Europe also began to move from a sort of post- Roman political territory to a continent of nation-states. Of course, these territories were a long way from the centralized nation-states of the present day, but by the sixteenth century, the foundations of what eventually become the modern nations of France, England and Spain were beginning to take shape. 3 The reign of Philip IV in France (1285-1314) advanced France’s status as a powerful centralized state. With the prospect of war with England in mind, Philip began to create a national bureaucracy, which was meant to promote the interests of the crown. This bureaucracy would ensure that more of the nobility would look to the crown as their ultimate authority. A larger government and the threat of war would naturally require more revenue. Following this line of thought, Philip found ways to tap into the Church’s wealth in order to realize his plans. He was effective in checking the power of the papacy by securing the right to tax French clergy and to make certain ecclesiastical appointments. Philip also brought an end to the Knights Templar, which were a military/monastic order founded in 1118 to secure peace in the short- lived Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. 4 Over the course of roughly two hundred years, they had evolved from a military/monastic order into a wealthy, international banking institution. 5 The Templars were an easy target because of their status as a wealthy creditor to many states. Philip 2 Norman Cantor, The Civilization of the Middle Ages (New York: HarperCollins, 1993), 475-477. 3 Harold J. Grimm, The Reformation Era: 1500-1650 (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1954), 19-37. 4 Steven Ozment, The Age of Reform 1250-1550:An Intellectual and Religious History of Late Medieval and Reformation Europe (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1980), 182-183. 5 H. Daniel-Rops, Cathedral and Crusade (Garden City, New York: Image Books, 1963), 188-189. 7 IV and his royal council pursued the Templars and their wealth by bringing many outrageous charges against them. As a result the Templars were officially disbanded in 1314. 6 In England, the trend toward centralization began to accelerate around the time of Edward I (1272-1307). Edward is credited with restoring royal authority in England, and would claim suzerainty over Scotland. The Hundred Years War with France accelerated this trend since the monarchy, parliament and the nobility were compelled to work toward a stronger, more unified state. After the Hundred Years War and the War of the Roses, Henry Tudor would continue to bring an end to opposition by bringing dissenting nobles before