Ronald K. RITTGERS's Books

The Reformation of the Keys

confession, conscience, and authority in sixteenth-century Germany

By: Ronald K. RITTGERS,Ronald K Rittgers

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The Reformation of the Keys

confession, conscience, and authority in sixteenth-century Germany

By: Ronald K. RITTGERS,Ronald K Rittgers

The Catholic Church's claims to spiritual and temporal authority rest on Jesus' promise in the gospels to give Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven. In the sixteenth century, leaders of the German Reformation sought a fundamental transformation of this "power of the keys" as part of their efforts to rid Church and society of alleged clerical abuses. Central to this transformation was a thoroughgoing reform of private confession. Unlike other Protestants, Lutherans chose not to abolish private confession but to change it to suit their theological convictions and social needs. In a fascinating examination of this new religious practice, Ronald Rittgers traces the development of Lutheran private confession, demonstrating how it consistently balanced competing concerns for spiritual freedom and moral discipline. The reformation of private confession was part of a much larger reformation of the power of the keys that had profound implications for the use of religious authority in sixteenth-century Germany. As the first full-length study of the role of Lutheran private confession in the German Reformation, this book is a welcome contribution to early modern European and religious history. Table of Contents: List of Figures Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Allegiance to the Regnum 2. Between Hope and Fear 3. The Assault on the Keys 4. Tentative Beginnings 5. An Evangelical Dilemma 6. The New Rite 7. Resisting the Old Jurisdiction 8. Confession Established 9. Propaganda and Practice Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index Figures Map of the Holy Roman Empire Late medieval Nuernberg The 1539 Schembartlauf hell-float The storming of the hell-float Woodcut from Andreas Osiander's children's sermon on the keys In an exceptionally fair-minded and scrupulous book, Ronald Rittgers charts a route through theological and social complexities with great clarity and subtlety. Lutherans experienced strong and conflicting emotions about confession, and Nuremberg makes a fine case study of their divergent reactions. This is an original and important addition to scholarship. --Andrew Pettegree, University of St. Andrews A finely detailed survey of the disputes and controversies surrounding the introduction of an evangelical form of confession in sixteenth-century Nuremberg. There is, to my knowledge, no comparable treatment of the subject. Rittgers's study is deeply researched. His writing is fluent, the argument easy to follow. Useful for Reformation scholars, this book also holds much for the general reader with a serious interest in the history of the Reformation. --Gerald Strauss, Emeritus, Indiana University

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331

Publisher

Harvard University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0674042794

ISBN 13

9780674042797

The Reformation of Suffering

Pastoral Theology and Lay Piety in Late Medieval and Early Modern Germany

By: Ronald K. Rittgers

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The Reformation of Suffering

Pastoral Theology and Lay Piety in Late Medieval and Early Modern Germany

By: Ronald K. Rittgers

Protestant reformers sought to effect a radical change in the way their contemporaries understood and coped with the suffering of body and soul that were so prominent in the early modern period. This book examines the genesis of Protestant doctrines of suffering among the leading reformers and then traces the transmission of these doctrines from the reformers to the common clergy. It also examines the reception of these ideas by lay people.

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Page Count

497

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0199795088

ISBN 13

9780199795086

A Widower's Lament

The Pious Meditations of Johann Christoph Oelhafen

By: Ronald K. Rittgers

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A Widower's Lament

The Pious Meditations of Johann Christoph Oelhafen

By: Ronald K. Rittgers

Lament is essential to human thriving. It allows us to cope with significant loss, an inescapable feature of our mortal existence. Lament is the passionate outpouring of deep sorrow and grief over such loss, which helps us avoid being completely overcome by the strong emotions that come with it. Lament is cathartic and constructive. It is a necessary step in coming to terms with great loss and moving forward in life. Not to lament is not to live--or at least not to live very fully, deeply, or well. This book deals with one instance of Christian lament in the late Reformation by exploring the efforts of a talented yet little-known layman to cope with the death of his beloved wife. For the first time, it provides full access to the remarkable work of private devotion that he authored to express his lament. A work of haunting candor, impressive artistry, and searching faith, The Pious Meditations is an extraordinarily rare and valuable source that has received very little scholarly attention. It furnishes both fresh insight into life in the past and important resources for life in the present. Written in a period that knew no radical separation between the academy and the church, it was informed by the author's experience in both, and can continue to speak to both today.

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343

Publisher

Fortress Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1506424813

ISBN 13

9781506424811

Hebrews, James

New Testament Volume 13

By: Ronald K. Rittgers

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Hebrews, James

New Testament Volume 13

By: Ronald K. Rittgers

Both the epistle to the Hebrews and the epistle of James generated much discussion and debate during the Reformation period, yet both of these letters have proven to be essential for Christians during the Reformation era and today. Edited by Ronald K. Rittgers, this RCS volume provides Reformation-era biblical commentary on Hebrews and James, drawing on Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, Radical, and Roman Catholic resources.

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529

Publisher

InterVarsity Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0830889426

ISBN 13

9780830889426

A Widower's Lament

The Pious Meditations of Johann Christoph Oelhafen

By: Ronald K. Rittgers

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A Widower's Lament

The Pious Meditations of Johann Christoph Oelhafen

By: Ronald K. Rittgers

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343

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Fortress Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1506424813

ISBN 13

9781506424811

The Reformation of the Keys

Confession, Conscience, and Authority in Sixteenth-Century Germany

By: Ronald K. Rittgers,Erich Markel Chair in German Reformation Studies Ronald K Rittgers

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The Reformation of the Keys

Confession, Conscience, and Authority in Sixteenth-Century Germany

By: Ronald K. Rittgers,Erich Markel Chair in German Reformation Studies Ronald K Rittgers

This is a study of the role of Lutheran private confession in the German Reformation, which was part of a fundamental transformation to rid the Church and society of alleged clerical abuses and had profound implications for the use of religious authority in 16th-century Germany.

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331

Publisher

Harvard University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0674011767

ISBN 13

9780674011762

Hebrews, James

New Testament Volume 13

By: Ronald K. Rittgers

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Hebrews, James

New Testament Volume 13

By: Ronald K. Rittgers

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Solve jigsaw puzzle

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529

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InterVarsity Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0830889426

ISBN 13

9780830889426

Book's by Ronald K. RITTGERS

The Reformation of the Keys

The Reformation of the Keys

The Reformation of Suffering

The Reformation of Suffering

A Widower's Lament

A Widower's Lament

Hebrews, James

Hebrews, James

A Widower's Lament

A Widower's Lament

The Reformation of the Keys

The Reformation of the Keys

Hebrews, James

Hebrews, James

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