The Second reformation in German-speaking lands

ENThe book describes the origins and development of the so-called Second Reformation in the Holy Roman Empire where in more than thirty German-speaking lands Calvinism was able to become dominant over Lutheranism. The central doctrinal positions of the German and Swiss Reformations are examined, along with the efforts of princes and theologians to unite the Lutheran and Reformed confessions doctrinally. The controversies between the theologians of both denominations are detailed with special emphasis on the teaching concerning the Sacraments and differing attitudes toward liturgical ceremonies and other adiaphora. The Second Reformation began in 1563 in the Electoral Palatinate when Calvinism supplanted Lutheranism, and continued until the Thirty Years' War. The book examines the causes for the Second Reformation, its spread and establishment, the Calvinist argument that the Lutheran Reformation was insufficient, the reaction the Lutheran Church and its efforts to survive in a hostile environment.