The Protestant Reformations spawned differing groups who took the ideals of leaders such as Martin Luther, John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli one step further, known as 'radical reformers'. Who were these groups? What were their characteristics? How radical were they? Below is a quote from Martin Luther, explaining how why he felt negatively about radicals:
'Therefore let everyone who can, smite, slay and stab, secretly or openly, remembering that nothing can be more poisonous, hurtful or devilish than a rebel. It is just as when one must kill a mad dog; if you do not strike him, he will strike you, and a whole land with you'.1
- Martin Luther quoted by Carter Lindberg, 'The European Reformations Sourcebook', 2014
Radical Reformation Timeline
| Date | Event |
| 1517 | Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses on the door of a church in the town of Wittenberg in Germany. This marks the start of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. |
| 1521 | The Pope excommunicates Martin Luther. |
| 1521 | The Pope excommunicates Martin Luther. A radical group known as the Anabaptists are formed, preaching a radical change in Lutheranism. |
| 1522 | More protestant groups begin to emerge around Europe in areas such as Switzerland. |
| 1525 | The German Peasants' War began with Luther standing against the Radicals and instead siding with the nobility. It was a crushing defeat for the radicals. |
| 1534 | The Münster Rebellion took place, where Anabaptists took control of the city until 1535. After this point, however, they were overtaken and lost most of their influence in Germany. |
Radical Reformation Summary
In this context, 'Radical' is used to move away from the status quo and develop a new path. For example, the Protestant Reformations of the 16th Century reflect the period of change from Catholic control of the Church to Protestant control and could, therefore, all be defined as being 'Radical'. In this explanation, however, we will look at groups that took Protestant leaders' ideals one step further.
Fig. 1 - Ulrich Zwingli portrait
The Protestant Reformations started in Germany and Switzerland by leading figures John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, and Martin Luther. Throughout the 1500s, more radical groups emerged with differences in their beliefs, but most of the groups shared the principles laid out in the 'Five Solas'.
'The Five Solas'
Five essential theological points that are the key distinctions between Protestantism and Catholicism.
The Five Solas
'Sola Scriptura' - Translates to 'Scripture Alone'. Establishes the Bible as the sole authoritative source for all Christians and their worship.
'Sola Gratia' - Translates to 'Salvation by Grace Alone'. Only God can decide who will be saved and who will not. No work can change the judgement of God.
'Sola Fide' - Translates to 'Salvation by Faith Alone'. Christ is the only one whom faith in is justified. Anyone who believes in the holiness of another will not be saved.
'Solus Christus' - Translates to 'In Christ Alone'. He is the only one who can save Protestants due to his sacrifice on the cross.
'Soli Deo Gloria' - Translates to 'For the Glory of God Alone'. God must always be praised for his ability to save those who follow him.
'The Five Solas' carry a similar sentiment throughout all of them. What they all mainly boil down to is that Religion is the most important thing and that nobody comes above or deserves the praise that God receives.
Radical Reformers: Beliefs and Leaders
The Reformations are said to have begun with John Luther’s posting of his Ninety-five Theses on October 31, 1517. He posted these on the door of the church in Wittenburg, a small German Town. This spawned a movement which grew exponentially as a result of the misdoings of the Catholic Church. As the words of a Protestant Reformation began to spread, some took them one step further and became radical reformers. Below are listed the individuals that came to prominence as the leaders of the two main radical groups:
Name | Lived between | How influential were they? |
| Thomas Müntzer & The German peasants | 1489 - 1525 | A preacher who opposed the teachings of Luther and the Roman Catholic Church. He disagreed with the 'conservatism' of Luther's policies and became a radical reformer; he wanted a more rigid, authoritative line drawn. Leader of the German Peasant Uprising in 1525, where he was eventually defeated and killed. The German Peasants' War was a massive event that killed more than 100,000 peasant reformers in defeat. |
| Balthasar Hubmaier & The Anabaptists | 1485 - 1528 | They became the leader of the Anabaptists in 1521 after previously being a preacher in Germany. This reformer group was highly radical for the time as they denied Christ's divinity, objected to infant baptism and believed in complete freedom of beliefs. They also believed in the concept of the apocalypse. They were shunned by both Catholics and mainline Protestants due to their Radicalism. The Anabaptists supported the peasants during the war. |
Anabaptist
A term meaning 'baptised again'. They did not give themselves this name, as it began as a derogatory term used to demean the group. Anabaptists did not believe their first baptism counted, so to them, the term was inaccurate.
Both these groups provide two different examples of how the radical line can be taken. Whilst the German peasants under Thomas Müntzer looked for a more hardline approach, the Anabaptists believed in an utterly differing ideology and were a group who were more accepting than others. However, both groups were intensely persecuted, with the German Peasants' War resulting in massive defeats. Due to Martin Luther and the Churches' lack of support, radical Reformers did not grow as rapidly in the later half of the 1500s.
When 'conservative' or 'conservatism' is referred to, remember this is not the political definition. In this case, it relates to being 'averse to change or innovation and holding traditional values' rather than how we'd view Conservatives in British politics.
Aims of the Radical Reformation
The radical reformers' most significant action was the German Peasants' War which took place across parts of Germany, Eastern France, Switzerland, and Austria that were German-speaking.
The German Peasants' War
The war took place over two years and was inspired by the Protestant Reformation. The peasants took 'The Five Solas' as a prerogative that they did not need to work for the wealthier classes of nobles. As a result, they burnt down hundreds of monasteries across the countries and were met with firm resistance.
Fig. 2 - German Peasants' War memorial
The Peasants' War was a failed uprising by the Radical Reformers; Over 100,000 peasants were killed over this period, and they ultimately did not achieve their goals due to the lack of backing from John Luther, the father of the protestant restoration. His backing of the nobles in this conflict confirmed that the Protestant Restoration was moderate and that Lutheranism would not become as radical as certain groups wanted it to become.
The Münster Rebellion
The Münster Rebellion took place between 1534 and 1535 and saw Anabaptists take control of the city in the hope of radical reform. Jan Matthys was the leader of the group at the time and staged a rebellion in the city with the support of his sympathisers. All Catholics were removed from the city, money was banned, and no privately owned property was allowed in the city. Münster lasted until June of 1535, when it was besieged, with all of the Anabaptist leaders taken and imprisoned. They were tortured and later killed, and the city returned to Lutheran control.
Fig. 3 - Captured citizens brought to an Anabaptist leader during the rebellionThis marked the end of the prominence of Anabaptism and radical reformers as a whole in regard to the protestant reformation. Between the Peasants' War and the Münster Rebellion, they had been able to quietly develop a small support base, but after the besiegement of the city, they lost the majority of their power and leadership.
Further Reading
Andrew Pettegee's edited collection contains numerous historians who cover the whole of the European Restoration and is excellent for students looking to cover the topic from a variety of angles. Below are helpful chapters to look for that strongly relate to radical reformers.
Andrew Pettegree (ed.), The Reformation World (London, 2000)
- C. Truman, ‘Luther and the Reformation in Germany’
- James Stayer, 'The German Peasants' War and the rural Reformation'
- Sigrun Haude, 'Anabaptism'
Radical Reformation - Key takeaways
The Radical Reformation started as an offshoot of more moderate Protestants, most notably Martin Luther, John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli.
Radical offshoots agreed with 'The Five Solas', but had extreme changes in other areas.
The two main leaders were Thomas Müntzer, who led The German peasants in the War, and Balthasar Hubmaier, who was one of the founders of The Anabaptists.
These events culminated to 'The Peasants' War', where the Radicals lost against the state. This entrenched a 'conservative' restoration, with Luther respecting the place of nobility in society.
The Münster Rebellion was the last major action of this period, with the Anabaptists losing control and influence in Germany.
References
- Martin Luther quoted by Carter Lindberg, The European Reformations Sourcebook (2014), pp. 98.
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