Lived Reformation
Zurich, 1500-1800
Will be published approx. on 17. September 2026
Book
Hardback
456 pages
978-1-350-46063-8 (ISBN)
Description
This book examines one of the main centres of the European Reformation, the
Swiss city of Zurich, to explore the impact of the reformatory processes on all
aspects of everyday life. It looks at how, for the early modern (non-)believers,
new visions of Christian living were mediated through law, preaching, teaching,
singing, reading, rumours, and heated debates in taverns. Lived Reformation
emphasises that the Reformation was for most a longlasting challenge, evident
in church worship, pastoral care, policies for the poor, the spreading of literacy
and implementing sexual norms.
What did it take to turn from a Catholic to a Protestant? What did it mean
for a Catholic priest to become a Protestant pastor and how did they relate
to their flock? What did nuns and monks do when evicted from dissolved
convents? How was the visual and acoustic culture of the city altered? What
about brothels or the belief in ghosts? What impact did the new theological
conception of sexuality have on hetero- and homosexual couples? How much
did the population cling to their religious habits or welcome or even ask for
religious changes? Was magical healing to be tolerated or did it go against the
new faith? Through careful examination of Zurich's rich archival sources, this
volume answers these questions and brings to life the diverse experiences of men and women in the time of the Long Reformation.
Swiss city of Zurich, to explore the impact of the reformatory processes on all
aspects of everyday life. It looks at how, for the early modern (non-)believers,
new visions of Christian living were mediated through law, preaching, teaching,
singing, reading, rumours, and heated debates in taverns. Lived Reformation
emphasises that the Reformation was for most a longlasting challenge, evident
in church worship, pastoral care, policies for the poor, the spreading of literacy
and implementing sexual norms.
What did it take to turn from a Catholic to a Protestant? What did it mean
for a Catholic priest to become a Protestant pastor and how did they relate
to their flock? What did nuns and monks do when evicted from dissolved
convents? How was the visual and acoustic culture of the city altered? What
about brothels or the belief in ghosts? What impact did the new theological
conception of sexuality have on hetero- and homosexual couples? How much
did the population cling to their religious habits or welcome or even ask for
religious changes? Was magical healing to be tolerated or did it go against the
new faith? Through careful examination of Zurich's rich archival sources, this
volume answers these questions and brings to life the diverse experiences of men and women in the time of the Long Reformation.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
With dust jacket
Illustrations
83 colour illus
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-350-46063-8 (9781350460638)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
approx. 08/2026
Bloomsbury Academic
€93.99
Available for download
Person
Francisca Loetz is Professor of Early Modern History at University of Zurich, Switzerland. She is the author of Dealings with God: From Blasphemers in Early Modern Zurich to a Cultural History of Religiousness (2009).
Content
List of Illustrations
Introduction Francisca Loetz (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
Part 1 - Distancing One's Self and Coming Closer
1. The Politics of Religion and the Politics of Power: Internal conflict and external harmony in the Confederacy Andre Holenstein (University of Bern, Switzerland)
2. The Zurich Disputations: Theologians and councillors on the way to divine truth Fabrice Flueckiger (Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Germany)
3. Ottomans and Muslims: The problem with the 'Turks' Francisca Loetz (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
Part 2 - Reading and Learning
4. The Country needs New Ministers: The formation of the clergy Bruce Gordon (Yale Divinity School, USA)
5. The Word of God in German: A comparison of Luther's Bible and the Zurich Bible Anja Lobenstein-Reichmann (Charles University, Czech Republic)
6. A Reading Population: Alphabetisation, reading materials and the education of the people Michael Egger (Independent Scholar, Switzerland)
Part 3 - Seeing and Hearing
7. The Reformed Urban Space: On the visibility of the new faith in 16th-century Zurich Martina Stercken (University of Erfurt, Germany)
8. From Adam and Eve to William Tell: Theatre in Reformed Zurich Hildegard E. Keller (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
9. Image is Not Necessarily Image: The places for and categories of images in Zurich after the introduction of the Reformation Carola Jaeggi (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
10. Singing as Prayer of the Heart: The practice of singing in church in town and in the countryside Francisca Loetz (University of Zurich, Switzerland) and Jan-Friedrich Missfelder (University of Basel, Switzerland)
Part 4 - Criticising and Confessing the Faith
11. Good Shepherds and Willing Subjects: Ecclesiastical conditions in the village Peter Niederhaeuser (Independent Scholar, Switzerland)
12. Disputes at the Inn: Confessionalised polemics and confessional conflicts amongst the laity Nicole Zellweger (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
13. Persecuted and Respected: The Zurich Anabaptists Urs B. Leu (Zentralbibliothek Zuerich, Switzerland)
Part 5 - Excluding and Incorporating
14. Worthy and Unworthy Poor: Claims and care in the policies regarding the poor Markus Bruehlmeier (independent Scholar, Switzerland) and Dominik Sieber (Eberhard Karls University of Tuebingen, Germany)
15. Magical Healing and Blessing: The toleration and persecution of healing spells Eveline Szarka (University of Heidelberg, Germany)
16. From Members of Religious Order to Holders of Benefices: Monks and nuns in Zurich's rural monasteries after the introduction of the Reformation Peter Niederhaeuser (Independent Scholar, Switzerland)
Part 6 - Tolerating and Punishing Sexuality outside Marriage
17. Godliness and Sin: Heterosexual couples in court Francisca Loetz (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
18. Commonly Accessible and Available to All: Prostitutes in Reformation Zurich Adrina Schulz (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
19. The Scandal not to be Named: Reformation and homosexuality Markus Bruehlmeier (Independent Scholar, Switzerland)
Part 7 - Faith and Doubt
20. When Sin Results in Haunting: Living with ghosts Eveline Szarka (University of Heidelberg, Germany)
21. Listening to the People's Language: Blasphemy and the limits of what could be said Francisca Loetz (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
22. Guardians of the Soul and Custodians of the Law: The pastoral role of Zurich's clergymen Nicole Zellweger (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
Part 8 - Sources
23. The Way in which Archival Transmission Influences the History of the Reformation: Letters Randolph C. Head (University of California, Riverside, USA)
24. Mandates Nicole Zellweger (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
25. The Antistitialarchiv Rainer Henrich (Independent Scholar, Switzerland)
26. Court Representatives' Records of Statements by Defendants and Witnesses Francisca Loetz (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
27. Records of the Stillstand Peter Niederhaeuser (Independent Scholar, Switzerland)
28. Objects Christian Hoerack (Swiss National Museum, Switzerland)
Part 9 - Appendices
Chronology
Confessional Differences
Index
Introduction Francisca Loetz (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
Part 1 - Distancing One's Self and Coming Closer
1. The Politics of Religion and the Politics of Power: Internal conflict and external harmony in the Confederacy Andre Holenstein (University of Bern, Switzerland)
2. The Zurich Disputations: Theologians and councillors on the way to divine truth Fabrice Flueckiger (Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Germany)
3. Ottomans and Muslims: The problem with the 'Turks' Francisca Loetz (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
Part 2 - Reading and Learning
4. The Country needs New Ministers: The formation of the clergy Bruce Gordon (Yale Divinity School, USA)
5. The Word of God in German: A comparison of Luther's Bible and the Zurich Bible Anja Lobenstein-Reichmann (Charles University, Czech Republic)
6. A Reading Population: Alphabetisation, reading materials and the education of the people Michael Egger (Independent Scholar, Switzerland)
Part 3 - Seeing and Hearing
7. The Reformed Urban Space: On the visibility of the new faith in 16th-century Zurich Martina Stercken (University of Erfurt, Germany)
8. From Adam and Eve to William Tell: Theatre in Reformed Zurich Hildegard E. Keller (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
9. Image is Not Necessarily Image: The places for and categories of images in Zurich after the introduction of the Reformation Carola Jaeggi (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
10. Singing as Prayer of the Heart: The practice of singing in church in town and in the countryside Francisca Loetz (University of Zurich, Switzerland) and Jan-Friedrich Missfelder (University of Basel, Switzerland)
Part 4 - Criticising and Confessing the Faith
11. Good Shepherds and Willing Subjects: Ecclesiastical conditions in the village Peter Niederhaeuser (Independent Scholar, Switzerland)
12. Disputes at the Inn: Confessionalised polemics and confessional conflicts amongst the laity Nicole Zellweger (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
13. Persecuted and Respected: The Zurich Anabaptists Urs B. Leu (Zentralbibliothek Zuerich, Switzerland)
Part 5 - Excluding and Incorporating
14. Worthy and Unworthy Poor: Claims and care in the policies regarding the poor Markus Bruehlmeier (independent Scholar, Switzerland) and Dominik Sieber (Eberhard Karls University of Tuebingen, Germany)
15. Magical Healing and Blessing: The toleration and persecution of healing spells Eveline Szarka (University of Heidelberg, Germany)
16. From Members of Religious Order to Holders of Benefices: Monks and nuns in Zurich's rural monasteries after the introduction of the Reformation Peter Niederhaeuser (Independent Scholar, Switzerland)
Part 6 - Tolerating and Punishing Sexuality outside Marriage
17. Godliness and Sin: Heterosexual couples in court Francisca Loetz (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
18. Commonly Accessible and Available to All: Prostitutes in Reformation Zurich Adrina Schulz (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
19. The Scandal not to be Named: Reformation and homosexuality Markus Bruehlmeier (Independent Scholar, Switzerland)
Part 7 - Faith and Doubt
20. When Sin Results in Haunting: Living with ghosts Eveline Szarka (University of Heidelberg, Germany)
21. Listening to the People's Language: Blasphemy and the limits of what could be said Francisca Loetz (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
22. Guardians of the Soul and Custodians of the Law: The pastoral role of Zurich's clergymen Nicole Zellweger (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
Part 8 - Sources
23. The Way in which Archival Transmission Influences the History of the Reformation: Letters Randolph C. Head (University of California, Riverside, USA)
24. Mandates Nicole Zellweger (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
25. The Antistitialarchiv Rainer Henrich (Independent Scholar, Switzerland)
26. Court Representatives' Records of Statements by Defendants and Witnesses Francisca Loetz (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
27. Records of the Stillstand Peter Niederhaeuser (Independent Scholar, Switzerland)
28. Objects Christian Hoerack (Swiss National Museum, Switzerland)
Part 9 - Appendices
Chronology
Confessional Differences
Index