Reordering Marriage and Society in Reformation Germany

This book examines the impact of the Protestant Reformation on both the ideal and practice of marriage in sixteenth-century Germany. The author compares the goals and achievements of the reformers to those of contemporary Catholics. Any changes, he argues, must be viewed in the context of more gradual social transformations in private morality, public authority, and familial relations. The apparent innovations of the reformers - including the abolition of clerical celibacy and introduction of divorce - fade in comparison to their much greater adherence to the theological, legal and social traditions shared with their Catholic ancestors and contemporaries.Harrington, Joel F. is the author of 'Reordering Marriage and Society in Reformation Germany' with ISBN 9780521464833 and ISBN 0521464838.