Reformation before the Reformation?

Valdis · Dec 5, 2012

Hey all, I've just finished an essay on the printing press and the reformation. One of my concluding points was that if the printing press had been invented (in europe) before it was otl, its likely that someone else, perhaps Hus or Wycliffe would have started a reformation similar to the one we all know and love.

How possible do you all think this is? and what repercussions would this have, for instance a Wycliffeite reformation taking hold in England?

Valdis · Dec 5, 2012

Clearly this isn't an interesting subject......

tonsofun · Dec 5, 2012

I can't comment myself. But you need to wait longer for some proper replies. I find 24 hours is a good waiting time.

606jae · Dec 5, 2012

you had some proto prostants long before the reformation. check out the waldensians. and yes with the printing press it is very likely that either hus or wycliff or maybe someone else would have kicked off the reformation much earlier.

DTF955Baseballfan · Dec 5, 2012

I did a timeline on a Waldensian Reformation; a rather powerful noble patron was the key. (In my sig, "Sweet Lands of Liberty")

PoeFacedKilla · Dec 5, 2012

I'm writing a TL where the reformation does start in England early, and my initial conclusion is that the countries of Europe create a coalition against the english blasphemers.

Dathi THorfinnsson · Dec 6, 2012

IMO, the printing press was what really gave protestantism its push. That and the growing merchant class.

People who were well enough educated to be reading things, with copies of books affordable - and rich enough to buy books (cheaper doesn't mean cheap).

Once people start reading the Bible for themselves, a lot of what the Church taught starts looking ... iffy.

The Ubbergeek · Dec 7, 2012

Dathi THorfinnsson said:
IMO, the printing press was what really gave protestantism its push. That and the growing merchant class.

People who were well enough educated to be reading things, with copies of books affordable - and rich enough to buy books (cheaper doesn't mean cheap).

Once people start reading the Bible for themselves, a lot of what the Church taught starts looking ... iffy.

I start to wonder if it's a bit simplified.

The Protestantism to me at times look like the Theravadan attitude toward Mahayana buddhism, and so, Protestantism is actually nto without 'weird new bits', 'inovations' and all.

We hear in such dicussion a lot of the Protestant side, but listening the Catholic side make us realise it is not always so much 'corrupt catholic church' VS 'reformaters back to purity', but the later is as well 'cesaropapism of the OTHER sense' and 'radicalism of some inovative ideas brought' in as well.

The history of what would become the Anglican Church is a good example of what I means.

Elfwine · Dec 7, 2012

Not sure how much "what the Church taught" was necessarily the issue as much as what the Church did to the extent "corruption vs. reform" was an issue.