Underground Protestantism in Sixteenth Century Spain: A Much Ignored Side of Spanish History

Frances Luttikhuizen's book chronicles the arrival, reception, and suppression of Protestant thought in sixteenth-century Spain, focusing on the socio-political-religious context, the use of vernacular, and the persecution of underground evangelical circles. Archival material provides new details regarding the historical framework and the spread of evangelical thought. Books played an important role in the movement, and the final chapters focus on the exiles and their contributions, the persecution of foreigners, and the efforts made in the nineteenth century to rediscover the history of the persecuted Spanish Protestants and their writings.

Format: Hardback
Length: 434 pages
Publication date: 23 February 2023
Publisher: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co KG

Frances Luttikhuizen meticulously documents the arrival, reception, and suppression of Protestant thought in sixteenth-century Spain, known as Lutheranism. The book begins by delving into the socio-political-religious context that prevailed in Spain at the dawn of the sixteenth century, as well as the growing trend to use the vernacular for parts of the Mass and catechizing the populace. It pays particular attention to the forerunners, such as the early alumbrado-deixados, the role of Cardinal Cisneros, and the influence of figures like Erasmus and Juan de Valdes. The use of archival material adds valuable insights into the historical framework and the spread of evangelical thought in Spain during this period. These dispatches and trial records greatly enrich the main body of the work, which explores the arrival and confiscation of evangelical literature, the attitudes of Charles V and Philip II towards religious dissidents, and the severe persecution of underground evangelical circles in Seville and Valladolid. The book also highlights the significant involvement of women in the movement. The recurrent mention of the discovery and confiscation of prohibited literature underscores the importance of books in the development of these movements. The final chapters focus on the exiles and their contributions, the persecution of foreigners, and the years leading up to the abolition of the Inquisition. The work concludes with the nineteenth-century efforts to rediscover the history of the persecuted sixteenth-century Spanish Protestants and their writings.

Weight: 85g
Dimension: 230 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783525551103