Thesis
The article is intended on giving a fresh perspective on the counter-reformation through a series of case studies done on that era. It challenges the assumption that the Counter Reformation was characterized by authoritative/ state control and imposition and instead postulates that communities played an important role in the transformation of the catholic faith through their own kind of participation
Summary
The author commences by explaining that the counter-reformation has been misunderstood by a series of scholars because they did not look at social and cultural contexts of such communities. They merely stopped at observation of artifacts and their analysis. However, when one looks at specific communities, one soon realizes the counter-reformation was a mixture of participants.
Historians who had done work on the Counter Reformation usually failed because they highly depended on accounts of archbishops and other religious representatives. However, as one looks at case studies such as a southern Italy study, one soon realizes that missionaries had to bend to demands of their communities by engaging in spiritual remedies. They furnished material culture through statutes and the rosaries in order to appear able to affect the laity’s lives.
The rosary specifically was given a peculiar meaning by the rural communities of Southern Italy (Laven, 710). Also, in Speyer, a miraculous culture characterized by public weeping in sermons provided another interpretation of the counter-reformation which involved the public.; Although Catholic authorities tried to impose their rules, these often had their limitations because the public could defy them as was the case with mothers and rules imposed by the church on suffocation (Laven, 718); they simply chose not engage in confessions.
Critique
The major strength of the article lies in in-depth research. The author clearly has a good command of the subject and went out of her way to accumulate various studies on the counter-reformation. She looks at three areas in particular: Spain, Italy and Germany during the era. She finds a way of identifying commonalities in the expression of counter-reformation in all three communities. Furthermore, this author has challenged popular assumptions on the subject by reversing the idea that locals had little to do with the counter-reformation.
She does this by questioning the reliance of religious leaders’ views on 17th century counter-reformation. Laven (716) then supports her thesis by offering several incidences in which the masses controlled religious expression.
Her strong reliance on evidence is definitely a good indication that the research is well done. However, she does not oversimplify matters by painting a black and white picture; instead she stimulates the mind by getting readers to see that the counter-reformation was a complex mixture of lay and priestly participation (Laven, 719).
Despite all these strong points, the article also possesses some weaknesses. First, the author has primarily depended upon secondary research for her thesis so she has carried forward any assumptions and mistakes from these writings. Additionally, the work could have been more orderly if she focused on one region (Italy, Germany or Spain) exhaustively before moving to the next. The back and forth visitation of these historic regions makes the work confusing.
Audience and relevance of ideas
This article was written for an audience of scholars in art and design, religious studies, anthropological studies or history in general. Because she delves into the social and cultural background of material culture and because she uses terms which may be unfamiliar to the layman like confessionalism, the work would best be understood by someone who is already familiar with the Roman Catholic tradition or history.
The ideas discussed in the article would be applicable today because they illustrate the importance culture in predominant social phenomenon. They help one realize that social change cannot occur without involvement of all stakeholders.
Work Cited
Laven, Mary. Encountering the counter-reformation. Renaissance Quarterly, 3.59(2009): 706-720