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Reformation-era Europe should NOT be read purely in the context of religion.

Cronos, you're highlighting such a wonderful point. This is one side of the coin that is so important, the coin being studying this era. The other side, of course, is that the context of religion can't be ignored. That whole era... was such an amazing time of all sorts of complex relationships, struggles, viewpoints. Simply amazing. And so many things that were grappled with then - have direct impact on issues that people grapple with today. It was not a time when everything was "pretty" and "simple" - life never is. It's when we delve deep into a historial time or event and explore everything from all sides that we can start to learn, eh ?

That seems on the outset to be Catholic v/s Lutheran, but then one sees that Catholic France was fighting alongside Protestants???

This point and others you raise touch upon the complex things that were going on; a deep and broad study of the era should be part of an education in history.

Secular humanism taught in public education in America today ignores, hides or recasts history to attack Christianity.

What I love is the fact that I (staunch Reformed) and a staunch Roman Catholic can have absolutely wonderful discussions. We often find that on some very foundational doctrine we're very much in agreement. On some doctrine, we're still very much not in agreement. But given our common belief that each must be obedient to Christ, and given our awareness of some history, having the benefit of hindsight, we can perhaps only by the tiniest of steps slowly move our mortal minds ever-closer towards a perfect understanding of true doctrine, never reaching it, but moving ever-closer nonetheless and God willing always desirous of it.

It's fascinating to me how certain doctrine is very similar between Roman Catholic doctrine and true Reformed doctrine. Everyone focuses on what's different; not much is ever said about where there is agreement. Take for example, male-only church officers; the RC Church and every true Reformed denomination has the same doctrine and this is easily provable in Scripture. While I am very uncomfortable with certain RC doctrine, I can still be calm, understand that it came down through history and has a basis. Certainly my wild screaming and shouting will do nothing to convince anyone of anything, and will, in fact, reflect poorly, so I try to never get anywhere near that point of futility.

I always look forward to your posts when I come across them.