Bossy Christianity In The West Summary

In his book Christianity in the West 1400-1700John Bossy approaches the Renaissance and Reformation in a way that more effectively explains the religious practices and beliefs in Europe during the late Middle Ages than other historians and theologians before him. His aim is to discuss the Reformation as more of a history of the people of the Church, instead of just the structure of the Church itself. He explores their way of life and their beliefs that were relevant to them in the time (vii). Instead of telling their story by implementing tactics of anachronism, as other critics have, he does not judge their actions by the more recent standards and findings of Christianity. Bossy rather looks at the Catholicism and Protestantism of the time as an entity, not separated by the elite and the laity, and how they understood their religion in their own time.
Bossy therefore dislikes the usage of the word ‘Reformation’ to describe this time period because of its poor connotation. He feels that it is inapplicable to the ways in which these people actually lived and behaved and wants to dispute the idea that Christianity was ‘bad’ before the Reformation and ‘good’ after. Bossy attempts instead to establish the idea that Christianity in this era was shifting from community faith to individualized religion. He believes that with the arrival of the Renaissance came the birth of the individual, and therefore naturally there was a movement away from the kinship and community aspect that had previously been seen in Christianity towards and personal salvation