Richard Wunderli's Peasant Fires

In the book Peasant Fires: The Drummer of Niklashausen, the authority and power of the church compared to the common man is greatly demonstrated. Throughout the book, Richard Wunderli talks of the evilness of the common man and the importance of the church. The church gained their power from the people because there were thought to be the only way that one could get out of “purgatory” and into heaven. The preachers would sell indulgences to the common folk in order for man to be saved from their inevitable future. Preachers were also very good speakers. They knew how to speak, what to speak of, and when to speak of it in order to capture the full attention of the people. The preacher John Capistrano was so great with his words, that the people