The Reformation in Lithuania: Origins and Developments up to 1570

What is it about?

The book explores the dynamics of the Reformation in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Abraomas Kulvietis, an alumnus of the university of Siena, was among the first to call for Church reforms in Vilnius. The tradition of Lithuanian printing, initiated by reformers who were forced to flee to Lutheran Prussia, was one of the early results of the movement. The progress of the Reformation accelerated rapidly from the 1550s when Mikalojus Radvila the Black, the most powerful magnate in Lithuania, announced his break with Rome and established an autonomous Evangelical Church in Lithuania. It matured by interweaving not only Lutheran and Swiss doctrines but also Antitrinitarianism and Anabaptism. This led to a gradual schism between radical communities and sympathizers of magisterial Protestantism during the 1560s.

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Why is it important?

This is the first English-language analysis of the Lithuanian Reformation, concentrating on its early evolution up to 1570. By focusing on its humanistic beginnings and the influence of Italian Protestant thought, the study underscores its distinctiveness from Poland and highlights its independent trajectory.

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