Amsterdam University Press The Dynamics of the Early Reformation - Amsterdam University Press

Explore a significant yet often overlooked chapter of religious history with this study from Amsterdam University Press. On 1 July 1523, Johann van den Esschen and Hendrik Voes, two Augustinian friars from Antwerp, were burned on the Grand Plaza in Brussels. While these men were the first victims of the Reformation, their story is frequently missing from mainstream historical accounts. This book provides a detailed examination of that event and its lasting effects. It traces the origins of these executions and analyzes how they impacted Martin Luther and the Reformed Augustinian world. By looking at the early Reformation in both the Low Countries and German speaking lands, the text demonstrates how these burnings served as the conclusion to broader trends within Late Medieval religious life. This work is an essential resource for readers interested in the deep connections between the Augustinian order and the shifting religious landscape of the 16th century. It offers a clear look at how specific historical moments shaped the movement across Europe.