Balthasar Hubmaier and the Clarity of Scripture: A Critical Reformation Issue [Paperback]

A study of the 16th-century Anabaptist theologian Balthasar Hubmaier, particularly his work on the key doctrine of the accessibility of the Scriptures.

During the sixteenth century, many Reformers echoed Erasmus's claim that the Scriptures were clear, could be understood by even the lowliest servant, and should be translated into the vernacular and placed in the hands of all people. People did not require the magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church to correctly interpret the meaning of the Scriptures. However, within a few short years, the leaders of the Magisterial Reformers, Martin Luther and Huldrych Zwingli, had created their own Protestant versions of the magisterium. This work traces how the doctrine of the clarity of Scripture found expression in the writings of Balthasar Hubmaier, admirer of Erasmus and Luther, and associate of Zwingli. As Hubmaier engaged in theological debate with opponents, onetime friends, and other Anabaptists, he sought to clarify his understanding of this critical reformation doctrine. Chronologically tracing the development of Hubmaier's hermeneutic as he interacted with Erasmus, Luther, Zwingli, and Hans Denck provides a useful means of more accurately understanding his place in the matrix of the sixteenth-century Reformations.GBVery well-written and clearly organized, allowing for effortless comprehension and resulting in an efficient presentation of the research data.Chatfield deftly interweaves relevant components of historical context that shaped Hubmaier's hermeneutical approach and agenda...The author also displays a sophisticated and intimate knowledge of each of Hubmaier's works, allowing him more accurately to parse the various nuanced components of Hubmaier's hermeneutic...Chatfield's study is a welcome addition to the increasing interest in Balthasar Hubmaier among historians and theologians alike and should become the undisputed standard in his understanding of Scripture and the development of his hermeneul“Ë