William G. Naphy

There has long been an assumption in the West that views on sex and sexuality are basically similar worldwide. This has never been the case. Many ancient cultures actively promoted same-sex relationships as an integral part of adolescence or even worship. The rise of Judeo-Christian views forced homosexuality "underground," leading to Henry VIII's 1533 ban on homosexuals and Oscar Wilde's imprisonment for sodomy. Born to be Gay takes a radical look at the history of homosexuality, from Bacchanalian orgies to Gay Pride.

A History of Homosexuality

Born to be Gay

This book chronicles the history of the Protestant Reformation in sixteenth century Geneva under the leadership of John Calvin and is the best modern study of the Genevan Reformation available. The narrative of this work is enhanced by twenty-seven tables of extensive statistical data and eleven prosopographical appendices drawn from the author's extensive studies in the Geneva archives. His work shows the challenges faced by Calvin and his associates as they sought to proclaim and enact their Christian faith in a Genevan society that was facing severe problems with the influx of refugees from all over Europe.

With a New Preface

Calvin and the Consolidation of the Genevan Reformation

Penny Roberts

Fear of fire, flood, plague, invasion by the infidel, purgatory, death, witchcraft - these are just some of the fears that plagued the early modern world which are dealt with in this fascinating well-integrated collection of essays, based on extensive and ground-breaking new research. Drawing on British and Continental examples, the volume explores the panoply of personal and communal tragedies which tormented and terrified both elite and popular communities in this period, and shows how they formed strategies for dealing both practically and psychologically with their fears; it tells of the creation of the first fire service in France, of dog-massacres in times of plague in England, and of flood emergency plans in Holland.

Fear in Early Modern Society

Andrew Spicer

By 1340, Europe was beset by a host of problems. Even the ploughing of marginal land had failed to produce enough food to feed the ever-growing population. Poverty, unemployment, and vagrancy were all on the increase. However, by 1400 the situation had changed. There had been a dramatic change but from a wholly unforeseen and unexpected quarter: the Black Death. This horrific disease ripped through towns, villages and families. Men, women, children, young and old succumbed to a painful, drawn out death as pustules, abscesses and boils erupted over their bodies. Within a few decades this virulent and unknown disease had wiped out up to half the population.

A History of Plagues, 1345-1730

The Black Death

When Martin Luther nailed 95 criticisms of the Catholic Church to the door of his local church in 1517 he sparked not just a religious Reformation, but an unending cycle of political, social and economic change that continues to this day. By challenging the authority of the Pope, Luther inadvertently unleashed a revolutionary force: the power of the individual to determine his or her own thoughts and actions. Over four centuries later, the Protestant minister Martin Luther King Jr was acting on the same revolutionary principle when he rejected racial discrimination and spearheaded the US Civil Rights Movement. The legacy of the Reformation is all around us, influencing our work life, our family life, even our sex life, as well as our political views and sense of national identity. From literature to science, from gay marriage to the 'War on Terror', a vibrant struggle for Protestant principles is alive in Britain, America and the developing world. This is the story of the Reformation and its lasting legacy - in effect, how Protestantism created the modern world.

From Martin Luther to Martin Luther King Jr.

The Protestant Revolution

Joseph Bergin

Helen Parish

"Superstition" is one of the most fought over terms in the history of early modern popular culture, especially religious culture, and is also one of the most difficult to define. This volume offers a novel approach to the issue, based upon national and regional studies, and examinations of attitudes to prophets, ghosts, saints, and demonology, alongside an analysis of Catholic responses to the Reformation and the apparent presence of "superstition" in the reformed churches. It challenges the assumptions that Catholic piety was innately superstitious, while Protestantism was rational, and suggests that the early modern concept of "superstition" needs more careful treatment by historians.

Religion and Superstition in Reformation Europe

The definitive history of the greatest catastrophe in human history which wiped out fifty per cent of Europe's population. The Black Death first hit Europe in 1347. This horrific disease ripped through towns, villages and families.

William G. Naphy

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