Susan Wabuda

The Reformation Revived: The English Reformation Beyond Revisionism

Does the study of the Reformation still matter? Was the English Reformation a great political and cultural watershed whose conspicuous importance lies beyond serious doubt? Or do historians agree that the Reformation was less successful, less complete, and ultimately less important than we once thought? As the twentieth century drew to its close, the study of the Reformation seemed to fall on hard times until academic discourse was restructured around a vibrant new multiculturalism. Long-held assumptions that used to dominate the field of historical research now had to be tested. Fresh voices from around the globe, who previously were rarely heard, at long last began to receive the scholarly attention that they deserve. Any western cultural ascendancy seemed to be a dubious legacy in a troubled world. New studies cut across established disciplines. Scholars challenged the notion of traditional historical eras, and changed many universities’ curricula. Familiar conceptual markers were removed, perhaps forever.