Early Modern Catholicism and the Printed Book is a significant contribution to the field of early modern book history, investigating the role of print in the development of Catholicism during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The collection provides a comprehensive understanding of how the Catholic Church engaged with the printing press, countering the long-held notion that Protestantism was the primary beneficiary of print technology during the Reformation.
One of the volume’s major strengths is its focus on the agency of Catholic actors in the printing world. For instance, Paolo Sachet’s chapter on the Typographia Vaticana provides an enlightening examination of how papal influence shaped the development of Catholic publishing in Rome, contrasting institutional efforts with local responses like Valladolid’s primers, as detailed in Benito Rial Costas’ work. This contrast highlights the varied ways in which Catholicism engaged with print across Europe. Chelsea Reutcke’s study on the dissemination of Nicholas Sander’s Schismatis Anglicani exemplifies the intricate transnational networks of Catholic print, reflecting both global ambition and local adaptability.
Particularly compelling is the attention given to the complexities of intellectual property and appropriation, as seen in Gábor Förköli’s chapter on writing practices in Hungary, which challenges conventional views on originality and plagiarism in religious polemics. Likewise, the exploration of visual culture through emblem books in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth by Alicja Bielak underscores the rich interplay between word and image in Catholic devotional practices.
A minor drawback is the occasional sense of fragmentation due to the book’s broad geographical and thematic scope, which at times dilutes the cohesion of the collection. However, the diversity of topics – from censorship and catechism translation to the symbolic meaning of ownership stamps on bindings – ensures that the volume covers an impressive range of scholarly interests.
Overall, this collection is a valuable contribution to the history of early modern print culture and Catholicism, offering fresh insights into how Catholic actors harnessed the power of the press in an era of religious transformation.
