Tom Scott ends this collection of ten essays with an afterword, which he describes as “a personal memoir of my own visits to the GDR” (257). His reminiscences offer a revealing window into the realities of conducting research in the former East Germany and remind his readers that much of the research agenda in Reformation studies during the 1970s and 80s was driven by the social and political ideologies of the period. Thus, not only will his afterword be of professional interest, particularly to the younger generation of historians who have come of age since the reunification of Germany, but it serves as backdrop for the articles in this volume, seven of which were previously published in scholarly journals and edited volumes.

Since the Wende, scholarly focus on the Reformation has turned away from its earliest phases to an investigation of its longer-term impact on society and culture—a shift best exemplified by the confessionalization thesis, so ubiquitous in recent years. But as we approach the Reformation's five hundredth anniversary, the pendulum appears to be swinging back. Scott's work, then, much of it written in the 1990s and first decade of this century, provides an important link to the scholarly agenda of the 1970s and 1980s, key aspects of which include: Martin Luther's interest in the social and economic issues of his day; the Peasant's War and its ideological agenda; the impact of reforming doctrine on women collectively; the failure of reforming movements to gain a foothold in the German and Swiss communes; and the continuing problems of interpreting the writings and behavior of radicals in the Reformation.

Generally speaking, Scott's research is not archival; rather his method is to read printed sources (some rather obscure, others not) against the grain for any shred of information they might hold regarding society and economics in the early sixteenth century. Scott's command of the field, coupled with his keen intellect, allow him to make new discoveries unnoticed by others who have read the same sources. The fruits of this approach may be seen, for example, in chapter 2, “The Reformation and Modern Political Economy: Luther and Gaismair Compared.” Careful analysis of a few texts by each man demonstrates that although both look for solutions to contemporary economic problems that are consonant with the Bible, neither were “biblicists” in their approach. Like Michael Gaismair, Luther believed that commerce was important, that interest and credit were legitimate and lawful, that private property was acceptable, and that princes had a duty to promote the material welfare of the citizens. With regard to Luther, Scott concludes, “Amidst his overt hostility to the manifestations of early capitalism in his own day, Luther shows remarkable insight into the mechanisms underlying and impelling those manifestations. His response is to condemn the consequences but at the same time tentatively to elaborate principles deriving from the responsibilities of the Nähramt . . .” (61), that is, the princes' duty to ensure favorable material conditions in his lands. Thus Luther is shown to demonstrate a surprisingly active engagement with the world.

Other chapters are more historiographical in nature, or argue for a particular methodological approach. An example of the former is the first chapter, “The Early Reformation in Germany between Deconstruction and Reconstruction,” in which Scott recounts the scholarship that argues for anticlericalism or for communalism as reasons why the Reformation was enthusiastically embraced, then decides that neither adequately explain its broad attraction. The answer, he suggests, may well lie in the appeal of contemporary notions of imperial reform. While recognizing that Luther's message was a theological one, Scott argues that it was an applied theology, and that Luther had a geographical conception that focused on Germany and included an imperial vision. Any attempt to account for the reception of Luther's message must incorporate this late-medieval background of imperial reform.

An example of an essay that explores a methodological approach is Scott's final chapter, “Müntzer and the Mustard-Seed: A Parable or Paradox?” Here he asks, can historians contribute to the analysis of Reformation theology or should this be left to the theologians? To answer this question, Scott sets about to discover the origins of Müntzer's distinctive use of the metaphor of the mustard seed as the “bitter mustard seed of faith” planted only with extreme difficulty. Using first the methods of the theologian, Scott investigates Müntzer's library of church fathers, his reading of the late medieval mystics, and the works of Müntzer's closest contacts for an intellectual precedent. Finding none, it becomes apparent that Müntzer's use of the metaphor is his own—the result of his struggles. Evidence of a theological notion extracted from lived experiences prompts Scott to conclude that particularly with radicals like Müntzer “whose life and thought, practice and theory, so often echoed and complemented each other” (255), historians indeed have something to say.

Although always insightful, occasionally Scott fails to place his findings into the context of more recent scholarship as can be seen in his discussion of notions of toleration in chapter seven, “The Problem of Heresy in the German Reformation.” Here he analyzes select writings of Luther, Zwingli, and Brenz as they refer to one another, to the Anabaptists, and to Michael Servetus, concluding that some doctrinal deviance could, under certain circumstances, be accommodated among protestants. He ends with the observation that one sees the beginnings of toleration in the sixteenth century, albeit in a rather limited way, but makes no attempt to address the recent glut of research on early modern toleration, much of it archivally based and focused on lived realities. Such an oversight points to another weakness in the book, namely the reliance on a few sources produced by elites to describe realities or address questions of reception. While such sources should certainly be part of the discussion, they are by no means the whole story.

Some of Scott's essays are thesis-driven, others more exploratory and meandering, but all are deeply thoughtful, and Scott's ability to reveal new insights into older questions using known sources is impressive. His essays not only remind us of the debates of the 1970s and 1980s, but he pushes them forward in creative ways. As such, his book should be foundational reading for anyone riding the wave of renewed interest in the early Reformation.