Magistrates, Madonnas and Miracles

Trevor Johnson is formally of the University of the West of England, UK.

• Contents: Introduction; Part I 'The Palatinate Deformed': Forges, fortresses and farms: the Obere Pfalz in the 16th and 17th centuries; A Protestant land, 1556-1621. Part II 'The Palatinate Informed': 'The odious name of a Reformation': biconfessional discontents; 'Wolves among the flock': conversion, emigration and resistance; 'The salt of the earth': clerical restoration and renewal; The return of the religious. Part III 'The Palatinate Reformed': Shaping a Catholic society; 'Lest such devotion should fall into decline': sacraments, sacramentals and the sacred image; 'All things to all': reclaiming the saints; 'Mountains of grace': the sacred enshrined; The Devil in the Oberpfalz; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

’Approximately one quarter of the population of the Holy Roman Empire converted back to Catholicism during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Quite simply, Johnson’s monograph is the best study I am aware of that considers how this process took place at the local level, and it should be required reading for anyone interested in the Catholic side of the Reformation.’ Renaissance Quarterly 'Trevor Johnson produced a fine study of the Counter-Reformation before his sudden and premature death in 2007. Magistrates, Madonnas and Miracles demonstrates Johnson’s immense talents as a historian and only reinforces how much his passing was a loss to the field.' German History 'Johnson's study thus reads as a fascinating case study of a region that had one of the most controversial histories of reform and counter-reform in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It is lamentable that this text, so admirably edited by Simon Ditchfield and Raingard Esser, represents the author's final word, for as this volume shows, this would have been a career of unique achievement.' Catholic Historical Review 'The publication of this rich and stimulating book has been long awaited. ... Johnson has provided scholars with a stimulating book full of vital ingredients that may enable them to compose a larger, European narrative of Catholic conquest and revival in the early modern period.' Sixteenth Century Journal '...recommended to scholars of popular religion and the early-modern period for several reasons...a groundbreaking contribution to European Reformation and early-modern studies.' Religious Studies Review ’The end result is a book that is not only packed with interesting historical detail, it also teems with insights about the process of early modern religious reform in general. ... As was the case with its author, this book will leave any historian feeling richer for having come across it.’ English Historical Review