Reading Augustine in the Reformation: The Flexibility of Intellectual Authority in Europe, 1500–1620. By Arnoud S. Q. Visser. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. xii + 240 pp. $74.00 cloth (original) (raw)

This study evaluates the interaction between confessional divisions and textual scholarship during the Reformation era, focusing on the treatment of Augustine's works in various editions. The author examines three key editions produced in the 16th century, highlighting the cautious approach towards certain texts included by Erasmus and the Leuven scholars, as well as the role of reading practices and texts' uptake beyond theological discussions. The research underscores how the rise of confessionalism sparked improved scholarship, while also reasserting that Augustine's influence extended beyond printed materials into sermons and vernacular literature.