Centuriae Magdeburgenses
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The Centuriae Magdeburgenses (Magdeburg Centuries) was a monumental 13-volume work of church history, compiled under the supervision of Matthias Flacius Illyricus and a group of scholars known as the centuriators. Published between 1559 and 1575, its primary aim was to refute Roman Catholic claims of authenticity by presenting a Protestant interpretation of church history.12
The work meticulously examined church history in discrete, chronological units called centuries, from its beginnings up to the 13th century. While often polemical, the Centuriae Magdeburgenses unearthed a significant amount of historical data, challenging the established narratives of the time. This work spurred a voluminous response from the Roman Catholic Church in the form of Caesar Baronius's Annales Ecclesiastici.12
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historiographyCenturiae Magdeburgenses and Annales EcclesiasticiMartin Luther (1483–1546), the German theologian who set the Reformation in motion, at first glance bears little resemblance to Petrarch, much less to Machiavelli. But while his piety was intense, he embraced much of the new learning. Nobody was more insistent…
Read MoreMartin Luther (1483–1546), the German theologian who set the Reformation in motion, at first glance bears little resemblance to Petrarch, much less to Machiavelli. But while his piety was intense, he embraced much of the new learning. Nobody was more insistent…
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history of EuropeThe term and concept before the 18th centuryhistory by Matthias Flacius Illyricus, Centuriae Magdeburgensis (1559–74; “The Magdeburg Centuries”), which also introduced the practice of dividing the past into ostensibly neutral centuries. The Roman Catholic version of church history was reflected in the Annales Ecclesiastici (“Ecclesiastical Annals”) of Caesar Baronius (1538–1607), completed by Oderico Rinaldi in 1677.
Read Morehistory by Matthias Flacius Illyricus, Centuriae Magdeburgensis (1559–74; “The Magdeburg Centuries”), which also introduced the practice of dividing the past into ostensibly neutral centuries. The Roman Catholic version of church history was reflected in the Annales Ecclesiastici (“Ecclesiastical Annals”) of Caesar Baronius (1538–1607), completed by Oderico Rinaldi in 1677.
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