Roland Bainton
Encyclopedia
Roland Herbert Bainton was a British born American Protestant church historian.
, Derbyshire
, England
and came to the United States
in 1902. He received an A.B.
degree from Whitman College
, and B.D.
and Ph.D.
. degrees from Yale University
. He also received a number of honorary degrees including a D.D.
from Meadville Theological Seminary
and from Oberlin College
, Dr. Theologiae from the University of Marburg, Germany, and Litt.D. from Gettysburg College. A specialist in Reformation
history, Bainton was for forty-two years Titus Street Professor of ecclesiastical history at [Yale, and he continued his writing well into his twenty years of retirement.
Bainton's father was a pacifist, and he himself married a Quaker. Graduating from seminary just as World War I began, he affiliated with the Society of Friends' unit of the American Red Cross. Although he was ordained as a Congregationist minister, he never served as the pastor of a congregation.
Bainton wore his scholarship lightly and had a lively, readable style. His most popular books were Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (1950)--which sold more than a million copies—and The Reformation of the Sixteenth Century (1952), both of which were widely used as textbooks. In all he was the author of more than thirty books on Christianity
. Many of Bainton's books are illustrated with examples taken from his collection of medieval
and Renaissance
drawings, woodcut
s, and engraving
s. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
in 1954.
A collection of essays
in honor of Roland Bainton was published in 1962.
. As of 2006, it is still in print. Kenneth Scott Latourette
, in the chapter notes for "Luther and the Rise and Spread of Lutheranism" in his History of Christianity, lauds Bainton's biography of Luther as "A superb combination of accurate scholarship based upon a thorough knowledge of the sources and secondary works with insight, vivid, readable literary style, and reproductions of contemporary illustrations. It also contains so valuable a bibliography as to render needless an extended one in this chapter."
In his chapter on Luther's writings in Invitation to the Classics, Mark A. Noll
singles out Bainton's biography: "Of the many superlative treatments, a half-century old study by Roland Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, has justly won a reputation as a classic work on a classic subject."
. Its value, also, is acknowledged by Latourette
in the chapter notes on "Luther and the Rise and Spread of Lutheranism" (see note on Here I Stand), thus, "An admirable popular brief summary by an outstanding specialist".
Life
He was born in IlkestonIlkeston
Ilkeston is a town within the Borough of Erewash, in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the River Erewash, from which the local borough takes its name. Its population at the 2001 census was 37,550...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and came to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1902. He received an A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from Whitman College
Whitman College
Whitman College is a private, co-educational, non-sectarian, residential undergraduate liberal arts college located in Walla Walla, Washington. Initially founded as a seminary by a territorial legislative charter in 1859, the school became a four year degree granting institution in 1883...
, and B.D.
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
and Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
. degrees from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He also received a number of honorary degrees including a D.D.
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
from Meadville Theological Seminary
Meadville Lombard Theological School
The Meadville Lombard Theological School, located in Chicago, is a Unitarian Universalist seminary.It is a result of a merger in the 1930s between a Unitarian and a Universalist institution...
and from Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
, Dr. Theologiae from the University of Marburg, Germany, and Litt.D. from Gettysburg College. A specialist in Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
history, Bainton was for forty-two years Titus Street Professor of ecclesiastical history at [Yale, and he continued his writing well into his twenty years of retirement.
Bainton's father was a pacifist, and he himself married a Quaker. Graduating from seminary just as World War I began, he affiliated with the Society of Friends' unit of the American Red Cross. Although he was ordained as a Congregationist minister, he never served as the pastor of a congregation.
Bainton wore his scholarship lightly and had a lively, readable style. His most popular books were Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (1950)--which sold more than a million copies—and The Reformation of the Sixteenth Century (1952), both of which were widely used as textbooks. In all he was the author of more than thirty books on Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. Many of Bainton's books are illustrated with examples taken from his collection of medieval
Medieval art
The medieval art of the Western world covers a vast scope of time and place, over 1000 years of art history in Europe, and at times the Middle East and North Africa...
and Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
drawings, woodcut
Woodcut
Woodcut—occasionally known as xylography—is a relief printing artistic technique in printmaking in which an image is carved into the surface of a block of wood, with the printing parts remaining level with the surface while the non-printing parts are removed, typically with gouges...
s, and engraving
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
s. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
in 1954.
A collection of essays
Festschrift
In academia, a Festschrift , is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during his or her lifetime. The term, borrowed from German, could be translated as celebration publication or celebratory writing...
in honor of Roland Bainton was published in 1962.
Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther
Bainton published Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther in 19501950 in literature
The year 1950 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Kazuo Shimada wins the "Mystery Writer Of Japan" award for his book Shakai-bu Kisha .*Jack Kerouac has his first novel published....
. As of 2006, it is still in print. Kenneth Scott Latourette
Kenneth Scott Latourette
Kenneth Scott Latourette was an American historian of China, Japan, and world Christianity. His formative experiences as Christian missionary and educator in early 20th century China shaped his life's work...
, in the chapter notes for "Luther and the Rise and Spread of Lutheranism" in his History of Christianity, lauds Bainton's biography of Luther as "A superb combination of accurate scholarship based upon a thorough knowledge of the sources and secondary works with insight, vivid, readable literary style, and reproductions of contemporary illustrations. It also contains so valuable a bibliography as to render needless an extended one in this chapter."
In his chapter on Luther's writings in Invitation to the Classics, Mark A. Noll
Mark Noll
Mark A. Noll is a historian specializing in the history of Christianity in the United States. He holds the position of Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame...
singles out Bainton's biography: "Of the many superlative treatments, a half-century old study by Roland Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, has justly won a reputation as a classic work on a classic subject."
The Reformation of the Sixteenth Century
This volume went to press in 19521952 in literature
The year 1952, in literature involved some significant events and new literary publications.-Events:*J. L. Carr takes over as headmaster of Highfields Primary School, Kettering, which will eventually furnish the subject matter for his novel, The Harpole Report.*November 25 - Agatha Christie's play...
. Its value, also, is acknowledged by Latourette
Kenneth Scott Latourette
Kenneth Scott Latourette was an American historian of China, Japan, and world Christianity. His formative experiences as Christian missionary and educator in early 20th century China shaped his life's work...
in the chapter notes on "Luther and the Rise and Spread of Lutheranism" (see note on Here I Stand), thus, "An admirable popular brief summary by an outstanding specialist".
Other Works
(Non-exhaustive)- The Age of Reformation
- Behold the Christ: A portrayal of Christ in words and pictures
- Christian Attitudes Toward War and Peace
- Christianity
- The Church of Our Fathers
- Erasmus of Christendom
- Hunted Heretic: The Life and Death of Michael Servetus, 1511-1553
- The Travail of Religious Liberty
- Women of the Reformation in France and England
- Women of the Reformation in Germany and Italy
- Bernardino OchinoBernardino OchinoBernardino Ochino was an Italian Reformer.-Biography:Bernardino Ochino was born in Siena son of the barber Domenico Ochino, and at the age of 7 or 8 around 1504 was entrusted to the Minorite order of Franciscan Friars, then from 1510 he studied medicine at Perugia.-1534, transfer to the...
, esule e riformatore senese del Cinquecento 1487-1563, Firenze, La Nuova Italia 1940 - "Christendom - A Short History of Christianity and its Impact on Western Civilization," in two volumes, 1964