1617 Biblical Sermons on the Reformation Anniversary CHURCH CALENDER Bible

Kirchen calender das ist 1617 Martinum Bohemum, 1-871 COMPLETE, 6 3/4 inches by 4 1/4 inches. Vellum toasted with wear.  Pages browned with abrasions on margin but no loss to text.  

The year 1617 was a special year for Lutherans as it was the first “Reformation anniversary”. During this time they commemorated the beginning of the Reformation. From October 31, 1617 (the eve of All Saints' Day) to November 2, 1617, Lutherans in the Holy Roman Empire celebrated this historic anniversary with church services, prayers of thanksgiving and, above all, detailed memorial sermons. These sermons were not only delivered in real time, but were also distributed in printed form in the following months.

The idea of jubilee comes from the biblical concept of the “jubilee year,” described in the book of Leviticus. Although the Levitical Jubilee ended when the Israelites went into exile, it persisted in the Christian imagination as a metaphor for redemption and reparation. The Lutherans used this to declare the year 1617 as a jubilee.

It is interesting to see how Lutherans at the time were careful to distinguish their own godly jubilees from the false anniversaries of the “Antichrist Synagogue” (meaning the Catholic Church).