"Catholic Reformation" or "Counter-Reformation" : historiographical implications of the debate

Abstract

In this paper we shall investigate the meaning and implications of the term ‘Counter-Reformation’ in the historiography of the Reformation. The main argument that we put forward is that the broader context in which the historian writes, his or her personal as well as national interests, and the methodology that he or she chooses determine, to a great extent, the historiographical slant of his or her study. In the article, we shall illustrate how these variables manifest themselves in determining the propriety or otherwise of the term ‘Counter- Reformation’, the period associated with it, and the alternatives that historians are prepared to adopt in order to replace it.