The religious allegiances of sixteenth-century peasant rebels

The peasant revolts which occurred frequently throughout the sixteenth century all included an inherent religious dimension. Historians have tried to place the peasants' religious allegiances within confessional boundaries. However, peasants determined their own religious priorities from the variety of movements created by the Reformation. The peasants who rebelled in the German Peasants' War of 1525 were inspired by Reformation teachings, especially the emphasis on the Gospel, yet rejected the exhortations of both radical and moderate reformers. English peasants participating in Kett's Rebellion of 1549 absorbed the Evangelical messages of Christian equality and justice, yet Traditionalist, Evangelical and folk practices decisively influenced their actions. French peasants who revolted in 1561 and 1578-80, during the Wars of Religion, rejected confessional divisions; instead, Catholics and Protestants cooperated. The actions of sixteenth-century peasant rebels demonstrate that they did not simply follow religious leaders but chose their own religious allegiances.