Juan de Valdés (c. 1490–1541) in Light of his Religious Background

By (author) Manuel Martínez-Ortega Series edited by Herman J. Selderhuis Associate editor Christopher B. Brown Associate editor Günter Frank Associate editor Barbara Mahlmann-Bauer Associate editor Tarald Rasmussen Associate editor Violet Soen Associate editor Zsombor Tóth Associate editor Günther Wassilowsky Associate editor Siegrid Westphal

Book cover: Juan de Valdés (c. 1490–1541) in Light of his Religious Background

Extent: 559 pages

Publisher: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht

Subjects: Early Modern & Renaissance Studies, Hispanic & Portuguese Studies, Religious Studies

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(October 2025)

ISBN: 9783525502334

6.3 x 9.25 inches

Price: $200.00

In stock

Having been discarded into the oblivion of “heretics”, the figure of Juan de Valdes only began to be recovered at the end of the 19th century. Initially associated with Protestantism, Valdes has been portrayed by a range of writers who have each tried to classify him in one of the religious categories of the time: erasmian, catholic, alumbrado or protestant. However, the very diversity of portraits only confirmed the need for a more eclectic point of view. Manuel Martinez-Ortega examines particular religious trends, texts and tendencies of Valdes’ time and context in order to identify, through the analysis of his writings, the particular characteristics and emphases of his eclecticism. I shows that, within the movement of Spanish Protestantism, Juan de Valdes constitutes a clear example of religious currents that received and assimilated key principles of the Protestant Reformation.


Having been discarded into the oblivion of “heretics”, the figure of Juan de Valdes only began to be recovered at the end of the 19th century. Initially associated with Protestantism, Valdes has been portrayed by a range of writers who have each tried to classify him in one of the religious categories of the time: erasmian, catholic, alumbrado or protestant. However, the very diversity of portraits only confirmed the need for a more eclectic point of view. In his book Manuel Martinez-Ortega examines particular religious trends, texts and tendencies of Valdes’ time and context in order to identify, through the analysis of his writings, the particular characteristics and emphases of his eclecticism. His writings include commentaries on the Bible, with translation from Greek into Spanish, as well as a sizable “spiritual manual” and something like theological sketches, all of which portray his convictions and message. The analysis of his writings and their background reveal that, within the movement of Spanish Protestantism, Juan de Valdes constitutes a clear example of religious currents that received and assimilated key principles of the Protestant Reformation.

  • By (author) Manuel Martínez-Ortega
  • Series edited by Herman J. Selderhuis
  • Associate editor Christopher B. Brown
  • Associate editor Günter Frank
  • Associate editor Barbara Mahlmann-Bauer
  • Associate editor Tarald Rasmussen
  • Associate editor Violet Soen
  • Associate editor Zsombor Tóth
  • Associate editor Günther Wassilowsky
  • Associate editor Siegrid Westphal