“Omnia sunt communia — all things are common.” — Thomas Muntzer

The Reformation was originally an attack on a corrupt Church, sparked by Martin Luther. Thomas Müntzer, originally Luther’s protégé, became increasingly convinced that the Reformation did not go far enough. In 1524 he became one of the leaders of the Peasants’ War, where the struggle against the Church exploded into a revolutionary attempt to realize the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Wu Ming, the five Italian authors who, under the name Luther Blissett, wrote the best-selling novel Q about the Radical Reformation, ask why Müntzer has inspired radicals for almost 500 years.

Wu Ming, the Italian authors’ collective, brought the Radical Reformation to life with their bestselling novel Q (written under the pseudonym Luther Blissett). In their introduction to Sermon to the Princes, they explain why Müntzer has continued to inspire visionaries and radicals for the last 500 years.