August Bader has traditionally been considered one of the most bizarre figures of the Radical Reformation, but Schubert argues that his messianic consciousness is an understandable outgrowth of both the apocalyptic thought of his teacher Hans Hut and also Jewish Kabbalistic thought. After experiencing several visions, Bader became convinced that he was a prophet and ultimately, in 1530, the Messiah (p. 14). He had special clothing and regalia of gold made to befit his status, which his accusers took to mean that he was a would-be political rebel as well as a heretic (p. 248). Using the interrogation records from Bader’s trial in 1530, the author provides a reasonably coherent picture of his mental world. Where this book differs from many works on the Radical Reformation is in its stress on the importance of Christian Hebraism as a mediator of Jewish thought, and also how the intellectual exchanges between Christians and Jews could have an impact on Christian thought
