History of religion Books

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Book SynopsisMigrations are a phenomenon that can be traced back to the beginning of the history of mankind. In modern times, especially in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, numerous migration movements took place from Europe to North America. It was also at this time that the migrations of the Schwenkfelders, followers of Caspar Schwenckfeld?s teachings, from Silesia then belonging to the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy to Pennsylvania took place. On the basis of their spiritualistic theology as well as their intense, personal piety, they rejected some essential doctrines of Christianity and ecclesiastical institutions. Therefore governmental and ecclesiastical authorities meted out severe punishments to them. However, it was not until the establishment of a Jesuit Mission for their catholicization in 1719 that more than two hundred of them left Silesia for the sake of their faith. They emigrated first to the Electorate of Saxony and several years later to Pennsylvania, where they settled scattered widely northwest of Philadelphia between 1731 and 1737. In this multireligious, multicultural, and multiethnic English colony they become acquainted with other religious beliefs and forms of piety. Here, moreover, they were challenged by other social, political, and cultural circumstances. This monograph is the first to pursue, in detail, the effects of these acquaintanceships and challenges on the faith of the Silesian refugees. These effects ranged as becomes clear from declines and multifarious alterations (modifications, changes, or even revisions) to the strengthening and deepening of their traditional faith and piety. However, the study shows, for most of the Schwenkfelders the migrations did not primarily involve risks. Rather they opened up great opportunities for their religious development and their individual and community life. Without doubt, the Schwenkfelder migrations are characterized by uniqueness; nevertheless certain features can also be detected in other religious migrations. Therefore their migrations represent in certain ways a paradigm, for this time and beyond.

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Book SynopsisEarly modern Central and Eastern Europe is an important area of ​​study for the development of denominational diversity within Latin Christianity, the associated political challenges and the emergence of tolerant conflict solutions aimed at religious coexistence. Because religion and politics were connected in a specific way in the great rule formations between the Baltic Sea and the Adriatic, in Poland, Bohemia and Hungary. Religious freedom, which was considered part of the national freedoms, was as it were the unifying bond of society in this historical region.

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Book SynopsisLiesa Weber nimmt Handlungsspielräume und Handlungsoptionen von Pfarrern und Gemeindegliedern im Nationalsozialismus in den Blick. Ihr Ansatz ist, dass selbst innerhalb einer Diktatur Handlungsspielräume zur Wahl unterschiedlicher Handlungsoptionen für die Akteurinnen und Akteure bestanden haben. Die komparatistisch angelegte Studie analysiert erstmals die beiden oberfränkischen Dekanate Bayreuth und Coburg für die Zeit des Nationalsozialismus aus kirchengeschichtlicher Perspektive. Liesa Weber blickt auf die Mikroebene und gewinnt so Erkenntnisse über die Unterschiede in den Handlungsentscheidungen der kirchlichen Handlungsträger vor Ort bei ähnlichen Ereignissen, aber auch eine neue Perspektive auf die Haltung der Kirchenleitung der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Kirche in Bayern in der nationalsozialistischen Zeit wird eröffnet. Die Studie wertet umfangreiches Archivmaterial, das zum großen Teil noch ungedruckt und unveröffentlicht ist, aus.

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Book SynopsisDeutschland 2017: Ein Land befallen vom Luther-Fieber. 500 Jahre Reformation sind allerdings keinesfalls nur ein Ruhmesblatt in der deutschen Geschichte. Sie haben auch eine blutige Spur in ganz Europa hinterlassen. Was blieb im 21. Jahrhundert von der Reformationsbewegung und deren Idealen übrig? Sollte man die von Luther & Co. auf den Weg gebrachte Kirchenreform, die im Grunde gar keine war, nur mit Lobeshymnen überschütten? Oder im Gegenteil: Sollte man ihr - aus zeitlicher Distanz - auch mit Skepsis begegnen?

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Book Synopsisn her Epilogue entitled What Is His Greatness?, Ola Elizabeth Winslow stated in the first serious modern biography of Jonathan Edwards: In a word, it is the greatness of one who had a determining art of initiating and directing a popular movement of far-reaching consequence, and who in addition, laid the foundations for a new system of religious thought, also of far-reaching consequence. After two and a half centuries since Edwardss death, Winslows statement is undoubtedly true, and perhaps, more so now than ever. The recovery of Edwards pioneered by Perry Miller, Ola Winslow, and Thomas Schafer, among others, has become what is often referred to as an Edwards renaissance, and has been made even more popular among lay people by John Piper, Stephen Nichols, and the like. Since the free online access of The Works of Jonathan Edwards by Yale University, dozens of books, and articles, as well as numerous dissertations, each year are written to seek a facet of Edwardss greatness, and thus as an exemplar of his continued far-reaching consequence. Jonathan Edwards, more than any other pre-revolutionary colonial thinker, grappled with the promises and perils of the Enlightenment. Organized by John T. Lowe and Daniel N. Gullotta, Jonathan Edwards within the Enlightenment brings together a group of young and early career scholars to present their propping the life, times, and theology of one of Americas greatest minds. Many of these subjects have been seldom explored by scholars while others offer new and exciting avenues into well covered territory. Some of these topics include Edwards interaction with and involvement in slavery, colonialism, racism, as well as musings on gender, populism, violence, pain, and witchcraft.

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Book SynopsisThe present anthology offers nine articles that deal with the book history of the Swedish Empire in the early modern period. During this period, i. H. since the end of the Kalmar Union, the Swedish territory mainly comprised the Swedish and Finnish territories on both sides of the Gulf of Bothnia. This is reflected in the anthology in the fact that a third of the articles deal with book history in the Finnish part of the Empire. The term book history is relatively broad and interdisciplinary. The editors were not only interested in the book as an object per se or descriptive descriptions of collections, purely numerical quantifications of preserved objects or the compilation of bibliographical information. Rather, a more open definition of the term book history also includes an in-depth study of individual types of text as well as the contents and discourses negotiated there. For this reason, some contributions are expressly dedicated to different types of text, including the history of the Swedish hymn book in the 16th century, the Swedish school drama of the early modern period or neo-Latin poetry

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Book SynopsisIn the 16th century - due to the lack of local higher education institutions - Wittenberg was the most important university for Protestants in Hungary. Up to the end of the century about 1200 students stayed here, 430 of them were direct pupils of Melanchthon between 1522 and 1560. The Coetus was created on June 24th, 1555, in a period in which the Wittenberg University was in its flourishing epoch. Melanchthon will have played a decisive role in the creation of the Coetus. It was he who presided over the regular biweekly disputations of the community until the end of his life. Looking at the list of names, it is easy to see that in the first ten years Melanchthon was the common denominator, and although the majority of the members consisted increasingly of supporters of the Swiss Reformation over the years.

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Book SynopsisLavater's diverse interests, which were not measured solely by reading, but were vitalizing through personal, often controversial contacts, make him a dazzling central figure of the 18th century. In accordance with his dictum of the face of God in the face of man, this 18th century is reflected in Lavater's complex physiognomy of work with its simultaneities of the non-simultaneous, with its straight-line and crooked progressions, its controversies and conflicts. The volume creates interdisciplinary approaches from German literary studies, Latin studies, Russian studies, medical and psychological history, art history, esoteric history, religious studies, theologies of several denominations, musicology, philosophy and early modern history. It offers access oriented towards cultural studies and the history of discourse. This is appropriate to the subject of interest, as Lavater is an author who, on the one hand, has established a theology, if you will, that is based on cultural studies and, on the other hand, has an interdisciplinary scope.

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Book SynopsisThe combination of a biographical study and the analysis of the Reformation network on the Upper Rhine by the Landau reformer Johann Bader shows the development of Protestant theology in the early modern period. Starting from Johann Bader, who worked in the Palatinate imperial city of Landau, this networking and the exchange it requires, and thus the mutual influence between various actors in the Reformation network on the Upper Rhine, can be demonstrated. On the one hand, Bader's development and his biography become clear, and on the other hand, the (further) development of theological ideas through mutual networking is shown. The biographical study thus contributes to both local research on the history of the Reformation and general research on the Reformation.

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Book SynopsisGregory of Nazianzus (329-390 AD), one of the most important and influential church writers from late antiquity, distinguishes in his work between the absolutely incomprehensible nature of God and the work of God that people can experience. Nadja Heimlicher shows how the theologian makes this distinction and what he gains from it for his talk about God. Heimlicher presents a consistent representation of the interplay of theoretical foundations and their practical development in Gregory of Nazianzus. While his interest in theological work is on the question of knowing God, in the context of lived faith it shifts to striving to experience God and ultimately to union with God. It is one of Gregory's core concerns that the practice of faith always precedes theology and forms the basis for it as a nurturing basis.

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Book SynopsisThis book is an in-depth examination of the pneumatology of Origen of Alexandria. Justin J. Lee argues that Origen conceives of the Holy Spirit as a divine person, but inferior in nature in both person and work. This can be discerned from his understanding of the Son and Father, as well as the influence of Middle Platonism on his theological and cosmological framework. Ontologically, Origens understanding of Trinity is a hierarchy of divine persons in which the greater ministers to the existence of the lower. Origens pneumatology can be best understood by examining how he speaks about the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit participates in the divine work of salvation, reflecting an economic Trinity of shared work and will. The Spirits primary role is to indwell and assist the saints. There are two major actions of the Holy Spirits work: (1) the downward action of God, where the Spirit is the distributor of the divine gifts and graces and (2) the Spirits upward work of revelation and sanctification, by which he leads the saints to the Son and Father. The Spirit thus serves as the practical and personal initiator of believers into the greater processes of salvation and deification.

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Book SynopsisSamuel Rutherford's (1600-1661) scholastic theology has been criticized as overly deterministic and even fatalistic, a charge common to Reformed Orthodox theologians of the era. This project applies the new scholarship on Reformed Orthodoxy to Rutherford's doctrine of divine providence. The doctrine of divine providence touches upon many of the disputed points in the older scholarship, including the relationship between divine sovereignty and creaturely freedom, necessity and contingency, predetermination, and the problem of evil. Through a close examination of Rutherford's Latin works of scholastic theology, as well as many of his English works, a portrait emerges of the absolutely free and independent Creator, who does not utilize his sovereignty to dominate his subordinate creatures, but rather to guarantee their freedom. This analysis challenges the older scholarship while making useful contributions to the lively conversation concerning Reformed thought on freedom.

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Book SynopsisA specialist discourse on contemporary church history was last held in the 1990s. It therefore seems high time to face the questions that have arisen since then about the temporal, content-related and interdisciplinary aspects of the research field and to re-measure it in view of the changed framework conditions. Current issues are discussed together in a group of renowned experts from various disciplines. The first four chapters deal with periodization questions, research subjects, actors and their intentions, as well as source questions. The last two chapters deal with the question of the opportunities and limits of interdisciplinarity and shed light on contemporary church history from a European and global perspective. The volume was created in a bi-denominational cooperation between the Evangelical Working Group for Church Contemporary History and the Commission for Contemporary History.

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Book SynopsisFranciscus Junius d.Ã. (1545-1602) war einer der fÃ"hrenden Vertreter der dritten Generation reformierter Theologen. Bei Johannes Calvin und Theodor Beza in Genf ausgebildet, wurde er Theologieprofessor in Heidelberg und später in Leiden. Nicht nur der Unterricht in Genf, sondern auch die juristischen und humanistischen Studien in Bourges und Lyon haben Junius geprägt, sodass er ein unverkennbar reformiertes, aber in vielerlei Hinsicht von Calvin und Beza abweichendes theologisches Profil entwickelt hat. In Fragen nach politischer und kirchlicher Ordnung hat Junius sich stark fÃ"r die Geltung von menschlichen Grundrechten unabhängig eines religiösen Bekenntnisses eingesetzt und einen religiösen Pluralismus staatlichen ZwangsmaÃnahmen vorgezogen. Mehrfach sind Friedensinitiativen zur Versöhnung der Konfessionen sowie zur Befriedung von politischen Gemeinwesen von ihm ausgegangen. Ansätze eines Vernunftrechts sowie hermeneutische Ãberlegungen Ã"ber die Rolle der Bibel fÃ"r Rechtsprechung und Politik haben bekannte Gelehrte wie Hugo Grotius und Johannes Althusius inspiriert und damit auch eine auÃertheologische Rezeption von Junius' Schriften bewirkt.Die Untersuchung zeigt, dass ein entschiedenes Eintreten fÃ"r den reformierten Glauben nicht unbedingt verbunden war mit Polemik gegenÃ"ber anderen Konfessionen. Eine bislang fehlende, im wesentlichen chronologisch gegliederte Ãbersicht Ã"ber Junius' theologisches Gesamtwerk eröffnet die Möglichkeit, Junius als einen bedeutenden reformierten Theologen des ausgehenden 16. Jahrhunderts wahrzunehmen. Durch die Einordnung von Junius' Gedanken in seine Zeit, ist die Arbeit ein wichtiger Beitrag zur Forschung Ã"ber die Pluralität calvinistisch-reformierter Theologie am Ende des 16. Jahrhunderts.

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Book SynopsisIn this volume Frank Ewerszumrode studies the Eucharist teachings of Johannes Calvin from a Roman Catholic perspective. At the center of his focus lies the question concerning the real presence of Christ in the bread and wine. First the author describes Calvin's position on this matter in the context of the internal controversy among the Reformers concerning the nature of the Eucharist. A closer look reveals that broad agreement reigns between Calvin's theology in this matter and the Roman Catholic teaching of transsubstantiation.

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Book SynopsisCalvin's dispute with Cardinal Sadolet about the necessity of the Reformation.

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Book SynopsisThe investigation of union with Christ and justification has been dominated by the figure of John Calvin. Calvins influence, however, has been exaggerated in our own day. Theologians within the Early Modern Reformed tradition contributed to the development of these doctrines and did not view Calvin as the normative theologian of the tradition. John V. Fesko, therefore, goes beyond Calvin and explores union with Christ and justification in the Reformation, Early Orthodox, and High Orthodox periods of the Reformed tradition and covers lesser known but equally important figures such as Juan de Valdes, Peter Martyr Vermigli, Girolamo Zanchi, William Perkins, John Owen, Francis Turretin, and Herman Witsius. The study also covers theologians that either lie outside or transgress the Reformed tradition, such as Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, Faustus Socinus, Jacob Arminius, and Richard Baxter. By treating this diverse body of figures the study reveals areas of agreement and diversity on these two doctrines. The author demonstrates that among the diverse formulations, all surveyed Reformed theologians accord justification priority over sanctification within the broader rubric of union with Christ. Fesko shows that Reformed theologians affirm both union with Christ and the golden chain of salvation, ideas that moderns find incompatible. In sum, rather than reading an individual theologian isolated from his context, this study provides a contextual reading of union with Christ and justification in the Early Modern Reformed context. The investigation of union with Christ and justification has been dominated by the figure of John Calvin. Calvins influence, however, has been exaggerated in our own day. Theologians within the Early Modern Reformed tradition contributed to the development of these doctrines and did not view Calvin as the normative theologian of the tradition. John V. Fesko, therefore, goes beyond Calvin and explores union with Christ and justification in the Reformation, Early Orthodox, and High Orthodox periods of the Reformed tradition and covers lesser known but equally important figures such as Juan de Valdes, Peter Martyr Vermigli, Girolamo Zanchi, William Perkins, John Owen, Francis Turretin, and Herman Witsius. The study also covers theologians that either lie outside or transgress the Reformed tradition, such as Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, Faustus Socinus, Jacob Arminius, and Richard Baxter. By treating this diverse body of figures the study reveals areas of agreement and diversity on these two doctrines. The author demonstrates that among the diverse formulations, all surveyed Reformed theologians accord justification priority over sanctification within the broader rubric of union with Christ. Fesko shows that Reformed theologians affirm both union with Christ and the golden chain of salvation, ideas that moderns find incompatible. In sum, rather than reading an individual theologian isolated from his context, this study provides a contextual reading of union with Christ and justification in the Early Modern Reformed context.

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Book SynopsisThis dissertation intends to situate Cotton Mather in the Early Enlightenment, to add observations concerning his reception in America and to overcome the image of him as a transitional figure. It proposes that especially the sections of his work which are only beginning to be explored show his particular theological position which consists in an enlightened redefinition of the roles of the Holy Spirit. This has repercussions for the content of his faith and his practical and historical belief. Approaching his works in a second step from the perspective of Early Modern Society, it attempts to show the limits of concepts brought to bear on this society, on him and on his works in particular such as the theories of the "errand" in the settlement of New England and its subsequent "decline" in its connection to psychohistory, social history and the history of mentalities. Given the overwhelming importance of the Salem witchcraft trials in the reception of Cotton Mather, further observations on the changing role of the pastorate, familial and societal education and the development of medical and natural sciences take their departure from their examination as an example of early modern phenomena of exclusion. Critical examination of this and other historical and literary, philosophical, sociological and theological concepts which prevented Cotton Mather from being seen as an Enlightenment figure are the main subject of this dissertation.

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Book SynopsisDie Anregung, eine Dekade der Gewaltlosigkeit auszurufen, ging auf die so genannten Historischen Friedenskirchen zurëck und ist vom Ökumenischen Rat der Kirchen aufgenommen worden. Seither wird intensiver als zuvor, weltweit ëber das Friedenszeugnis der christlichen Kirchen beraten und versucht, es mit dem Auftrag zu verbinden, Wege zur Einheit der Kirchen auf immer wieder neue und andere Weise gemeinsam zu gehen. In den letzten Jahrzehnten des vergangenen Jahrhunderts war das ein besonderes Anliegen des mennonitischen Theologen John Howard Yoder (1927-1997). Er zählte in Nordamerika zu den fëhrenden Theologen, die sich bemëht haben, aus dem Geist des historischen Täufertums eine Friedenstheologie zu erarbeiten, die genau diese Verbindung mit neuen Argumenten durchdacht hat. Auf diese Weise hat er das friedenskirchliche Zeugnis so zu Gehör gebracht, dass es sich im Gespräch mit anderen Kirchen selbstkritisch neu zu begreifen lernte; und die Kirchen, die aus staatskirchlichen Traditionen hervorgegangen sind, hat er daran erinnert, dass sie die inzwischen erreichte Trennung von Kirche und Staat noch nicht konsequent genutzt haben, um vorbehaltlos fër den Frieden in der Welt einzutreten. Er fordert sie heraus, ihr friedenstheologisches Defizit in den Gesprächen um die Einheit der Kirchen auszugleichen.

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Book SynopsisÃœber das Leben des Gershom Scholem: die Geschichte eines (Re-)Migranten.

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Book SynopsisEin Profil des skandinavischen Luthertums aus bildungsgeschichtlicher Sicht

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Book SynopsisIn launching the National Mission (Volksmission) over 100 years ago, the German Evangelical Churches hoped to spread the Gospel and stabilize a society ravaged by war and domestic instability. Henning Bühmann traces the development of Protestant missionary thinking in Germany between 1916 and 1934, concentrating on the activities of the Central Committee of the Home Mission (Central-Ausschusses der Inneren Mission). He traces the increasingly nationalist tone adopted by the missionaries and their failure to halt the tide of secularism. The author concludes that the eventual collapse of the missionary movement was due less to the new political atmosphere which followed the establishment of the Third Reich than the internal contradictions of the Volksmissionsbewegung itself.

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Book SynopsisFrom traditional priesthood to End-times prophethood: apocalyptic and eschatological themes in Heinrich Bullingerâs manuscripts

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Book SynopsisDie in diesem Band versammelten Beiträge nehmen den in Labin (Kroatien) geborenen Matthias Flacius Illyricus unter vier Schwerpunkten in den Blick. Der erste widmet sich Flacius als Wanderer zwischen den Welten, der sich in verschiedenen städtischen und territorialen, politischen und konfessionellen Zusammenhängen zu behaupten hatte. Im Zentrum steht die Frage danach, welchen Einfluss die jeweiligen kulturellen und sozialen Kontexte auf seine geistige und theologische Entwicklung ausübten, welche Exilserfahrung er machte und wie sich dies auf seine Einstellung zu Heimat und Heimatlosigkeit auswirkte. Der zweite Schwerpunkt beleuchtet Flacius als Kämpfer für die Wahrheit. Die Beiträge versuchen sein Ringen um die theologische Wahrheit als Strukturelement seines Denkens herauszuarbeiten. Dies konnte durchaus konfessionell übergreifende Relevanz erhalten, wie sie sich zum Beispiel in Flacius großen historischen und hermeneutischen Werken zeigt. Dabei wird deutlich, dass man Flacius nicht auf den Streittheologen und stets polarisierenden Gelehrten des strengen Luthertums reduzieren kann. Vielmehr rückt in den Vordergrund, wie Flacius Eintreten für die Wahrheit zugleich ein leitendes Element für sein Geschichtsverständnis und die Art seiner Geschichtsschreibung wurde, für das Konzept der Zeugenschaft und für eine spezifische Hermeneutik. Der dritte Schwerpunkt widmet sich Flacius in seinen Netzwerken. Hier werden bisher kaum beachtete Korrespondenzen mit anderen Gelehrten betrachtet. Es geht um die Kontakte des Flacius in die Schweiz und nach Italien, sowie um die Gelehrtenkorrespondenzen nach Polen und Ostpreußen als Beispiele aus einem viel breiteren europäischen Korrespondenznetzwerk. Der vierte Zugang hat die Rezeption und von Flacius ausgehende gruppenbildende Wirkungen zum Gegenstand. Dabei rückt Österreich als Ort von Asyl und Exil in den Blick, an den sich die Flacianer, das heißt die Anhänger und engagierten Verfechter des Erbsündenverständnisses des Flacius, nach zahlreichen Ausweisungen aus dem Reich zurückzogen. Aber auch das Erbe der Flacianer in anderen europäischen Räumen mit Schwerpunkt Slowenien und Kroatien ist zu beachten. Ob es zu der Ausprägung eines Flacianismus im Sinne einer Konfession mit Bekenntnischarakter und konfessionsspezifischen Elementen kam, wird ebenso diskutiert wie die Flacius-Biographik des 19. Jahrhunderts.

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Book SynopsisAs a student of Luther and Melanchthon, Joachim Westphal became a pastor in Hamburg in 1541. In the inner Evangelical controversy about the sacrament, he takes the floor against Johannes Calvin. Since then, research has drawn a one-sided portrait of him as a "quarrelsome and unforgiving Gnesiolutheran". Writings, sermons and letters that have not been considered so far provide a more nuanced picture of Westphal. After the introduction of Interim 1548, he took on an idiosyncratic position in the newly inflamed confessionalization process. He wrestles with Luther's legacy, transforms his teachings and differentiates himself from current, newly emerging discourses. Proximity and distance, orientation and delimitation, especially to Melanchthon, describe Westphal's struggle for its own theological profile. The present study outlines his way to the break with Melanchthon in Worms 1557 and presents Westphal in a previously unknown light.

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Book SynopsisThe present volume aims at a clarification and a discussion of the church in the 16th century: What did the reformers think about the essence and origin of the holy, apostolic and Catholic church? What was seen as the aim of it, its task and mission? Can human beings see the true church or not? Does it have one existence in this world and another in the world to come? Furthermore, the concept of church is indissolubly connected to the theological concepts of sin, faith, justification, sanctification, and salvation, and the study of the church also involves reflection upon the nature and scope of the sacraments, the role of the clergy, the aim of church-buildings, the significance of church properties and upon the constituent parts of the mass/church service. Finally, and not least, it is important to investigate the role of the church in the societies of the 16th century, such as the impact of the ruling powers upon them, their significance for education and social cohesion, and the cultural significance of migrating believers, on the run within and beyond the borders of Europe. Together with theological, philosophical and art-historical questions, these issues are considered in order to create a much fuller picture of the church at the time of the Reformation.

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Book SynopsisDer zweisprachige Sammelband vereinigt zum Teil bahnbrechende Ergebnisse einer interdisziplinären Forschungstagung, deren Beiträge sozial-, wirtschafts-, kultur- und kirchengeschichtliche Aspekte der Frühneuzeit im Karpatenbogen aufgreifen. Basierend auf vielfach erstmals ausgewerteten Quellen bearbeiten die Beiträge aktuelle Fragestellungen und Forschungshorizonte zur Interdependenz von sozialen, ökonomischen, kulturellen und religiösen Phänomenen im Karpatenbogen der Frühen Neuzeit, in dem die Osmanen der international dominante politische Faktor wurden. Transformationsprozesse wurden angestoßen durch Bevölkerungs- und Militärbewegungen, ökonomische, politische und religiös-mentale Umwälzungen, die zwischen opportunistischer Anpassung und rebellierendem Widerstand oszillierten und entsprechende politische Maßnahmen und Gegenreaktionen hervorriefen. Dabei wird die bislang geltende Forschungsmeinung zur Toleranzgeschichte Siebenbürgens in Frage gestellt und völlig neu bewertet.

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Book SynopsisAufklärung und Frömmigkeit scheinen sich nicht miteinander zu vertragen. GröÃeres Wissen und die Bereitschaft zur Kritik bedrohen das Glaubensleben, wie andererseits ein intensives religiöses Leben sich nicht mit dem Ideal der Aufgeklärtheit zu vertragen scheint. Der Protestantismus hat traditionell gröÃere Nähen zur Aufklärung als das katholische Christentum, bezahlt dies aber mit einer vermeintlichen Verarmung spiritueller VollzÃ"ge. Doch gibt es im Windschatten der immer wieder beschriebenen "RÃ"ckkehr der Religion" neue Möglichkeiten des Gesprächs zwischen den verschiedenen GröÃen. Es kehrt auch das BedÃ"rfnis wieder, aufgeklärtes Bewusstsein und gelebte Religion als miteinander verträglich zu denken. Der Protestantismus hat in seiner Geschichte und seiner Gegenwart groÃe Potenziale, dieses BedÃ"rfnis zu reflektieren und zu erfÃ"llen.Die Beiträger widmen sich dem spannungsreichen Verhältnis von Protestantismus, Aufklärung und Frömmigkeit. Sie untersuchen zum einen geschichtliche Positionen: Die Aufklärung bedeutet historisch nicht einfach einen Abbruch, sondern vor allem eine Transformation frommen Lebens. Sie bieten ferner Schlaglichter auf gegenwärtige Wahrnehmungen aufgeklärt-religiösen Lebens innerhalb und auÃerhalb der Kirche. Sie fragen des Weiteren vor allem im Anschluss an Herder und Schleiermacher nach systematisch-theologischen Verhältnisbestimmungen von Aufklärung und Frömmigkeit, und bieten schlieÃlich eine Reihe praktisch-theologischer AnstöÃe zur konkreten Arbeit in religiösen Handlungsfeldern wie Predigt, Jugendarbeit, Seelsorge und Kasualien.

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Book SynopsisDie Dialogflugschriften der frÃ"hen Reformationszeit wurden in der bisherigen kirchengeschichtlichen Forschung nur wenig beachtet. Susanne Schuster erschließt das Corpus der Dialogflugschriften und ordnet die dialogischen Flugschriften in den kommunikativen Kontext der Reformation als Medienereignis ein. Die Autorin beschreibt Dialoge als literarische Fortsetzung der akademischen Disputation und begreift diese damit als Teil der Umformung, den die Disputation in der frÃ"hen Reformation bis hin zur städtischen Disputation durchlaufen hat. Die Fiktionalität bot den Dialogen die Möglichkeit, diskursive Welten zu öffnen und variabler als der Traktat zu sein. Auf der theologischen Ebene sind die Dialoge Inanspruchnahme des allgemeinen Priestertums und des Schriftprinzips. Die Dialogflugschriften erscheinen als Resonanzräume reformatorischen Denkens.

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