Description
Book SynopsisBy the third quarter of the sixteenth century, one or another form of Christianity emerged as dominant in most territories of the Holy Roman Empire. In
Hometown Religion, David Luebke examines a territory that managed to escape that fate - the prince-bishopric of Münster, the heart of an entire region in which no single form of Christianity dominated.
Trade ReviewWhat Luebke does that is so original here is to uncover and explain the ritual practices that developed in Münster in the period 1553–1624—ritual practices that articulated the arrangements and embodied the accommodations that peaceful coexistence entailed. Examining the rites of baptism, marriage, communion, and burial, the book shows how the native clergy and laity of Münster sought through ritual to preserve the cohesion of their religiously mixed communities in the face of increasing pressures for religious uniformity."" — Benjamin J. Kaplan, University College London, author of
Cunegonde's Kidnapping: A Story of Religious Conflict in the Age of Enlightenment""
Hometown Religion is a sound and original piece of scholarship based on extensive archival research. It shows a masterly command of the primary and secondary sources, and it makes a persuasive and interesting argument about an important aspect of early modern German history. It ranks as a first-rate book. It also adds considerably to our knowledge and advances the state of the field beyond what German scholars have achieved themselves."" — R. Po-chia Hsia, Penn State, author of
A Jesuit in the Forbidden City: Matteo Ricci 1552-1610
