It is a widespread belief that the Reformation introduced the possibility of choosing between different variants of the Christian faith. In contrast, this lecture argues that the early German Reformation created a field of experimentation in which it was disputed who was able, and who was permitted, to decide on which faith options, and how. The Reformation gave rise to new questions of individual and collective religious decision-making, encompassing many different dimensions, such as faith options, the semantic and practical framing of situations in which choices were made, and the actors and procedures involved.
Matthias Pohlig is Professor of Early Modern European History at the Humboldt-Universität in Berlin. He is author of a monograph on Lutheran historiography in the sixteenth century (2007) and a monograph on information-gathering during the War of the Spanish Succession (2016). He has published widely on the Reformation, early modern religion, diplomacy and espionage, and questions of historical theory.
This lecture will take place as a hybrid event at the GHIL and online via Zoom. In order to attend this event, please register via Eventbrite to take part in person or online.