Theology
Uta Wiggermann
Woellner und das Religionsedikt
Kirchenpolitik und kirchliche Wirklichkeit im Preußen des späten 18. Jahrhunderts
[Woellner and the Religious Edict. Church Policy and Church Reality in Late 18th Century Prussia.]
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Published in German.
The »Edict concerning the constitution of religion in the Prussian states,« dated July 9, 1788, was the most significant decree on church policy in late 18th century Prussia. With this edict and the measures that followed, Johann Christoph v. Woellner attempted to counteract the theological Enlightenment in churches, schools and universities. It was not only Woellner himself, but also church policy and church reality in his time, that were characterized by a peculiar entanglement and tension among theological convictions, personal interests, thoughts of political power and religious habits. Based on a wide range of contemporary and largely handwritten sources, Uta Wiggermann describes these complex relationships. This is the first comprehensive description to show that historical reality eludes established schematic classifications.