Catechization and Conversion
The conversion of large portions of the German-speaking world from Protestantism to Catholicism in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries is considered to be one of the successes of the European Counter-Reformation and of the Jesuits. However, Catholicization programs, especially those s...
| Published in: | Journal of Jesuit studies |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brill
2014
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| In: |
Journal of Jesuit studies
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| Further subjects: | B
Paderborn
Ingolstadt
Germany
Holy Roman Empire
Jesuit school drama
Counter-Reformation
St. Augustine
Paderborn
Jakob Gretser
Augustinus Turranius
conversion
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| Online Access: |
Presumably Free Access Volltext (Verlag) |
| Summary: | The conversion of large portions of the German-speaking world from Protestantism to Catholicism in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries is considered to be one of the successes of the European Counter-Reformation and of the Jesuits. However, Catholicization programs, especially those supported by the territorial governments, were not received without resistance. In both embattled and secure areas, the Jesuits viewed their schools as primary to their mission to reclaim Protestants and to solidify Catholic faith. Drama was one of the most visible ways that Jesuit teachers could reach the general populace for this purpose. Conversion and saints’ lives were common themes in Jesuit plays across Europe. One of the most popular of these plays which contributed to the process of Catholic confessionalization was the German Jesuit play Augustinus conversus by Jakob Gretser, first staged in the staunchly Catholic city of Ingolstadt. In the aftermath of an armed rebellion against the Counter-Reformation in the territory of Paderborn, the Jesuits staged a comedy by Augustinus Turranius which drew heavily on Gretser’s play. In staging a comedy about the adolescence of St. Augustine, the Jesuits expounded on the themes of conversion, redemption, and forgiveness without directly referring to the situation in Paderborn. In this paper, both plays are placed within the context of the cities in which they were composed and performed, and the religious struggles in both cities are considered in the light of the larger Jesuit missionary project of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. |
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| ISSN: | 2214-1332 |
| Contains: | In: Journal of Jesuit studies
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/22141332-00102004 |