Religion or Rebellion?: Justifying the French Wars of Religion and Dutch Revolt to German Protestants
During the French Wars of Religion and the Dutch Revolt, German audiences were continually targeted with appeals for support. Due to the empire's fragmented confessional landscape, the warring parties in France and the Netherlands faced the difficult challenge of presenting justifications with...
Main Author: | |
---|---|
Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Sixteenth Century Journal Publishers, Inc.
[2020]
|
In: |
The sixteenth century journal
Year: 2020, Volume: 51, Issue: 2, Pages: 445-464 |
IxTheo Classification: | CG Christianity and Politics KAG Church history 1500-1648; Reformation; humanism; Renaissance KBB German language area KBD Benelux countries KBG France KDA Church denominations |
Further subjects: | B
Justification (Theory of knowledge)
B foreign news B Religion & Politics B Dutch Wars of Independence, 1568-1648 B Protestants B Religion B Pamphlets B War finance B Germany B French Wars of Religion, 1562-1598 |
Summary: | During the French Wars of Religion and the Dutch Revolt, German audiences were continually targeted with appeals for support. Due to the empire's fragmented confessional landscape, the warring parties in France and the Netherlands faced the difficult challenge of presenting justifications with cross-confessional appeal. Central to their strategy was the sharp differentiation between religious and political motives. By explaining the actions of their adversaries as the product of hypocrisy and personal ambition, the aristocratic leadership of the warring parties deconfessionalised the two conflicts. These efforts were partly undone by pamphleteers who interpreted the conflicts as manifestations of a larger religious or even eschatological struggle. These two narratives were essentially irreconcilable and therefore caused confusion among German audiences. This article explores the nature and impact of these contradictory explanations. Sensitive to the inconsistencies, the German aristocracy advocated solutions that carefully addressed both the religious and the political dimension of the conflicts. |
---|---|
ISSN: | 2326-0726 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: The sixteenth century journal
|