Crossing Borders - Impact of Reformation in Transylvania since the 1520s: Diversity of Faith and religious Freedom in the Ottoman Zone of Influence(Refo500 Academic Studies (R5AS))

In pre-Reformation period Transylvania existed a pluriconfessional situation. Therefore the impulses of the Wittenberg Reformation quickly found a resonance in the humanist bourgeoisie of Transylvania-Saxon cities. A spiritual openness is to be noted, but also the effort to inform the neighbouring ethnic groups directly about it and to convince them. Romanian and Hungarian translations and prints were published on site. Controversial theological debates led to a theological diversity – imported but also independently developed – up to the “early enlightened” undogmatic antitrinitarian movement. At first, the protagonists tried to harmonize the varying concepts of the Reformation on the basis of Melanchthon’s theology, which can be demonstrated in theologically deliberately indeterminate formulations. The orientation towards Melanchthon remained decisive for the following decades. Against the backdrop of Ottoman dominance in the region, the intra-Christian religious discussions were ostensibly aimed at religious unity in the “estate monarchy” Transylvania. However, the freedom of proclamation regulated by law by the Transylvanian Diet offered prospectively the option of a homogeneously unitarian regional church, which Prince John II Sigismund aspired to. The analyses of theological and social developments as well as the culture of preaching that reflects them in this multi-denominational and conflict-ridden context show a contrasting model with Central Europe. The content of this volume focussing on these confessional formation processes that extend well into the 17th century, demonstrates a remarkable extraordinary religious development within the Transylvanian cosmos, in respect to the souzerainity relationship with the Ottoman Empire.

About the Author :
Dr. Ulrich Andreas Wien ist Akademischer Direktor am Institut für Evangelische Theologie der Universität Koblenz-Landau. Dr. Ulrich Andreas Wien ist Akademischer Direktor am Institut für Evangelische Theologie der Universität Koblenz-Landau. Herman J. Selderhuis ist Professor für Kirchengeschichte an der Theologischen Universität Apeldoorn, Direktor von Refo500, Wissenschaftlicher Kurator der Johannes a Lasco Bibliothek sowie Präsident des Internationalen Calvinkongresses. Dr. Christopher B. Brown is Associate Professor of Church History at Boston University. Dr. Günter Frank ist Direktor der Europäischen Melanchthon-Akademie Bretten und außerplanmäßiger Professor am Karlsruher Institut für Technologie. Barbara Mahlmann-Bauer ist Professorin em. für „Neuere deutsche Literatur“ an der Universität Bern. Tarald Rasmussen ist Professor für Kirchengeschichte an der Universität Oslo. Dr. Violet Soen is Associate Professor for Early Modern History at the Faculty of Arts at the University of Leuven. Dr. Zsombor Tóth is Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Literary Studies at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Dr. Günther Wassilowsky ist Professor für Kirchengeschichte an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Prof. Dr. Siegrid Westphal ist Inhaberin des Lehrstuhls für Geschichte der Frühen Neuzeit an der Universität Osnabrück sowie Direktorin des Forschungszentrums Institut für Kulturgeschichte der Frühen Neuzeit.