Introduction
To choose 1517 as the anniversary date of the Reformation is problematic. Why the Ninety-five Theses about the indulgences, and not the refusal of the papal bull Exsurge Domine (December 10th 1520), the excommunication (January 3rd 1521) or the Edict of Worms, declaring Luther an outlaw (May 26th 15...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | fra |
Published: |
Laboratoire de Recherche Historique Rhône-Alpes (LARHRA UMR 5190)
2017-01-01
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Series: | Chrétiens et Sociétés |
Online Access: | http://journals.openedition.org/chretienssocietes/4080 |
Summary: | To choose 1517 as the anniversary date of the Reformation is problematic. Why the Ninety-five Theses about the indulgences, and not the refusal of the papal bull Exsurge Domine (December 10th 1520), the excommunication (January 3rd 1521) or the Edict of Worms, declaring Luther an outlaw (May 26th 1521), or other events?Only after Luther’s death, the Ninety-five Theses were seen by Melanchthon as the beginning of the Reformation. Other writings, by Myconius, Sleidan, etc., did the same. Very early, the Reformation gave as an origin the date of October 31th 1517. There was a competition between Saxony and the Palatinate for the first centennial: the war against the Emperor was imminent, and the matter of the leadership of the Reformed States was very important. This means that the anniversary of the Reformation was used as a tool for political issues. The goal of this journal issue is to show how these anniversaries are telling something other than the fight against the indulgences. F. Schlie explains that the FRG and the GDR had two different understandings of Luther, which appeared in the TV movies during the Cold War. Nowadays Luther is a national Hero in Germany, and the Reformation is celebrated as a worldwide event (H. Lehmann).The anniversary of the Reformation was celebrated not only in Lutheran countries, but also in Reformed ones: in many cities of the Switzerland from the 17th century onwards. S. Scholl studies the 4th centennial in Geneva. C. Borello discusses a sermon from 1846 of the pastor Cuvier in Paris. P. Cabanel presents the 1918 issue of the Revue de Métaphysique et de Morale, where the modernity of the Reformation was celebrated.This issue ends with other papers on Protestantism: the first one on the “ancestors” of the Reformation, the second one on the family cemeteries. |
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ISSN: | 1257-127X 1965-0809 |