The Importance of Epistolary Exchange for the Spread of the Reformation (with Special Attention to the Southwest of the Holy Roman Empire)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 16765853 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Christoph Strohm (0000-0003-3205-5519, Heidelberg University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 95-114 |
| Publication date | 2025-05-04 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Reformation & Renaissance Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1462-2459 • E-ISSN: 1743-1727 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/14622459.2025.2545763 |
| OpenAlex | W4415275158 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 9 |
Handwritten letters played a key role in the spread and establishment of the Reformation. In view of the very limited possibilities for supra-regional communication in the sixteenth century, letters fulfilled an important function in the transmission of information. The practice of forming communities of opinion through correspondence, which was widespread among the humanists, was utilised and further developed by the reformers in order to create confessional communities of conviction. In its beginnings, writings in German which were printed in large numbers played a major role in spreading the Reformation. Later, in the second half of the sixteenth century, such publications, which often stood out for their eloquence and original ideas, played a lesser role. The focus was now increasingly on safeguarding the Reformation, which seemed threatened by warring factions and conflicts within the movement. Hand written letters now became even more important, as the example of Jakob Andreae shows
Christianity · Middle Ages · Roman Empire · Historical and Linguistic Studies · Reformation and Early Modern Christianity
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |