The Reformation of ritual: an interpretation of early modern Germany.

Karant-Nunn, Susan C.

Published by London ; New York: Routledge, 1997

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scattered pencil marks or notes in margins and a few lines underlined on a few pages, otherwise good black hardcover. KARANT-NUNN, SUSAN C. The Reformation of ritual: an interpretation of early modern Germany. London ; New York: Routledge, 1997, 282pp., . Christianity and society in the modern world. - The emergence of Protestantism in early modem Europe led to a reexamination of all liturgical acts. Ecclesiastical rituals were transformed to embody the new version of the Christian faith and to transmit it to the people. In The Reformation of Ritual Susan Karant-Nunn explores the function of ritual in early modem German society, and the extent to which it was modified by the Reformation. Employing anthropological insights, and drawing on extensive archival research, Susan Karant-Nunn outlines the significance of the ceremonial changes. This comprehensive study includes an examination of all major rites of passage: birth, baptism, confirmation, engagement, marriage, the churching of women after childbirth, penance, the Eucharist, and dying. The author argues that the changes in ritual made over the course of the century reflect more than theological shifts; ritual was a means of imposing discipline and had the effect of making the divine less accessible. Church and state cooperated in using ritual as one means of gaining control of the populace. Taking into account emerging Calvinism as well as the early Lutheran Church, and considering regional variations in religious practice, Susan Karant-Nunn compares the new Protestant observances to the widespread Catholic ones of the late Middle Ages. She also draws on primary sources to describe how far the official views were adopted by the laity and the people. The Reformation of Ritual provides insight into the politics of reforming religion and into the practices of the wider community in early modem Germany. -- CONTENTS: 1. Engagement and marriage ceremonies: taming the beast within -- 2. To beat the Devil: baptism and the conquest of sin -- 3. Churching, a women's rite -- 4. Repentance, confession, and the Lord's Table: separating the divine from the human -- 5. Banning the dead and ordering the living: the selective retention of Catholic practice -- 6. Ritual change: conclusions. 9780415113373 ISBN 0415113377. Seller Inventory # 89484

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Reformation of ritual: an interpretation...

Publisher: London ; New York: Routledge, 1997

Binding: Hardcover