Speaking in the plural about ›the reformations of the sixteenth century‹ has become common in early modern research. The question, however, is what this plural form means. Is plural also plurality? What was the diversity within each of the various traditions arising out of these reformations? How did the dynamics of ›reformations‹ influence, for instance, the diversification of theological doctrines, socio-political institutions or educational systems and curricula? What are the manifestations of the so-called ›era of confessionalization‹? What does it mean to speak about a process of pluralisation with regard to the change of theological issues according to different political frameworks or in view of the intertwining of humanist and religious thought? Did – and if so, how – these different modes of knowledge transfer provoke a pluralisation of the ›learned world‹ and what was the impact on the diversification of academic and non-academic concepts of erudition?

In preparation of an international conference, taking place 2017 in Wittenberg, the workshop is dealing with conceptualizations of pluralisation in the early modern period and is asking for the specific dynamics of ›reformations‹ in the era of reformation. In order to shed light on these questions the contributions will focus on distinctive characteristics of ›reformations‹ in different fields, i.e. they will ask for the significance of developments with regard to various cultural preconditions and discuss the impact of pluralisation from a comparative point of view.
  

Program

8.45 a.m.
Welcome

9–10 a.m.
Volker Leppin (Tübingen): 
The Case of Reformation: Plurality of Institutions Replacing Plurality within an Institution

10–11 a.m.
Simon Burton (Warsaw):
Comenius and the Transcending of Plurality

11–11.30 a.m.   Coffeebreak

11.30 a.m.– 12.30 p.m.
Tarald Rasmussen (Oslo): 
The Nordic Case: Denmark and Sweden in Comparison

12.30–1 p.m.   Lunch

1–2 p.m.
Peter Opitz (Zürich):
Dealing with plurality in the Swiss Reformation

2–3 p.m.
Herman Selderhuis (Apeldoorn):
Plurality and Unity within 16th Century Dutch Calvinism

3 p.m.
Final Round table: Reformation – An Era of Pluralisation?
Chair: Anne Eusterschulte (Berlin)
Responses: Anna Vind (Copenhagen), Alberto Melloni (Bologna), Karla Apperloo (Apeldoorn), Violet Soen (Leuven), Beate La Sala (Berlin)

  
Contact: Beate La Sala: b.lasala[at]fu-berlin.de

Organisation: Anne Eusterschulte, Beate La Sala (Project B03 „Imaginatio. Image and History in Theological and Philosophical Discourses in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period“)