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Chapter 5 - The Reformation and Modern Freedom

The German Past After Revolution and Napoleon

from Part II - Revolutions of the Spirit, 1780–1830

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 December 2024

Michael Printy
Michael Printy
Affiliation:
Yale University, Connecticut
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Summary

This chapter looks at the impact of the French Revolution on this German discussion of the meaning of Protestantism, as well as at the internationalization of its themes through Charles Villers’ Essay on the Spirit and Influence of Luther’s Reformation (1804). A French exile in Germany, Villers synthesized a German historical discourse about the Reformation and progress and repackaged and publicized it to a European audience in response to a prize essay competition by the Institut de France. Accompanied by a brief discussion of Johann Gottfried Herder’s historical theories, the chapter also shows how Villers’ intervention (and its reception) signaled a return of the themes of nation and religion as forces of historical discourse.

Keywords

French RevolutionCharles VillersProtestantism and ProgressCritical PhilosophyKantianismNapoleonJohann Gottfried HerderPragmatic HistoryUniversity of GöttingenGermaine de Staël
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Chapter
Information
Enlightenment's Reformation
Religion and Philosophy in Germany, 1750–1830
 , pp. 156 - 186
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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