- Colloquy (religious)
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A religious colloquy is a meeting to settle differences of doctrine or dogma, also called a colloquium (meeting, discussion), as in the historical Colloquy at Poissy, and like the legal colloquy, most often with a certain degree of judging involved. Religious colloquys are relatively common as a means to avoid calling full synods and avoiding out and out breaches leading to schisms.
Colloquy may also be considered, the conversation of prayer with God. A private opportunity with God the Father, to plead ones need for assistance, reassurance or forgiveness. St. Gregory of Nyssa is quoted as saying "Prayer is conversation, and colloquy with God" Discussions between religious and theological pioneers of the evolving or established religions and confessions have been part of the history of Christianity from its beginning to the present. An overview and bibliography have not been available previously, and the history has not been written. Up until now only some prominent examples and periods have been explored. The present work is the first attempt to fill this gap for Western Europe, i.e. for the Latin Church from the period of the unity of Church and State (381 – 1789/1815). The emphasis is on a survey made as comprehensive as possible of the discussions, their institutional form, their development, as well as their theological themes and problems. The detailed Table of Contents is followed by the author’s research report on his survey from the 16th Century onwards and on the scholarly analysis since the 18th Century. There is also a formulation of the author’s research aims and methods.
The account is divided into in six parts according to historical period, and where necessary to country.
PART 1, 0 – 1500. First experiments in the debate with other religions, the adoption by Augustinus in 411 of religious debate from the Mission into discussion within the Church, first developments in the Old Church as well as their scholastic formulation and application in the Middle Ages.
PART 2, 1517 – 1529. Creation of forms of religious debate towards reformation by Martin Luther and Huldrych Zwingli, first use in the innumerable talks taking place primarily in the towns of the Empire; and further formulations, including those of groups within the reformation movement:
PART 3, 1529 – 1570. Further developments, particularly under the influence of Humanism, and their first use outside the German States.
PART 4, 1570 – 1630. Religious colloquy as a weapon of theologians and authorities in the confessional struggle, and its growing politicization in the early period of Absolutism.
PART 5, 1630 – 1740. Religious colloquies as an instrument of absolute religious politics and of conversion, the predominance of debates about reunion, their failure, and their temporary end with the emergence of Pietism and the Enlightenment.
PART 6, 1740 – 1830. Projects and debates during the time of the Enlightenment, the end of the old religious colloquies through the introduction of new state laws of tolerance, and the continuation of religious debates within the framework of state-free ecumenical efforts.
The central period is the New Era with numerous religious debates in the Empire (together with The Netherlands and with Switzerland), in France and Poland, in part also in Hungary, but less in Great Britain, Scandinavia, the Baltic States and the Habsburg States where strong monarchs centralized decisions or where there were few intellectuals. They failed extensively in Italy and on the Iberian Peninsular, where church reform had already progressed broadly or where the Inquisition controlled everything.
Further reading
- Otto Scheib: Die innerchristlichen Religionsgespräche im Abendland. Regionale Verbreitung, institutionelle Gestalt, theologische Themen, kirchenpolitische Funktion. Mit besonderer Berücksichtigung des konfessionellen Zeitalters (1517 - 1689). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2009, ISBN 978-3-447-06133-9, (Wolfenbütteler Forschungen Bd. 122), (german)
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