Von Bürgers Gnaden: Religion und civil society
This article offers a contribution to the discussion on the relation between 'religion' and 'civil society' in a modern, liberal society, by tracing the historical sources of the concept of 'civil'. By analyzing 'Il principe' of Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527)...
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | German |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
2002
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In: |
Kirchliche Zeitgeschichte
Year: 2002, Volume: 15, Issue: 2, Pages: 490-508 |
Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
Non-electronic |
Summary: | This article offers a contribution to the discussion on the relation between 'religion' and 'civil society' in a modern, liberal society, by tracing the historical sources of the concept of 'civil'. By analyzing 'Il principe' of Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) and 'Il cortegiano' of Baldassare Castiglione (1478-1529) there is shown that the problem of grace belongs to the origins of the rise of the civil society in early modern age. The thesis of the article is that we only can speak of 'religion' since this age, in which the autonomy of the political sphere liberated religion from other, non-religious functions. One could say that 'religion' is a product of modern society. This is made clear by an analysis of the theological discussion on grace between Erasmus and Luther, which is thought to be decisive for the interpretation of religion in modernity. In this sense, this historical investigation could offer a contribution to the discussions on 'civil religion' in the line of Bellah, Lübbe and Luhmann. Only in the perspective of a 'civil religion' can religious insights be a contribution to a pluralistic and liberal society. |
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ISSN: | 2196-808X |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Kirchliche Zeitgeschichte
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