Early Modern Lutheranism as (Still) a Research Frontier

Abstract: Since the early eighteenth century, the term "Lutheran Orthodoxy" has been used to discredit inaccurately the theological practice of Lutheran theologians in the seventeenth century as a sterile, rigid theological phenomenon. This term has largely been replaced by scholars in the last seventy-five years. However, a single term has not emerged that not only embraces the rich and lively theological developments of the Wittenberg heritage but also explores its setting in the piety, devotional literature, social and political settings that defined what "Lutheran" meant from 1580 into the mid-eighteenth century. This article supports the increasingly frequent general term "early modern" to embrace the larger picture of those who claimed to be Lutheran. The article calls for focused research into the various aspects of the theological developments: flourishing devotional writing of hymns, prayerbooks, and other genre; geographical spread, practices of the faith in daily life; ecclesiastical polity; and relationships to political and social trends in this period. Such micro-studies will provide material for drawing a more accurate picture of the Wittenberg heritage between Reformation and Enlightenment.