The Forgotten Origins of a Historiographical Controversy: Franz Joseph Sulzer, the Transylvanian School, and Narratives of Romanian Christianization

This article presents the late eighteenth-century origins of debates concerning the Christianization of the Romanians, focusing on the controversy between Franz Joseph Sulzer and the representatives of the Transylvanian School. It argues that this early dispute already formulated key interpretative models later developed in modern historiography. Rather than being limited to the issue of Roman continuity, the debate also addressed questions of ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ritual affiliation, and the influence of South-Danubian and Bulgarian Christianity. The study further examines the political use of Sulzer’s arguments in the context of the Supplex Libellus Valachorum, as well as the role of Petru Maior in transmitting and reshaping the controversy for the nineteenth century. By reassessing both the original texts and their later reception, the article highlights the need to reconsider the historiographical construction of Romanian Christianization narratives.