Agata Bryłka-Jesionek

Doktryna protestancka na kartach śląskich druków kalendarzowych do połowy XVIII w.

Introduction

Doktryna protestancka na kartach śląskich druków kalendarzowych do połowy xviii w.. Analiza doktryny protestanckiej w śląskich kalendarzach (XVI-XVIII w.). Zbadaj wpływ idei religijnych na wartości społeczne, etykę pracy i moralność w drukach dla obu wyznań.

Abstract

PROTESTANT DOCTRINE IN SILESIAN CALENDARS BEFORE THE MID-18TH CENTURY This article looks at the issue of confesionality and the presence of Protestant doctrine in early modern calendars produced in Silesia. The article is based on an examination of 78 early modern calendars (16th through mid-18th century), which were printed in Silesian printing houses (including Breslau, Brzeg, Legnica, Kłodzko, Kożuchów, Nysa and Opawa). Of the calendars bearing the names of editors/authors, 17 were Protestant. While some of these figures were pastors, others were intellectuals who associated with Protestant groups. Silesian calendars were addressed to both Protestants and Catholics. This dual religious character reflected the contemporary Silesian political context, which was fraught with religious tension. While these conditions stimulated a broad religious neutrality, leading many to avoid any direct reference to either Protestant reformers or their doctrines in published works, some Protestant religious ideals nevertheless permeated calendars. The goal of this infiltration, often couched in religious and biblical phrases, was to educate readers on specific social values and work ethic, morality, obedience to superiors, and openness to the outside world.

Review

This article, "Protestant Doctrine in Silesian Calendars Before the Mid-18th Century," presents a focused and empirically rich exploration into the often-subtle presence of confessionality within early modern print culture. By meticulously examining 78 calendars produced in Silesia between the 16th and mid-18th centuries, the author sheds light on how Protestant ideals permeated public discourse in a religiously diverse and politically charged environment. The research promises a significant contribution to our understanding of the dissemination of religious ideas beyond overt theological treatises, instead focusing on an often-overlooked yet pervasive form of popular literature. The abstract effectively outlines a nuanced methodology and compelling findings. It highlights the intriguing challenge faced by Protestant authors in navigating a "dual religious character" in Silesian society, which necessitated a "broad religious neutrality" in their published works. Despite this imperative, the article demonstrates how specific Protestant doctrines were subtly embedded within calendars, not through direct theological exposition, but by promoting particular social values, work ethic, morality, obedience to superiors, and an openness to the outside world, often framed in biblical and religious language. This approach to identifying confessional influence—through the promotion of practical values rather than explicit dogmatic statements—is a particularly strong point of the research, moving beyond simplistic notions of religious propaganda. Overall, this article promises to be a valuable addition to scholarship on early modern print culture, confessionalization, and the social history of religion, particularly within Central Europe. Its rigorous empirical foundation and nuanced interpretation of how religious ideals were communicated and integrated into everyday life via popular media like calendars are commendable. The research not only illuminates the specific context of Silesia but also offers broader insights into the strategies of religious education and cultural formation in multi-confessional societies. It will undoubtedly be of interest to historians of religion, print, and early modern European society.

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