Akadémia Kiadó

Church and Community in the Early Modern Period based On the Documents of the 17-18th Century Calvinist Diocese Of Küküllő

The impact of Calvinism on formulating society and people's mentality has been in the focus of social sciences since Max Weber. Réka Kiss examines its special aspect, namely the discipline of Calvinist church, which introduced an elaborated system to the control of moral rules and social behaviour. Based on manuscripts from the 17-18th century Transylvanian Calvinist Diocese of Küküllő, in her book she presents how church direction prevails in every day life of local laymen and priests. Which parts of life are controlled by church direction? Could the expectations meet moral norms of the local community? Which sanctions are imposed on sinners and what might have the most serious spiritual punishment, i.e. excommunication meant in the life of early modern societies, families and individuals?