„Totum psalterium in usu maneat“ – The Liturgy of the Hours in the Protestant Churches of the Holy Roman Empire between tradition and innovation Historical studies on Lutheran liturgical reforms

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Andreas Odenthal; Professorin Dr. Dorothea Wendebourg
• Subject Area: Roman Catholic Theology ; Protestant Theology
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 433518061

The Reformation and Counter-Reformation as well as the subsequent Confessionalization not only influenced church and theology, politics and social life, but also impacted Christian worship. While abundant research has been done on the liturgy of the Lord`s Supper, the liturgy of the hours has been widely ignored. Thus, it is hardly known that many collegiate churches, monasteries, and parishes after the Reformation continued to use the daily office. Inherited from the Middles Ages, this complex liturgy was reformed in a Lutheran spirit, often carrying on in a traditional way, but equally often modifying it or creatively developing it further. The project wants to examine these reforms of the daily office, taking as examples the ‘Berliner Domstift’ and the parishes of Leipzig. It will examine the relevant liturgical sources, determine how innovative services were and bring to light the underlying theological criteria. The project’s aim is to reach a broader understanding of the processes of theological and cultural exchange during the Early Modern period, echoed in the Church′s worship as a ritual which established and transformed identities.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants