Contesting Authority and Assimilation Within Lutheran Churches in Eighteenth-Century London

Abstract

This study examines St. Mary-le-Savoy and St. George's Alie Street, two German Lutheran churches in eighteenth-century London. The congregations of both churches suffered from major internal conflicts that, on occasion, spilled over into violence, bitter legal disputes, and the secession of members. Contemporary accounts, legal records, and the polemical publications that were produced by the disputants are used to analyse the reasons behind the conflicts. They reveal a complex mix of cultural, religious, and economic grievances. Some, including the pastors, desired to integrate more closely into English religious life, while others were determined to use their religion to maintain the national and cultural identity of the German migrant community. At the same time, the churches experienced resentment between their wealthy and poorer members, and between the pastors and the laity over control of property, worship, and discipline.