The Reformatio – and Deformatio – of Ritual: German Catholic Preaching on Ceremonies between the Later Middle Ages, Luther, and Trent

Abstract

ABSTRACT Ritual performances and discourses counted among the most vital and visible signs of German Catholic renewal in the wake of Trent (1563) and especially during the Baroque era, and were crucial to the formation of Catholic identity after earlier decades of uncertainty. But Catholic preachers seized upon the centrality of ceremonies much earlier than scholars have understood, as is well attested by the lectionary sermons (postils) they published en masse after 1530. In these sermons they remained in dialogue with late medieval and humanist traditions, constantly criticized contemporary Catholic abuses, and sought to refute the charges of their Protestant opponents. When addressing ceremonies, Catholic divines preached in terms that encompassed both “Catholic Reform” and “Counter-Reformation,” and had worked out much of what we consider post-Tridentine ritual theory much earlier than we have thought. Prominent sermon authors included Johannes Eck, Friedrich Nausea, Johann Wild, Georg Witzel, Michael Helding, and Johannes Hoffmeister.