In a world beset by conflicts, peace sadly appears to be a fleeting concept. Historian and Max Weber Fellow Anastazja Grudnicka tells us more about her research on religious conceptions of peace in Early Modern Europe, hinting at the role that individuals and local communities could play in creating more peaceful societies.
Your research focuses on the relationship between peace and piety in early modern Europe. How did early modern thinkers connect these two concepts?
There is a common misconception, still strong today, that in the premodern world religion was primarily a source of conflict and that only with modernity did the ideas of toleration and secularism prevail and religion lose much of its potential to incite violence. A closer look at the religious landscapes of premodern Europe, however, reveals that such assessments are far from accurate. What is often left out from these narratives is that peace was featured prominently in premodern religious practices and beliefs. There were, of course, many ways in which this relationship was conceptualised at the time. But in very simple terms, to be at peace meant being closer to God: peace was an echo of the eternal and the divine. In that sense, peace was a spiritual pursuit as much as a political goal. And so, it was an important concern for political and religious leaders and ordinary men and women alike.
What role did these ideas play in practical actions to mitigate conflict in the period you are studying?
In the early modern period, the relationship between peace and piety was complicated by the outbreak of religious reformations and the fragmentation of Christendom. Because the various religious groups that emerged each insisted on the veracity and superiority of their respective religious beliefs and practices, intense disputes and even military conflicts ensued. It important to remember, however, that many rejected violence as a means of resolving religious divisions.
There were, of course, many practical advantages to pursuing peace, but for some the pursuit of peace also carried spiritual significance. Several members of the Habsburg dynasty, who in sixteenth and seventeenth centuries governed the religiously diverse territories of Central Europe, saw the pursuit of peace as more significant for their spiritual wellbeing than religious uniformity. While not everyone shared such sentiments, there were many who did. Early modern musical, visual, and material cultures, which in many ways tie together religion and peace, remain an enduring testament to this.
In today’s war-torn world, is there any inspiration we can take from these ideas and practices?
Traversing premodern religious landscapes can certainly offer a useful lens for viewing contemporary conflicts. Consider the ways in which peace has been achieved and maintained. Nowadays, much attention is devoted to international institutions and legislation as means of peacemaking and peacekeeping. Studying premodern worlds where peaceful coexistence was often achieved without, or even against, such formal arrangements allows us to appreciate more the role that individuals and local communities played—and can today play—in creating more peaceful societies.
Another way the past can inspire the present is to observe how premodern peace traditions are currently being revisited by various religious communities. An interesting example is the Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica in present-day Poland. They were constructed in the seventeenth century to serve three Lutheran communities in Habsburg Silesia, where public practice of Protestantism was otherwise outlawed. Although officially consecrated to the Holy Trinity, these churches came to be known as the Churches of Peace in celebration of the conclusion of the Thirty Years' War. They maintained this identity against shifting religious and political borders. Today, they are known for their ecumenical activity, both locally and internationally. These examples go to show not only how the past can offer a useful perspective for thinking about contemporary conflicts, but how the premodern peace experiments continue to make themselves felt in today's world.