Reformation und Demokratie

The mental roots of democracy were repeatedly sought in the theology of the Reformation, in particular in the ideas of the English Revolution, since it was here that the developments in religion and politics coincided. In regard to an equation of puritanism and liberty however, there seemed to be some serious doubts. Thus the first part of the study questions the religious theories of the later stages of the Reformation systematically according to their democratic substance. The second part extensively incorporates Anglican theology into the array of problems for the first time and discovers vital aspects of democratic individual and social ethics developed in it which were generally lacking in Puritanism and the radical Reformation.