Johann Sleidan and the Protestant Vision of History

One of the major challenges faced by the emergent Protestant faith was how to establish itself in a hitherto Catholic world. One of the key ways it did this was to create a common identity through the fashioning of history, emphasising Protestantism's legitimacy and authority. In this study, the life and works of one of the earliest and most influential Protestant historians, Johann Sleidan (1506-1556) are explored to reveal how history was used to consolidate the new confession and the states which adopted it. Commissioned by leading intellectuals from the Schmalkadic League to write the official history of the German protestant movement, Sleidans' work was highly successful and became the standard account of early Reformation, referenced by Catholics and Protestants alike in subsequent histories and polemical debates for the next three centuries. Providing the first comprehensive account of Sleidan's life, based almost entirely on primary sources, this book offers a convincing background and context for his writings. It also shows how Sleidan's political role as a diplomat impacted on his work as a historian, and how in turn, his monumental work influenced political debate in France and Germany. As a moderate, who sought to promote accommodation between the rival confessions, Sleidan provides a fascinating subject of study for modern historians seeking to better understand the complex and multifaceted nature of the early Reformation.