Searching for Protestantism in the Encyclopedia of Protestantism |
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Authors: | John Schmalzbauer |
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Affiliation: | Department of Religious Studies , Missouri State University , Springfield, MO, 65804, USA E-mail: jas714f@smsu.edu |
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Abstract: | This article uses Hans Hillerbrand's Encyclopedia of Protestantism 1 to explore the protean character of Protestantism. In considering the question What is Protestantism? it assesses two characterisations of Protestantism: as a rejection of Catholicism and as a religious prelude to secularisation. The article discusses the history of the religion, the challenge of defining a 500-year-old religious family, the ambiguous boundary between Protestantism and Catholicism, and the thin line separating Protestants from their post-Protestant descendants. It concludes by reflecting on the implications of the Encyclopedia of Protestantism for the field of religious studies. |
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