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| Format | Dissertation |
|---|---|
| Creator | Splitter, Wolfgang Manfred |
| Title | “A Free People in the American Air” : The Evolution of German Lutherans From British Subjects to Pennsylvania Citizens, 1740-1790 |
| Dissertation Note (type -- academic institution) | Ph.D. -- John Hopkins University |
| Date | 1993 |
| Extent of Work | xviii, 559 pages |
| URL | https://mki.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1100/2023/08/A_free_people_in_the_American.pdf |
| Abstract | The behavior of German Lutherans in Pennsylvania between 1740 and 1790 displayed a strong interaction between their status as British subjects or Pennsylvania ciuzens on the one hand and their role as (Lutheran) congregants on the other. Their experiences in the parishes influenced their acdons as members of society and vice versa. As a distinct group of Pennsylvania’s population, German Lutherans defined themselves much more by ethnic descent than by religious affiliation. They strongly resisted assimilation and throughout the eighteenth century succeeded in maintaining intact German enclaves. The German Lutheran Church in Pennsylvania was bom out of an ongoing theological conflict between various branches of German Protestantism over which was the legitimate spiritual heir to Martin Luther and the true custodian of his reformational doctrine. The authoritarian and oligarchic structure of the German Lutheran Church in Pennsylvania and its religious practices were instrumental in politicizing the laity and helped make them receptive to the revolutionary rhetoric of freedom, popular government, and independence. This internal structure also prevented German Lutherans from producing political leaders. Nevertheless, the German Lutheran clergy meddled with politics more often than has previously been acknowledged. As diplomats in black gowns they pursued an independent policy of their own that did not necessarily correspond with the interests of their parishioners. They tried to emancipate themselves from the superintendence of their patrons in London and Halle while continuing friendly and cooperative relations with their European benefactors. While the pastors did not enthusiastically embrace the American Revolution, as the course of the war made victory for the United States ever more likely, they soon came to terms with the new political reality and transferred their allegiance from the British king to the Pennsylvania republic. |
| Call Number | Digital file (PDF) |
| MKI Terms | American history -- 18th century/ Religion/ Lutherans/ German Americans -- Pennsylvania/ Revolution, 1775-1783 |