Senses or Non-senses. Debates on Rituals in Pre-reformation Denmark

Abstract

In the 1520s the Danish (and Norwegian) politics of religion was a complex matter and under severe pressure both from the Roman Catholic nobility and from radical Lutheran cities. This situation also triggered debates on the meaning and rationality of religion and rituals. The author concentrates on one of these debates: that between the Carmelite Paulus Helie and the Lutheran apostate Petrus Laurentii. Helie focused his arguments around concepts such as tradition, experience, and history. Laurentii argued that historical changes never would occur if tradition and human authority were given priority in the Christian church. Both participants in this debate also referred to the human senses. To Helie, the smells, tastes, and movements of the Christian rituals were instruments of transcendental experience. To Laurentii, the human senses were non-sense: not ritual, but rather true belief and sincere feelings were the only solution.

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V 20. letih 16. stoletja je bila danska (in norveška) politika religije kompleksno vprašanje pod močnim pristiskom tako rimskokatolišlega plemstva kakor radikalnih luteranskih mest. Položaj je spodbudil tudi razpravljanja o pomenu in racionalnosti vere in obredja. Avtor se osredinja na eno teh razprav – med karmeličanom Paulusom Heliejem in luteranskim odpadnikom Petrusom Laurentiijem. Helie je strnil svoje argumente ob konceptih tradicija, izkušnja in zgodovina. Laurentii je trdil, da ne bi bilo historičnih sprememb, če bi imeli tradicija in človeška avtoriteta prvenstvo v katoliški cerkvi. Oba razpravljalca sta se sklicevala tudi na človeške čute. Za Helieja so bili vonji, okusi in gibi v krščanskem obredju instrumenti transcendenčne izkušnje. Za Laurentiija so bili človečki čuti ne-čuti: edina rešitev je v pravi veri in iskrenih občutjih, ne pa v ritualu.