The Politics of German Protestantism: The Rise of the Protestant Church Elite in Prussia, 1815–1848 by Robert M. Bigler (review)

234 THE CANADIAN HISTORICAL REVIEW Suchreactions to the economic programme of the eighteenth-century Bourbonkings - a minuscule sample of the rich contents of Callahan'sstudy- rightfully leadthe authorto observe that 'The effort to dignifycertainoccupations thus was not an anticipationof later doctrinesof civil equalityand of the supremeimportanceof economic functionin determiningsocialstatus,for it operatedwithin the theoretical limitationsimposed by the principleof honor' (p. 72). Furthermore,according to Callahan,'The importance whichmodern historians haveattachedtotheeighteenth-century campaign onbehalfof certain formsof economic activityasa positiveand significant indicationof changing socialrealityhasbeenexaggerated' (p. 72). Sincetraditionalvalttesremained unmodified, the authorperspicaciously comes to the ratherironic conclusion that 'The significance of enlightened Spain'sattemptto changeprevailingcustomsis not that it prefiguredthe socialevolutionof a later periodbut that it revealedthe impossibility of adaptingthe socialstructure of the old regimeto newconditions'(p. 72). A.A. SlCROFF Queens College o[theCity University o[New York The Politicso[ GermanProtestantism: The Riseo[ theProtestantChurchElite in Prussia,•8•5-•848. ROBERT M. moI•ER. Berkeley,Universityof California Press, I97•. PP.xiv, 300.$I5.OO. In this studythe author,who is associate professor of politicalscience at the Universityof Nevada,analyses the relationship of the statewith the Protestant church,mainlyin theperiodbetween thedefeatof Napoleonandthebeginning of the x848 revolutions. Parallel to the political debate,and often connected with it, boththe Catholicand Protestant churches in Germanywentthrougha periodof turmoil duringtheseyears.Followingthe impactof the Enlightenment ,of rationalist thinking,andof decades of anti-religious propaganda, many Christians yearnedfor a renewalof their faith. Within the Protestant church differentpersons and movements reactedto the situation in various ways.The king of Prussia, FrederickWilliam nt, followingthe Congress of Vienna regardedthe momentasripe to unifythe Protestant churchin hiskingdomby bringingtogetherLutheransand Calvinists. This easedhis personal position. One of hispredecessors had abandoned the Lutheranfor the Calvinistfaith in •6•3, thuscreatingan anomalous situationfor the ruler of a preponderantly Lutheran territory.In •8t5 the kingdomof Prussia had admittedlygaineda greatinflux of Catholicsubjects, but the majorityof the Protestants werestill Lutherans.In a sense, the Protestantchurchwasa departmentof stateand the pastors wereofficials. SotheLutheransandCalvinists foundthemselves caught in thegreattidying-upprocess whichaffected manyof theexpanded states which survived theupheavals oftheearlynineteenth century. Frederick Williamntfaced considerable opposition in histaskof unification. One of theweaknesses of the book under review is that the references to some of the main events are scatteredall overthe volume,makingit difficultfor the readerto gaina clearpic- REVIEWS 235 ture. This appliesnot only to the forcedunificationof the Protestant church in Prussia, butalsotothefar-reaching implications of theaccession of Frederick William •v. The authorisbetteron themovements whichdominated thereligious-and indirectly thepolitical-life of thecountry, particularly theneo-Pietists andthe 'Friends of Light.' Whereas eighteenth-century pietists wantedto workthrough changing the heartsof Protestants, the neo-Pietists in the firsthalf of the nineteenthcentury aimedatsecuring control ofchurch o.rganisation. The neo-Pietists, whohad close linkswith thearistocracy, wereactivein theological faculties and seminaries, and developed their organs of publicity.Initially, their main efforts weredesigned to breakthe holdrationalism had acquiredoverthe majorityof pastors by 1815.Frederick Williamn•andhisminister Altenstein stillhadenough of theeasy-going eighteenth-century tolerance left in themneverto feelquiteat homewith theimpetuosity, sometimes bordering onfanaticism, oftheneo-Pietists. While FrederickWilliam•v showed muchmoresympathy thanhisfatherboth to the Protestant opponents of the unifiedchurchand to the Catholicminority in the kingdom,his accession strengthened the handsof the neo.-Pietists and worsened thesituation of theiropponents. Politically, theneo-Pietists wereConservativein their outlook.This may well explainwhy the authoritiesallowed them far more freedomin questioning churchpolicythan they did the Old Lutheransor, indeed,the.'Friendsof Light' who becamefairly influentialin the •84os.The Licht[reundetendedto be moderateliberalsor radicalsin politics .Also,while the neo-Pietists wishedto work throughexistingchurchorganisation ,someof the Lichtfreundesought independence. The neo-Pietists representeda strongforcein the church,but the dissidents werehopelessly divided. The storyaccording to the title issupposed to cover•848, but the treatmentin a shortepilogue is inadequate. The book,whichis the resultof intensive research , couldhavebeenimprovedout of recognition by carefuleditorialrevisionandbya betterarrangement of thematerial. FRANK EYCK Universityo[ Calgary The Swordand the Sceptre:The Problemo[ Militarism in Germany.n•: The Tragedy o[ Statesmanship-Bethmann Hollweg as War Chancellor(•9•4 - •9•7); w: The Reigno[ GermanMilitarismandtheDisaster o[ •9•8. C•.RHAm• R•TT•.R. Translatedby •E•NZ Nom•.N.Coral Gables,Fla., Universityof Miami Press, •97•-3. PP.x, 6! !; viii, 496.$•8.oopervolume. Gradually,historians who are not specialists of Germanyare beinggiventhe opportunity to savour theintense debate whichdominated, divided,andonoccasionevenhumiliatedthe German historicalprofession in the •96os.In i96i Fritz Fischer'sGriff nach der Weltmacht (literally, 'Grasp...