Das allgemeine Konzil im Spätmittelalter

English summary: The general church councils of the Middle Ages constituted central points of exchange between religious and secular lords. They were used as forums of communication, in which controversial ideas, current political issues, and reform efforts were discussed. At the same time, the decisions of the councils, as well as the nature of the gatherings themselves, the gathering of a community inspired by the Holy Spirit, were communicated and confirmed in ritual actions and...
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English summary: The general church councils of the Middle Ages constituted central points of exchange between religious and secular lords. They were used as forums of communication, in which controversial ideas, current political issues, and reform efforts were discussed. At the same time, the decisions of the councils, as well as the nature of the gatherings themselves, the gathering of a community inspired by the Holy Spirit, were communicated and confirmed in ritual actions and public performances. In a diachronic overview of the councils from the 13th to the 15th century, this work investigates the formation, perpetuation, or the recreation of the exact forms and functions of these types of gatherings: Which characteristics of organization, of conducting business, and of representation marked the councils in the Middle Ages? Based on a broadly conceived research agenda that is based in church history as well as historical scholarship, this work provides considerable analysis of the criteria of medieval conciliar practice. German description: Die allgemeinen Konzilien bildeten im Mittelalter zentrale Schnittstellen des Austauschs zwischen der Geistlichkeit und den weltlichen Herrschern. Diese wurden als Foren der Kommunikation genutzt, auf denen strittige Themen, aktuelle politische Belange sowie Reformbestrebungen diskutiert wurden. Gleichzeitig galt es, die getroffenen Entscheidungen sowie das Wesen der Zusammenkunft selbst, die vom gottlichen Geist inspirierte Gemeinschaft, in rituellen Handlungen und offentlichen Inszenierungen den Beobachtern zu vermitteln und zu bestatigen. In einem diachronen Uberblick uber die Konzilien vom 13. bis zum 15. Jahrhundert untersucht diese Arbeit die Herausbildung, Perpetuierung oder auch Neuschopfung bestimmter Formen und Funktionsweisen dieser Versammlungsart: Welche Besonderheiten der Organisation, der Verhandlungsfuhrung und der Reprasentation kennzeichnen die Konzilien im Mittelalter? Damit wird ein in der Kirchengeschichte und auch den Geschichtswissenschaften weithin anerkannter und breit vertretener Forschungsansatz erstmals zum Prufstein einer auf die Konzilspraxis ausgerichteten Analyse.