The Sermons at the Council of Constance, 1414-1418

康斯坦茨会议（1414-1418）是15世纪重要的大公会议之一，但在那里举行的布道并没有引起特别的兴趣。事实上，历史研究一般不太关注布道，尽管它们是印刷术引入之前唯一的大众传播媒介。最重要的是，布道从来没有被视为中世纪晚期政治文化的一个组成部分。此外，还没有更大规模的研究专门研究15世纪议会的政治文化。对于这些集会来说，讲道可能扮演着重要的角色，因为他们的具体任务是根据圣经和基督教信仰的原则，向听众提供规范的——也就是说，精神上的——方向。近年来，许多出版物研究了中世纪的政治文化，但它们几乎都涉及世俗的君主和权力。然而，15世纪的议会也在政治上发挥作用，因为它们为欧洲世俗势力之间的争端提供了一个平台，最重要的是，它们试图决定教会内部的政治。这两个政治领域相互影响，事实上，它们不能分开，就像中世纪的宗教和政治不能分开一样。作为对这一研究愿望的回应，该项目将研究讲道在康斯坦茨议会的政治文化和实际政治中的作用：讲道在大会的政治交流中的作用，它们在政治谈判中的作用，它们对论述阐述的影响，以及它们如何影响委员会及其成员的自我认知及其对后代的形象。这种创新的方法将对康斯坦茨议会的运作以及中世纪晚期的政治和政治文化获得新的、深刻的见解。

The Council of Constance (1414-1418) is well known as one of the important ecumenical councils in the 15th century, but the sermons which were held there have attracted no particular interest. In fact, historical research generally did not pay much attention to sermons, although they were the only mass media before the introduction of printing.Above all, the sermons have never been treated as an integral part of late medieval political culture. Moreover, no larger study has yet been consecrated to the political culture of a 15th-century council. For these assemblies, sermons probably played a major role, for it was their specific task to offer to the audience normative – and this means, also spiritual – orientation, based on the Bible and the principles of Christian faith.In the last years, many publications have examined the political culture in the Middle Ages, but they almost all concern secular princes and powers. However, 15th-century councils, too, acted politically, as they provided a platform for the disputes among the secular powers in Europe, and, above all, they tried to determine politics within the Church. These two areas of politics influenced each other, and in fact, they cannot be separated from each other, just as religion and politics could not be separated in the Middle Ages.As a reaction to this research desideratum, this project will examine the role of sermons in the political culture and practical politics of the Council of Constance: the function of sermons in the political communication at the assembly, their role in political negotiations and their influence on the elaboration of discourses as well as the way in which they influenced the self-perception of the council and its members and as well as its image for the ensuing generations.This innovative approach will gain new, deep insight into the functioning of the Council of Constance as well as in politics and political culture in the late Middle Ages.