Church governance as sustained negotiation. The consistory in the principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbuettel between 1568 and 1617

该研究项目考察了近代早期德国教会管理机构的谈判过程。该项目聚焦于1568年至1617年间不伦瑞克-沃尔芬布特尔公国的宗教会议，旨在回顾和理解其在忏悔时代行使和沟通教会治理的功能和意义。每周一次的宗教会议以及每季度一次的总宗教会议的完整会议记录被保存下来，并作为研究项目的主要来源。这些会议记录，总共超过15.000页，包含了大量的记录，讨论由consistory成员以及考试的传唤人。通过对这些资料的分析，可以深入了解近代早期德国领土国家治理的基本状况。这些联合收割机一方面结合了宗教会议成员与诉讼当事人、被告、证人和他们自己之间的内部谈判的视角，另一方面结合了宗教会议与其他政府机构之间的部门间谈判的外部视角。

The research project examines the negotiations processes in a church governing body in Early Modern Germany. Focusing on the consistory in the principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbuettel between 1568 and 1617, the project aims at reviewing and understanding its function and significance in exercising and communicating church governance in the age of confessionalisation. The complete minutes of proceedings of the weekly consistory sessions as well as the quarterly meetings of the general consistory have been preserved and serve as the main source for the research project. Those minutes, altogether more than 15.000 sheets, contain extensive notes of the discussions by consistory members as well as examinations of summoned persons. An analysis of these sources will provide an insight into the basic conditions of governance in the territorial state in Early Modern Germany. They combine the perspectives of the internal negotiations of the councillors of the consistory with litigants, defendants, witnesses and among themselves on the one hand with the external perspective of inter-departmental negotiations between the consistory and other governmental bodies on the other hand.