Early modern religious life was characterized by the paradoxical nexus between the claim of universality and the principle of electedness. Universality had to be negotiated with the respective circumstances of social life. In the corporative society of the early modern period, social positioning played a major role; the intertwining of social status and the promise of salvation could lead to the stabilisation of social inequalities, but could also permit social mobility. Very concrete and practical questions had to be managed in this general framework, questions that determined who belonged to a specific religious community, what role, what position was to be given to different members of society, and who had a privileged relationship with the divine. But how were these decisions to be taken and to what extend did corporeal differences play a role? They were of key importance in the context of missions, imperial expansions and more generally in the confrontation of groups of competing religious denominations.

In continuation of this interest, the planned workshop will focus on a very often neglected connection: the entanglement of physical and mental specificities and the religious sphere. The explicit aim is to analyse human diversity as considered in early modern theologies, responses of religious authorities and religious interpretations of difference, but also pious practices that seek to do justice to the differences in human disposition.

Attendance is possible in-person and online. For online participation, please register at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before 24.06.2025.

The conference is organised by Xenia von Tippelskirch (Frankfurt am Main) and Karin Sennefelt (Stockholm), with support from the POLY Research Group.