Developments in church-state relationships in Northern Europe between 1780 and 1920 had a substantial impact on reformist ideas, projects, and movements within the churches. Conversely, the dynamics of religious reform prompted the state to react in various ways. To what extent did church and state mutually influence each other? How and why did they do so?

These are the central questions in The Churches, the second volume in the Dynamics of Religious Reform series. The volume concentrates on the reforms generated by the churches themselves and on their response to the political and legal reforms initiated by the state. It shows how processes of church reform evolved differently in different countries.

Contributors: Claus Arnold, Goethe Universität Frankfurt/Main; Jan Art, Universiteit Gent; Jan De Maeyer, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven/KADOC; Ward De Pril, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; Joris Van Eijnatten, Utrecht University; Hallgeir Elstad, University of Oslo; Klaus Fitschen, Universität Leipzig; Leo Kenis, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; Frances Knight, University of Nottingham; Jes Fabricius Møller, University of Copenhagen; Peter Nockles, John Rylands University Library of Manchester; yvind Norderval, University of Oslo; Erik Sidenvall, Lund University; Dag Thorkildsen, University of Oslo; Nigel Yates, University of Wales, Trinity/St. David