Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Freedom of religion
(2,535 words)

1. Presentation of the problem

Freedom of religion is a core value of modern societies, the development and successive implementation of which extended over the entirety of the early modern era. The distinction between freedom of conscience or belief and free practice of religion or worship became important during the Enlightenment. Older scholarship emphasizes the religious and philosophical foundations of freedom of religion and the decisive role of the intel…

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Whaley, Joachim, “Freedom of religion”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_026515>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20180126



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