Johannes Ljungberg – författare

This open access book provides a multifold exploration of how people in early modern Europe understood, conducted, and actively used private conversations. From sharing personal matters to discussing delicate secrets, all layers of early modern society had their motives for wanting to keep certain exchanges out of public eyes and ears, and ways of trying to achieve this. Detecting such instances in historical sources typically becomes a complex pursuit, full of subtle references that require creative approaches, especially when it comes to more informal practices. Yet, in a reading against the grain, different sources can offer us hints of how conversations took place in private.  The book consists of a historiographical and methodological introduction to the study of private conversations, followed by ten case studies from a variety of cities, villages, and countryside across early modern Europe. The concluding epilogue suggests some pathways to further explore the terrain of how people have talked in private in past societies.

This open access book provides a multifold exploration of how people in early modern Europe understood, conducted, and actively used private conversations. From sharing personal matters to discussing delicate secrets, all layers of early modern society had their motives for wanting to keep certain exchanges out of public eyes and ears, and ways of trying to achieve this. Detecting such instances in historical sources typically becomes a complex pursuit, full of subtle references that require creative approaches, especially when it comes to more informal practices. Yet, in a reading against the grain, different sources can offer us hints of how conversations took place in private.  The book consists of a historiographical and methodological introduction to the study of private conversations, followed by ten case studies from a variety of cities, villages, and countryside across early modern Europe. The concluding epilogue suggests some pathways to further explore the terrain of how people have talked in private in past societies.

This book includes studies of main conflict areas in modern Western societies where religion has been a central element, ranging from popular movements and narratives of opposition to challenges of religious satire and anti-clerical critique. Special attention is given to matters of politics and gender. With this theme, it provides a useful guide to conflict areas in modern European religious history.

Var går gränsen för vilka avvikelser från samhällets grundvalar som kan tolereras? När så kallade pietister framträdde i Sverige vid 1700-talets början uppstod en ny problematik kring toleransens gränser i Sveriges historia. Till skillnad från i övriga Europa hade dessförinnan religiösa avvikare inte funnits i någon större omfattning. Pietisterna uppfattades som ett hot mot den gemensamma religionsutövningen, ordningen och samhället i stort. Med utgångspunkt i statliga utredningar analyseras i denna bok diskussioner och förhandlingar om toleransens gränser för umgängesliv, avvikande beteende och yttranden i tal och skrift. Dessa tre teman blev föremål för storpolitik och vardagliga konflikter med inslag av hedersföreställningar, censurärenden och enhetspolitik, ständigt med frågan om vad som utgjorde oönskade rubbningar av samhället hängande i luften.