On Modern Religious Wars, the Effectiveness of Propaganda, and the Frontiers of Europe. Notes in Relation with Christian Mühling’s Book, Die europäische Debatte über den Religionskrieg (1679–1714) (Göttingen, 2018)

Abstract

Devoted to the notion of religious war in French, German, and English historiography and journalism of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, Christian Mühling’s study stimulates reflection on the content, methods, and effectiveness of a pen war of words in the modern era. It also encourages thinking about the role of areas outside the Old Continent’s dominant political and cultural centres in journalistic discussion and their influence on the formation of European public opinion. Finally, it provokes questions about the possibilities and limitations of using full-text databases in historical research.