Sebastian Franck: Band II,1: Frühe Schriften: Kommentar

Sebastian Franck’s so-called ›Geschichtsbibel‹ (Historical Bible), published in 1531, became part of the history of ideas. It is however the five books written between 1528 and 1530, which are compiled in the first volume of the edition, which are more useful for gaining a deeper understanding of his background and of his novel and controversial point of view. Sebastian Franck‘s early works were without exception translations whose meaning was however changed and even partially reversed by the editor. The process of a paraphrasing problematization, which was typical of Franck, made a commentary imperative, and that is what has been done here. The significance of the idea of a spirituality which transcended all confessions and religions, an idea which was extremely dangerous at that time, emerges when all the modifications in Franck’s editing become visible. The commentary gives a picture of the young writer’s search in his thoughts and works which will be of interest not only to experts in this field but also to those readers who are less familiar with early Early New High German.