Abstract
This chapter continues to analyse the documents from the political decision-making process regarding the teaching of religion in rural areas of Denmark (confer Reeh N, Religion and the state of Denmark–state religious politics in the elementary school system from 1721 to 1975, an alternative approach to secularization. Ph.d.-dissertation. Copenhagen: University of Copenhagen, 2006; Reeh N, Social Compass 56(2): 179–188, 2009). Broadly speaking, the Danish state was transformed from despotic absolutism to enlightened absolutism. The analysis shows that the legislation regarding schooling and teaching of religion was deeply interconnected with the external affairs of the state, the state-form, the Great Agrarian Reforms of 1789, and the transition to a defence that increasingly relied on conscripted soldiers instead of mercenaries. In this transformation, the Sacred Canopy of the state was transformed as the state turned to a new discursive instrument, namely, patriotism and nationalism as a more efficient means of disciplining and encouraging its inhabitants to comply with the will of the state, including fighting its wars.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsNotes
- 1.
A.P. Bernstorff (1732–1797), of German descent, was Danish Foreign Secretary from 1773–1780, when he was overthrown by Ove Høgh Guldberg. In return, Bernstorff overthrew Guldberg in 1784 and became Foreign Secretary again from 1784 until he died in 1797. In the period from 1784 until his death, he and his circle (including C.D. Reventlow) were the de facto rulers of Denmark.
- 2.
C.D. Reventlow (1748–1827) was a Danish count and high-ranking civil servant. He participated in the coup d’etat in 1784 together with A.P. Bernstorff and his younger brother J.L. Revetlow. Hereafter, C.D. Reventlow played a crucial role in the governance of Denmark until Bernstorff’s death in 1797. After this, his influence decreased.
- 3.
An education from a Latin school was a requirement for a civil servant. This point seems to have been extremely important in that it was deemed to ensure the civil servant’s loyalty to the state.
- 4.
Blaagaards Seminarium was established in 1791. Blaagaard Teacher Training College could not supply a sufficient number of teachers, and the result was the establishment of the so-called parsonage colleges.
- 5.
One tønderland hartkorn of the finest farmland is 5516 square meters.
References
Bjerg, H. C. (1991). Til fædrelandets forsvar værnepligten i Danmark gennem tiderne. Tåstrup: Værnepligtsstyrelsen.
Bjørn, C. (1992). Den gode sag. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
Bjørn, C. (2003). 1814–1864. Dansk Udenrigspolitiks Historie 4. Copenhagen: Danmarks National Leksikon.
Bruce, S. (2002). God is dead: Secularization in the West. Malden: Blackwell.
Damsholt, T. (2000). Fædrelandskærlighed og borgerdyd: patriotisk diskurs og militære reformer i Danmark i sidste del af 1700-tallet. Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press.
Feldbæk, O. (1982). Tiden 1730–1814. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
Jespersen, K. J. V. (2004). A history of Denmark. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.
Kaspersen, L. B. (2004). How Denmark became democratic: The impact of warfare and military reforms. Acta Sociologica, 471, 71–89.
Kjærgaard, T. (2006). The Danish revolution 1500–1800: An ecohistorical interpretation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Korsgaard, O. (2004). Kampen om folket: et dannelsesperspektiv på dansk historie gennem 500 år. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
Landbocommissionen. (1788). Den for landbovæsenet nedsatte commission. Forhandlinger 1–2. Copenhagen: The National Danish Archive (Rigsarkivet)
Larsen, J. (1914). Skolelovene af 1814 og deres tilblivelse aktmæssig fremstillet. Copenhagen: Schultz.
Reeh, N. (2006). Religion and the state of Denmark–state religious politics in the elementary school system from 1721 to 1975, an alternative approach to secularization. Ph.d.-dissertation. Copenhagen: University of Copenhagen.
Reeh, N. (2009). Towards a new approach to secularization: Religion, education and the state in Denmark, 1721–1900. Social Compass, 56(2), 179–188.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Reeh, N. (2016). Enlightened Absolutism: 1784 to 1849. In: Secularization Revisited - Teaching of Religion and the State of Denmark. Boundaries of Religious Freedom: Regulating Religion in Diverse Societies, vol 5. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39608-8_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39608-8_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-39606-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-39608-8
eBook Packages: Religion and PhilosophyPhilosophy and Religion (R0)