Confessionalisation in seventeenth-century Lithuania? The case of the Protestant Radziwiłłs

ENThis paper explores the nuanced role of princely authority and religious responsibility in the context of confessionalisation in seventeenth-century Lithuania, with a focus on the Protestant Radziwiłł family. It challenges traditional historiographical assumptions that view confessionalisation purely as a top-down process of state-building and highlights the complexities of religious stewardship, including the moral obligations of elites towards their subjects. By examining specific actions of the Radziwiłłs and contrasting them with broader European trends, the study aims to provide a more intricate understanding of the interplay between authority, religion, and social dynamics in this historical setting. [Academia]