Description: 

During the Early Modern Period in Denmark-Norway there were published literature on both theology and law that can be studied to examine the relationship between law and religion. This gives a valuable top-down perspective on the matter. By studying court records, law in action and lay concepts of religion can be examined as an important supplement to the study of law and religion. Both legal and theological historical sources are often examined qualitative through a close reading. But they can also be studied quantitative when the sources have been digitalized, which is the case of court records for wester Norwegian district courts. This makes it possible to merge these two methodological approaches, and get the best of two worlds.

Aim:

The students will get a bottom-up perspective on the relationship between law and religion, as it appears from court records from the western Norwegian countryside 1640-1800. They will also get a perspective on quantitative and qualitative research within legal history, using digitalized court records as historical material.

Content:

Law and religion in the Early Modern Period, law in action, lay concepts of religion, court records as an historical source, quantitative and qualitative legal historical method