CENSURER-EXCLURE DANS UN ENVIRONNEMENT PLURICONFESSIONNEL, L'EXEMPLE DE SAINTE-MARIE-AUX-MINES AU DIX-SEPTIEME SIECLE

The Reformed Church of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines was founded in 1550 under the protection of the seigneurs de Ribeaupierre. Located in Alsace and within the borders of the Empire, the town was home to Lutherans, Anabaptists, Catholics and Reformed. Already in 1558, the Reformed community had a Confession of Faith, a Church Discipline and, a little later, a Catechism. As with other Reformed Churches, it was governed by a consistory. The registers of this consistory, preserved for the period beginning in 1634, indicate that its principal concerns were poor relief, ecclesiastical administration, and "scandals." The latter category can be divided into "religious scandals" and "moral scandals." Religious scandals included blasphemy, injury or mistreatment of pastors and elders during the exercise of their responsibilities, confessionally mixed marriages, the threat of conversion to another religion, superstitious practices, the elders' or deacons' lack of fervor in the discharge of their task, and mockery or criticism of the Church. Moral scandals were more common, taking into account matters such as drunkenness, injury, quarrels, fights, marital discord, and mistreatment. Still, the most frequent sort of scandal, which the consistory fought with relentless determination but little success, was dancing. Was the consistory's attempt to impose social control in vain? Probably not. Yet it did not lead to a new society that was more Christian and more mannered. At Sainte-Marie, the "reasoned and reasonable" application of discipline allowed for the maintenance of the cohesion of the community, which, in a diverse milieu amid difficult times, was an unquestionable victory.