Maria Theresa and Joseph II (1765-1780): Religion as a topic of correspondence

Examining the significance of religion and the Church during the Age of Enlightenment constitutes a central strand of academic research into this period. This thesis takes up this thematic context and applies it specifically to the two representatives of the Habsburg dynasty who personified 'old' and 'new' conceptions of religion, piety and the Church - Maria Theresa and her son Joseph, who had served as co-regent of the Austrian hereditary lands since 1765. It has long been recognised in scholarship that their differing religious views led to tensions between the two regents. Whilst Joseph II advocated the freedom of religious practice, Maria Theresa saw her son's stance as a threat to the very existence of the monarchy. A significant part of this study is devoted to analysing this research finding in greater detail, using the correspondence between Maria Theresa and her son as a case study. It examines in detail letters centred on the themes of religion and the Church, in which tolerance emerges as a central point of disagreement between mother and son.

Pagina's: 96, Paperback, Our Knowledge Publishing