Histories of Early Modern religion in Europe typically contrast the activities of ordained theologians with those of laity. The thought and writings of the former usually constitute “theology” and those of the latter “piety.” The result has long been a divided history. Confessional church historians have written histories that were essentially genealogies of (male) officer holders, while scholars of folklore, culture or literature analyzed the contributions of laity. Since the so-called cultural turn, the contributions of laity as organizers, transmitters and patrons of Early Modern religious movements are being recognized. What has been less studied are the intellectual achievements of laity, many of whom possessed deep knowledge of theology, history, and ancient languages and played important roles in Early Modern religious history. This article provides an overview of the main issues and the development of lay theology in the period and argues for increased study of the phenomenon.

中文翻译：

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不仅仅是虔诚

在欧洲，近代早期宗教的历史通常将神学家的活动与俗人的活动进行对比。前者的思想和著作通常构成“神学”，而后者则构成“伪善”。长期以来，结果一直是分裂的历史。Conf悔教会的历史学家撰写的历史基本上都是（男性）军官的家谱，而民俗，文化或文学的学者则分析了懒惰的贡献。自从所谓的文化转向以来，人们逐渐认识到俗人作为早期现代宗教运动的组织者，传播者和赞助者所做的贡献。较少研究的是俗人的知识成就，其中许多人对神学，历史和古代语言都有深刻的了解，并在近代早期宗教史中发挥了重要作用。