Ignaz von Döllinger (1799-1890) and other liberal Catholic (church) historians on Luther and the Reformation in the 19th century – from polemic apologetics to critical appreciation

This paper describes the development of Ignaz von Dollinger (1799-1890), a leading Catholic theologian and church historian in Germany, from being a polemical apologetic defending Roman Catholicism and papacy against Luther, towards his critical, historically grounded appreciation of the role of Luther and the reformation for the transformation of 16th century Western Christianity. Dollinger’s development is demonstrated by the analysis of several of his writings on Luther and on the reformation during his life but also by drawing on Dollinger’s own life becoming an opponent of papal infallibility and the spiritus rector of the Old Catholic movement against it. Dollinger’s interpretation became very influential on Roman Catholic thought on Luther (until mid-20th century), but also on the less well-known Old Catholic theological and historical thought, which will be shown with three of Dollinger’s colleagues, Old Catholics and leading scholars on reformation history.