Just going through the early modern period in class, and its just kind of startling how fearcely and commonly people fought over theory so much when practices were very similar. Especially the distinction of religious salvation in work vs through grace. self determination vs predetermination.If you were predetermined to be good you will do good works and if you are self determined you will try to do good works.Of course there was a good smattering of pragmatics involved, not wanting to pay money and land to the pope, or maintaining imperial consolidation, but also a lot of actions where largely underpinned by actual belief in things that played out the same way. Reading shit from say the puritains in new england or the private writings of the catholic (esque) Pascal.There is both a respect and a disbelief for me in this.
