The religious controversy triggered by the Reformation posed problems for the inseparability of politics, religion and law that had always existed. Because the Reformation called into question previously recognized theological authorities and truths, rule and political action had to be theologically justified in a new or different way. The Bundestags of the Schmalkaldic League therefore became an extremely important platform for political discussion in a time of political reorientation. On the one hand, this applies to an external perspective, in which the importance of the Bundestag as an opportunity to initiate or carry out nationwide, sometimes even European, negotiation processes and strategic discussions requires analysis. On the other hand, the federal parliaments as places of strategic discussions between the members of the federal government must be examined from an internal perspective.

Im Jahr 1555 hielt der Leipziger Theologieprofessor Johann Pfeffinger eine Disputation eber den freien Willen des Menschen ab. Dabei betonte er, im Anschluss an die Lehre Philipp Melanchthons, dass bei der Bekehrung des Menschen auch der menschliche Wille eine Rolle spiele. Die Publikation dieser Disputation im Jahr 1558 war der Ausloeser des Synergistischen Streits (1555/58-1564). Dass man sich so intensiv auseinandersetzte, lag daran, dass diese theologische Problematik im Grunde weit eber den Zusammenhang der "conversio" hinausging und zugleich die grundsatzliche, anthropologisch bedeutsame Frage tangierte, ob sich der Mensch frei und aus eigenem Antrieb dem Guten zuwenden koenne. Den Spaltungen, den dieser Streit besonders innerhalb des Herzogtums Sachsen herauffehrte, versuchte Herzog Johann Friedrich der Mittlere teils durch Vermittlungsbemehungen, teils durch Entlassungen von Pfarrern und Professoren entgegenzuwirken. Im fenften Band der Edition "Controversia et Confessio" werden die fer den Streit ausschlaggebenden Texte von Johann Pfeffinger, Nikolaus von Amsdorf, Victorin Strigel, Matthias Flacius, Nikolaus Gallus und anderen Theologen geboten. Auch das "Weimarer Konfutationsbuchs", das hier erstmals kritisch ediert wird, ist in diesem Zusammenhang von Bedeutung.

New technologies for the transmission of information promote the exchange of information. That is a very natural statement for the 20th and 21st centuries. It goes without saying that it also applies to the 16th century and the early modern period as a whole. A well-known example of this is the improvement in printing techniques through the use of movable type. This led to the fact that new media emerged and established themselves permanently, such as the pamphlet and the "Neue Zeitung". Other already known genera such as songs and sermons acquired a new meaning in the controversies of the time due to the changed communication situation. This resulted in a variety of opportunities and challenges, because the use of this new media, such as the transformation of existing media formats and their widespread use, set in motion or promoted political, social, legal and religious change processes. The articles in the anthology want these new ones Shed light on communication forms and methods as well as the change processes for the 16th century. This is done by analyzing change and transformation processes through the use of known and the creation of new media formats, the handling of diversity of opinion and the associated plurality of interpretations of current events as well as the emergence of a new culture of debate and new attempts at order.