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By Dr. Laura Jurgens, Department of Classics & Religion
University of Calgary
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When I started graduate school, not too long ago, my professors would emphasize the importance of choosing a well-defined research method. I knew that I wanted to study both the social and historical circumstances of the Protestant Reformation, but I did not know much about the social-historical method. When I tried to research this approach, I was unable to find many relevant academic sources that provided a comprehensive explanation of the method. This was surprising because the social-historical method is a popular approach that is used by many scholars, especially in the field of religious studies.
Wittenberg, a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, is famous for its association with Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation.
When the study of history became standardized within universities during the nineteenth century, theorists made assumptions about the “right” way to study history. Initially, many theorists held that the study of history ought to focus on simply providing an account of what happened in history. These historical narratives typically dealt with politics and “great," particularly white, men. These factors established the foundation for traditional historical studies and research methods for a long time.
Leopold von Ranke significantly shaped the study of history in the nineteenth century.
However, as time passed, many historians became unsatisfied with this approach. These historians wanted to move beyond political history to include social and cultural factors, such as sex and gender, as topics that were worth including in the study of history. They argued that engaging with other academic disciplines, like anthropology, sociology, and psychology, would provide innovative ways of thinking about how individuals, like women, organized themselves throughout history.
Marc Bloch (left) and Lucien Febvre (right) criticized traditional historical studies and emphasized a multidisciplinary approach to history.
In addition to including a more interdisciplinary approach, these historians were less concerned with the narrative of events, and more interested in critically analyzing various social and cultural factors.
The social-historical method emphasizes exploring social factors, like family.
This new way of thinking about the study of history led to emergence of a new social history, also known as the social-historical method.
There are many examples of scholars who use the social-historical approach. For example, Kirsi Stjerna moves away from the traditional historical method that tended to focus solely on “great men” towards bringing women, like Katharina von Bora, to the forefront. Her book on Women and the Reformation (2008) established new ground by including women’s theological voices in a historical study of the Protestant Reformation. In addition to this, Stjerna critically investigates the why, rather than simply presenting a narrative of history. Her work shows that the social-historical method allows historians to broaden the disciplines of religion and history and provides new and more inclusive ways of thinking about the human experience throughout history.
Katharina von Bora was the wife of Martin Luther, and she played an important role in the Protestant Reformation.
Although I can list numerous studies where authors have used the social-historical method, I cannot say the same for academic works that clearly explain the method. Several years ago, I felt as though I lacked practical resources, particularly in the form of published articles and books, for better understanding the social-historical research method and how to use it. It made me wonder: “If research methodologies are so crucial to our work as academics, then why do we not talk about them more often?” Even now, in 2021, I still ask this same question.
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