The essay takes as a starting point the honorary degree in History conferred on Heinz Schilling by the University of Trento in November 2014, in order to survey the production of the well-known German historian of the Reformation, who together with the Catholic historian Wolfgang Reinhard is responsible for the concept of ‘confessionalisation’ and in part also for the connected concept of ‘disciplining’. Retracing the steps of Schilling’s career and research findings, the author starts weighing the pros and cons of the two interpretative patterns, keeping in mind the criticisms that they have recently received from various sources. At the same time, the author stresses the German historian’s ability to adapt his vision over time, focusing in particular on Schilling’s recent works (including his new biography of Luther, 2012) and on the cues present in the keynote address that he held in Trento.
Keywords: Heinz Schilling, Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther, Confessionalisation, Disciplining, Historiography