Eighteenth-Century Inscribed Pulpit Canopies in the Reformed Churches of Transylvania

My thesis is based on the exploration of a lesser-studied aspect of 18th-century Transylvanian protestant church history: it examines, trough an interdisciplinary approach, the inscriptions found on elements of protestant sacred space furnishings – particularly on pulpit canopies. The analysis of the selected corpus is guided by the hypothesis that these inscriptions are functional in nature, shedding light on the liturgical role of the given object while also conveying messages to the congregation. The subject of the study includes works whose iconographic program, inscriptions, or patronal background are considered distinctive. Naturally, several technical limitations – such as later overpainting and a lack of documentary sources – posed significant challenges to the research. Nevertheless, it was still possible to work with sufficiently relevant information. Following a theoretical overview of sacred spatial communication, the thesis presents a series of case studies; through the aesthetic and textual examination of the selected objects, readers are offered insight into the social and cultural conditions of the period’s church life, as well as key aspects of the spiritual world of the Transylvanian reformed tradition. The content of the inscriptions provides rich material for understanding both the liturgical heritage and the theoretical mindset of the era.