The Latin and Low German confessions have been completely edited for the first time by Rolf Schäfer and been provided with a parallel translation as well as a historical introduction.

The lordship of Jever was under great pressure due to the Augsburg Interim. In order to combine all their own power the pastors were instructed to give reasons for their personal faith and their rejection of the Interim in writing. The result was a unique collection of 21 pastors' confessions which were preserved due to fortunate circumstances. It provides a comprehensive view of the extent to which the Reformation had penetrated the rural territory far away from the Empire's centers of learning. Some of the authors had a university education, and some of them only had the simple clergyman's training provided in the late Middle Ages. The Latin and Low German confessions have been completely edited for the first time by Rolf Schäfer and been provided with a parallel translation as well as a historical introduction.

Autorentext
Geboren 1931; Theologiestudium in Tübingen, Göttingen und Zürich; 1967 Habilitation Tübingen; 1971-94 Oberkirchenrat in Oldenburg; seit 1994 im Ruhestand.