A Post-Reformational Contradiction? The Survival of the Chapter of St. Pharahild in Ghent at the Turn of the Sixteenth Century

Abstract

This contribution’s aim is to give insight in the survival attempts of a secular chapter, confronted with material difficulties in the aftermath of reformational turmoil. Two elements seem to have been indispensable in this process: the use of a targeted counter-reformational discourse and the benefit of patronage by a secular authority. Through a comparison with similar institutions, an image is drawn up of the changes and challenges secular chapters had to deal with at the turn of the sixteenth century, as well as their intention and ability to adapt to new circumstances.