Reformation Ideas in Early Baroque Literature and Shevchenko's Conception of God

Abstract

Background. The formation of Ukrainian literature during the Early Baroque period (first half of the 17th century) occurred within the broader context of significant religious and sociocultural transformations in Europe. One of the key ideological currents influencing this period was the Reformation, which arose in response to the crisis of established religious doctrines and traditional worldviews. These changes prompted the emergence of new philosophical, theological, and aesthetic paradigms that shaped the literary discourse of the time. Central to this shift was a reimagining of the human being – not as a static, divinely ordained subject, but as a dynamic, conflicted individual engaged in the existential pursuit of truth, faith, and moral clarity. This study examines how these Reformation-induced Baroque tendencies informed the literary imagination of Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko, whose oeuvre, while typically associated with Romanticism, bears the imprint of earlier Baroque religious and philosophical traditions.

Methods. The article employs general scientific methods of research, including synthesis and generalization. Philological and historical-literary approaches are also applied. The study is based on textual analysis of the works of Ukrainian Early Baroque writers and the poetry of T. Shevchenko, as well as interpretation of philosophical and theological sources from the Reformation era.

Results. It has been established that the Baroque tradition, with its complex symbolism, metaphysical anxiety, and theocentric worldview, had a significant impact on Shevchenko's conception of the human being and God. An analysis of Shevchenko's works reveals elements of humanist and Reformation thought, expressed through a synthesis of European and national spiritual traditions. Shevchenko's vision of God, imbued with a tense search for justiceresonates with the Baroque notion of God as a moral absolute and supreme truth.

Conclusions. The findings of this study indicate that Reformation ideas, adapted to the Ukrainian context, had noticeable influence on the development of national Baroque literature. This ideas contributed to the emergence of a new ideological and aesthetic of a new cultural and ideological model, which was later reflected in Shevchenko's works. Thus, Shevchenko's poetry should be viewed not only as a product of the Romantic era but also as a continuation of the Baroque tradition, combining national specificity with the universal meanings of the European Reformation.