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John Edwards: Church of England Calvinist

Dewey D. Wallace, Jr.

in Shapers of English Calvinism, 1660–1714: Variety, Persistence, and Transformation

The last Calvinist discussed in this book is John Edwards, whose father Thomas Edwards had been a Puritan heresiographer. Nonetheless he conformed to the Church of England in 1660, picturing himself ... More

The last Calvinist discussed in this book is John Edwards, whose father Thomas Edwards had been a Puritan heresiographer. Nonetheless he conformed to the Church of England in 1660, picturing himself as embattled in that church as he defended Calvin against detractors, argued that the Church of England's theology was properly Calvinist, and continued the struggle against Arminianism within it. Unlike others in this book, he proudly claimed the term “Calvinist” for himself. He confronted the challenges discussed in other chapters—the new science, Deism, scoffing, atheism, Socinianism, Anti-Trinitarianism—opposing them in numerous writings that dealt with epistemology, the role and definition of reason, natural theology, and the authority of scripture. Like others in the Church of England at that time he was deeply interested in the Church Fathers.Less

Maurice Frank Wiles 1923–2005

Rowan Williams and Frances Young

in Proceedings of the British Academy, Volume 153 Biographical Memoirs of Fellows, VII

Maurice Frank Wiles (1923–2005), a Fellow of the British Academy, was an Anglican theologian who was able within that tradition to develop the field of ‘doctrinal criticism’. He began his career ... More

Maurice Frank Wiles (1923–2005), a Fellow of the British Academy, was an Anglican theologian who was able within that tradition to develop the field of ‘doctrinal criticism’. He began his career concentrating on the period of the early Fathers of the Church, and it was this grounding that sowed the seeds of his later work on modern doctrine. Arianism would remain a particular interest. Yet Wiles retained a profound respect for tradition and, like the Fathers, constantly measured his doctrinal critique against the experience of believers in life and worship, regarding theology as second-order discourse – reflection on the significance of what was primary for Christianity, such as the experience of salvation. During his student days two people particularly influenced him: Ian Ramsey, who was Chaplain of his college and his first Theology tutor; and Henry Chadwick, who encouraged his early research in the Church Fathers. The evolution of Wiles' thinking is perhaps best observed in the collection published as Working Papers in Doctrine.Less

Ad fontes argumentorum : The Sources of Reformed Theology in the Seventeenth Century

Richard A. Muller

in After Calvin: Studies in the Development of a Theological Tradition

This chapter moves past the basic issue of definition and approach and raises the question of the actual sources and materials used by the Protestant scholastics of the 17th century in the fashioning ... More

This chapter moves past the basic issue of definition and approach and raises the question of the actual sources and materials used by the Protestant scholastics of the 17th century in the fashioning of their theological world, noting the Renaissance and medieval backgrounds of Reformed orthodoxy, and arguing that the sources used and the way they were used, support the redefinition and reappraisal proposed in the initial study. It examines the following sources: Scripture, exegesis, and ancillary disciplines; the ancient creeds and the confessions of the Reformed churches; the Church Fathers; the theological tradition; and the philosophical tradition.Less

Evidence in History

James Davison Hunter

in To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity Today

The alternative view of cultural change that assigns roles not only to ideas but also to elites, networks, technology, and new institutions, provides a much better account of the growth in ... More

The alternative view of cultural change that assigns roles not only to ideas but also to elites, networks, technology, and new institutions, provides a much better account of the growth in plausibility and popularity of these important cultural developments. This is the evidence of history—particularly clear in an overview of key moments in church history and the rise of the Enlightenment and its various manifestations. Change in culture or civilization simply does not occur when there is change in the beliefs and values in the hearts and minds of ordinary people or in the creation of mere artifacts.Less

Sources

Timothy Bellamah, O.P.

in The Biblical Interpretation of William of Alton

Chapter 4 examines William’s use of sources. A hallmark of medieval commentary was extensive borrowing from the works of earlier writers. More specific to university commentary was the use of broader ... More

Chapter 4 examines William’s use of sources. A hallmark of medieval commentary was extensive borrowing from the works of earlier writers. More specific to university commentary was the use of broader ranges of them and the application of specialized dialectical procedures for integrating them into original and coherent expositions. Because the pedagogy of the time required the use of authoritative texts, university commentators devoted considerable effort to reconciling them with one another, as well as with the church’s doctrine. In this endeavor, William made use of several dialectical techniques, but without obscuring the identities or meanings of various authorities in order to disguise their disagreements. Even more than his contemporaries, he tended to discuss differences openly, sometimes adjudicating between authoritative interpretations but more often putting all of them forward as alternatives. In evidence here is a concern for maintaining the broadest possible scope for literal interpretation.Less

The Orthodox Theological Reception of Newman

Daniel J. Lattier

in Receptions of Newman

This chapter provides an overview of the Orthodox theological reception of John Henry Newman that has thus far taken place in the English-speaking world. In particular, it focuses on the reception of ... More

This chapter provides an overview of the Orthodox theological reception of John Henry Newman that has thus far taken place in the English-speaking world. In particular, it focuses on the reception of Newman in four influential Orthodox authors—Georges Florovsky, George Dragas, Andrew Louth, and Jaroslav Pelikan. Common themes dealt with in these authors’ reflections on Newman include the nature of his return to the Church Fathers, his understanding of tradition and doctrinal development, and his view of the relationship between faith and reason. The chapter concludes by pointing towards the strong likelihood of an expanded Orthodox reception of Newman in the near future.Less

The Patristic Period: Outlining the Problem

Matthew Levering

in Predestination: Biblical and Theological Paths

Chapter Two argues that the Church Fathers develop insightful but almost inevitably one-sided approaches to the New Testament's teachings on predestination. Origen emphasizes the Creator's unlimited ... More

Chapter Two argues that the Church Fathers develop insightful but almost inevitably one-sided approaches to the New Testament's teachings on predestination. Origen emphasizes the Creator's unlimited love for each and every rational creature, and he assumes the predestination of all to salvation. Augustine insists that the New Testament teaches God's utterly gratuitous predestination from eternity of only some rational creatures. John of Damascus highlights the power of created free will to rebel against God's love, with corresponding limitations as regards God's eternal providence in bringing about the salvation of rational creatures. Although Boethius does not treat predestination, his exposition of divine eternity and foreknowledge lends support to Augustine's theology of predestination.Less

Meditations on the Incarnation of Jesus Christ

in Meditations on the Incarnation, Passion, and Death of Jesus Christ

A description on the meditations on the incarnation of Jesus Christ is provided. Only in the first meditation on the eternal divinity of Christ do the testimonies and pronouncements of the Church ... More

A description on the meditations on the incarnation of Jesus Christ is provided. Only in the first meditation on the eternal divinity of Christ do the testimonies and pronouncements of the Church Fathers and First Church are used. Catharina Regina von Greiffenberg opens the twelve meditations by contemplating the divinity of Christ. To speak of Christ's divinity, she must also ponder the nature of the trinity, that is, of the hypostatic union of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is noted that variation and darkness are necessary for all beautiful things to acquire perfection. Humility is always a companion of gifts of grace and a precursor of sublimity and bliss. It learns from the Most High, who took on substance from substantial insignificance and put it in the company of His divinity. Fear of the Lord is the proper way to worship God.Less

‘Tradunt Hebraei’: The Problem of the Function and Reception of Jewish Midrash in Jerome

Alison Salvesen

in Midrash Unbound: Transformations and Innovations

This chapter describes the pedagogical streams and tributaries that preserved fragmentary but precious Jewish teachings in the various corpora of the Church Fathers. It explains the assorted ... More

This chapter describes the pedagogical streams and tributaries that preserved fragmentary but precious Jewish teachings in the various corpora of the Church Fathers. It explains the assorted sub-surface channels and teachers that use the narrative materials of the Jews, such as the iudaicae fabulae, and exegetical points that redirected to St. Jerome. Jerome is best known for what came to be called the Vulgate rendering of the books of the Jewish canon of the Old Testament. His own term for his version was the Iuxta Hebraeos, the version according to the Hebrews. This chapter also discusses a large number of lengthy letters, homilies, onomasticon, various anti-heretical works, and a series of commentaries written by Jerome that Christians consider to be the prophetic books of the Old Testament.Less

The Historical-Critical Reading of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

Marc Zvi Brettler, Peter Enns, and Daniel J. Harrington, S.J.

in The Bible and the Believer: How to Read the Bible Critically and Religiously

The jointly authored introduction defines biblical criticism (or the historical-critical method) broadly as the process of establishing the original, contextual meaning of biblical texts and of ... More

The jointly authored introduction defines biblical criticism (or the historical-critical method) broadly as the process of establishing the original, contextual meaning of biblical texts and of assessing their historical accuracy. Next it traces the history of biblical criticism in both the Jewish (rabbis, Rashi) and Christian (Church Fathers, Luther) traditions. Then it describes the emergence of biblical criticism with Baruch Spinoza and its development especially in liberal German Protestant circles (Ernst Troeltsch, Julius Wellhausen).Less

Sedimentation of Meaning in the Concepts of Nature and the Environment

James Carey

in Toward an Ecology of Transfiguration: Orthodox Christian Perspectives on Environment, Nature, and Creation

A concern of present-day philosophy is the problem identified by Edmund Husserl as “sedimentation.” This chapter looks at this concept. In time, sedimentation occurs—sedimentation not only of the ... More

A concern of present-day philosophy is the problem identified by Edmund Husserl as “sedimentation.” This chapter looks at this concept. In time, sedimentation occurs—sedimentation not only of the meaning of the concept but also of its problematic character, which did not go unnoticed by those who first came up with the concept. The concept of nature has become almost completely sedimented in our time. Today nature is most often held to be just the totality of things that are, apart from man. This chapter urges Orthodox bishops and theologians, as they contemplate incorporating “the environment” and cognate words into the liturgical and theological language of the Church, to scrutinize the concept they refer to as soberly, cautiously, and critically as the Church Fathers centuries before them scrutinized the concept of nature.Less

Apologist for the Church of England

W. B. Patterson

in William Perkins and the Making of a Protestant England

William Perkins, usually identified as a Puritan, devoted much of his career to making the teachings of the established Church better known and appreciated. He regarded Puritan as a ‘vile’ term, and ... More

William Perkins, usually identified as a Puritan, devoted much of his career to making the teachings of the established Church better known and appreciated. He regarded Puritan as a ‘vile’ term, and he was not a member of what is usually known as the Elizabethan Puritan Movement. He was a Reformed Christian in his theology—the tradition in which Calvin was a leading thinker—but he accepted the government, liturgy, and discipline of the established Church. He sought to lead students, clergy, and the general public to a richer understanding of the fundamental principles of the Christian faith. His A Reformed Catholike (1597) states clearly the teachings of the Church of England and distinguishes them from those of the Church of Rome, while he shows that the two churches share many concerns. Perkins claims the heritage of the scriptures, the Fathers of the Church, and leading scholastic theologians for English religious practices and beliefs.Less

God: The Sole Ultimate Reality

William Lane Craig

in God Over All: Divine Aseity and the Challenge of Platonism

The biblical and patristic witness to the doctrine of divine aseity and God’s status as the only uncreated (agenētos) being is expounded in detail through a careful exegesis of original texts. The ... More

The biblical and patristic witness to the doctrine of divine aseity and God’s status as the only uncreated (agenētos) being is expounded in detail through a careful exegesis of original texts. The Prologue of the Gospel of John reflects the intellectual heritage of Middle Platonism, with its Logos doctrine of creation. The similarities between John’s doctrine and that of Philo of Alexandria are particularly striking. Middle Platonists like Philo located the realm of abstract objects solely in the divine Logos. Because John’s emphasis is soteriological rather than metaphysical, he does not reflect on the pre-creation role of the Logos, but his language is entirely consistent with the Middle Platonic view. Similarly, in several of his epistles Paul reflects a Middle Platonic background, replacing the Logos or Wisdom with Christ. The Ante-Nicene Church Fathers held emphatically that there is but one agenētos from which all else derives, a conviction that comes to expression in the Nicene Creed. Arguments based on perfect being theology reinforce the traditional doctrine that God alone is uncreated. For if God depends for His deity upon His abstract, independently existing nature, then God does not exist a se.Less

Mystic Paths, Inward Turns

Anthony Cordingley

in Samuel Beckett's How It Is: Philosophy in Translation

This chapter expands upon the Christian themes introduced in the previous chapter. It identifies intertextual discourse with the Psalms, Early Church Fathers, Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine and certain ... More

This chapter expands upon the Christian themes introduced in the previous chapter. It identifies intertextual discourse with the Psalms, Early Church Fathers, Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine and certain neo-Platonists. It explores the importance of desert mysticism and notions of ascesis within the novel, and links this with multiple allusions to the inward turn or practised indifference of seventeenth-century Rationalists, notably Malebranche and Geulincx, and Quietists such as Fénelon, or the philosophy of Spinoza. How It Is is then argued to be Beckett’s most sustained engagement with Geulingian ethics. When Beckett draws on mysticism, Rationalism, Occasionalism and the conceptualisation of freewill in each, he is shown to thematize artistic originality and the agency of narrative voice, its relationship to the authorial voice.Less