Tapio Luoma
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195151893
- eISBN:
- 9780199834419
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195151895.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Thomas Torrance's original contribution to the dialog between theology and the natural sciences arises from two interrelated features in his thought: first, his adherence to the theology of Karl ...
More
Thomas Torrance's original contribution to the dialog between theology and the natural sciences arises from two interrelated features in his thought: first, his adherence to the theology of Karl Barth and, second, his insistence on the centrality of Christology, especially the doctrine of the Incarnation and the concept of the homoousion. He has succeeded in having brought into the dialog not only his own Reformed tradition (Calvinism and Barthianism) but also the central viewpoints of patristic theology of the Early Church. His claim that the empirical natural sciences, both in their epistemological and ontological aspects, as well as the modern relational view of space and time, are actually an outcome of the patristic incarnational theology needs a firmer evidential ground to be convincing. Realism proves to be essential for Torrance's discussion, but, at the same time, his view of realism does not open fully through philosophy of science but rather, through his understanding of God's compulsive power as revealed, especially in the election, a central Reformed doctrine. The most serious threat to realism and its proper function in theology and science is, according to Torrance, the phenomenon he calls dualism, a deep‐seated way of perceiving reality through two opposing principles with no genuine interaction between them. Torrance's interpretation of Arius and Arianism as well as Isaac Newton and his science proves that the main reason for Torrance's criticism of dualism lies in its inability to take seriously the true humanity and true divinity of Christ. Torrance holds that the modern natural sciences, having begun to free themselves of dualistic habits of thought, now have something important to remind theology of, especially regarding the ontological and epistemological grounds of theological science. Torrance's view of the doctrines of Christology, involving the Incarnation and the homoousion, and Trinity as the correct basis with which to begin theological reflection is an ambitious effort to redirect modern theology to follow the example of theoretical novelties in physics back toward its ontological and epistemological basis. Both the freshness and the strength, and the restrictions and the weaknesses, of Torrance's contribution to theology–science dialog can be seen to lie in his determinate adherence to the Incarnation and to the concept of homoousion.Less
Thomas Torrance's original contribution to the dialog between theology and the natural sciences arises from two interrelated features in his thought: first, his adherence to the theology of Karl Barth and, second, his insistence on the centrality of Christology, especially the doctrine of the Incarnation and the concept of the homoousion. He has succeeded in having brought into the dialog not only his own Reformed tradition (Calvinism and Barthianism) but also the central viewpoints of patristic theology of the Early Church. His claim that the empirical natural sciences, both in their epistemological and ontological aspects, as well as the modern relational view of space and time, are actually an outcome of the patristic incarnational theology needs a firmer evidential ground to be convincing. Realism proves to be essential for Torrance's discussion, but, at the same time, his view of realism does not open fully through philosophy of science but rather, through his understanding of God's compulsive power as revealed, especially in the election, a central Reformed doctrine. The most serious threat to realism and its proper function in theology and science is, according to Torrance, the phenomenon he calls dualism, a deep‐seated way of perceiving reality through two opposing principles with no genuine interaction between them. Torrance's interpretation of Arius and Arianism as well as Isaac Newton and his science proves that the main reason for Torrance's criticism of dualism lies in its inability to take seriously the true humanity and true divinity of Christ. Torrance holds that the modern natural sciences, having begun to free themselves of dualistic habits of thought, now have something important to remind theology of, especially regarding the ontological and epistemological grounds of theological science. Torrance's view of the doctrines of Christology, involving the Incarnation and the homoousion, and Trinity as the correct basis with which to begin theological reflection is an ambitious effort to redirect modern theology to follow the example of theoretical novelties in physics back toward its ontological and epistemological basis. Both the freshness and the strength, and the restrictions and the weaknesses, of Torrance's contribution to theology–science dialog can be seen to lie in his determinate adherence to the Incarnation and to the concept of homoousion.
Jason A. Springs
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195395044
- eISBN:
- 9780199866243
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Discontinued
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195395044.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Toward a Generous Orthodoxy provides a refined exposition of Hans Frei's christologically motivated engagement with Ludwig Wittgenstein, Clifford Geertz, Erich Auerbach, his use of ...
More
Toward a Generous Orthodoxy provides a refined exposition of Hans Frei's christologically motivated engagement with Ludwig Wittgenstein, Clifford Geertz, Erich Auerbach, his use of ordinary language philosophy and nonfoundational philosophical insights, while illuminating and expanding his orientational indebtedness to Karl Barth's theology. By placing Frei's work into critical conversation with developments in pragmatist thought and cultural theory since his death, the rereading of Frei offered here aims to correct and resolve many of the complaints and misunderstandings that vex his theological legacy. The result is a clarification of the unity and coherence of Frei's work over the course of his career; a reframing of the complex relationship of his work to that of his Yale colleague George Lindbeck and successive "postliberal" theological trends; demonstration that Frei's uses of Barth, Wittgenstein, Auerbach, and Geertz do not relegate his theological approach to critical quietism, methodological separatism, epistemic fideism, or a so-called "theological ghetto"; explication and development of Frei's account of the "plain sense" of Scripture that evades charges of narrative foundationalism and essentialism on one hand and, on the other, avoids criticisms that any account so emphasizing culture, language, and practice will reduce scriptural meaning to the ways the text is used in Christian practice and community. What emerges from Toward a Generous Orthodoxy is a sharpened account of the christologically anchored, interdisciplinary, and conversational character of Frei's theology, which he came to describe as a "generous orthodoxy," modeling a way for academic theological voices to take seriously both their vocation to the Christian church and their roles as interlocutors in the academic discourse.Less
Toward a Generous Orthodoxy provides a refined exposition of Hans Frei's christologically motivated engagement with Ludwig Wittgenstein, Clifford Geertz, Erich Auerbach, his use of ordinary language philosophy and nonfoundational philosophical insights, while illuminating and expanding his orientational indebtedness to Karl Barth's theology. By placing Frei's work into critical conversation with developments in pragmatist thought and cultural theory since his death, the rereading of Frei offered here aims to correct and resolve many of the complaints and misunderstandings that vex his theological legacy. The result is a clarification of the unity and coherence of Frei's work over the course of his career; a reframing of the complex relationship of his work to that of his Yale colleague George Lindbeck and successive "postliberal" theological trends; demonstration that Frei's uses of Barth, Wittgenstein, Auerbach, and Geertz do not relegate his theological approach to critical quietism, methodological separatism, epistemic fideism, or a so-called "theological ghetto"; explication and development of Frei's account of the "plain sense" of Scripture that evades charges of narrative foundationalism and essentialism on one hand and, on the other, avoids criticisms that any account so emphasizing culture, language, and practice will reduce scriptural meaning to the ways the text is used in Christian practice and community. What emerges from Toward a Generous Orthodoxy is a sharpened account of the christologically anchored, interdisciplinary, and conversational character of Frei's theology, which he came to describe as a "generous orthodoxy," modeling a way for academic theological voices to take seriously both their vocation to the Christian church and their roles as interlocutors in the academic discourse.
David C. Steinmetz
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195130485
- eISBN:
- 9780199869008
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195130480.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
The introduction characterizes the four confessional families – Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, and Radical – and explains the rationale for the book.
The introduction characterizes the four confessional families – Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, and Radical – and explains the rationale for the book.
Ashley Null
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198270218
- eISBN:
- 9780191683954
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198270218.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity, Church History
For centuries historians have offered often bitterly contradictory answers to the question of who exactly was Thomas Cranmer. Although Cranmer was a key participant in the changes to English life ...
More
For centuries historians have offered often bitterly contradictory answers to the question of who exactly was Thomas Cranmer. Although Cranmer was a key participant in the changes to English life brought about by the Reformation, his reticent nature and lack of extensive personal writings have left a vacuum that in the past has too often been filled by scholarly prejudice or presumption. For the first time, however, this book examines in depth little used manuscript sources to reconstruct Cranmer's theological development on the crucial Protestant doctrine of justification. The author explores Cranmer's cultural heritage, why he would have been attracted to Luther's thought, and then provides convincing evidence for the Reformed Protestant Augustinianism that Cranmer enshrined in the formularies of the Church of England. For Cranmer the glory of God was his love for the unworthy; the heart of theology was proclaiming this truth through word and sacrament. Hence, the focus of both was on the life of on-going repentance, remembering God's gracious love inspired grateful human love.Less
For centuries historians have offered often bitterly contradictory answers to the question of who exactly was Thomas Cranmer. Although Cranmer was a key participant in the changes to English life brought about by the Reformation, his reticent nature and lack of extensive personal writings have left a vacuum that in the past has too often been filled by scholarly prejudice or presumption. For the first time, however, this book examines in depth little used manuscript sources to reconstruct Cranmer's theological development on the crucial Protestant doctrine of justification. The author explores Cranmer's cultural heritage, why he would have been attracted to Luther's thought, and then provides convincing evidence for the Reformed Protestant Augustinianism that Cranmer enshrined in the formularies of the Church of England. For Cranmer the glory of God was his love for the unworthy; the heart of theology was proclaiming this truth through word and sacrament. Hence, the focus of both was on the life of on-going repentance, remembering God's gracious love inspired grateful human love.
Amy Nelson Burnett
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195305760
- eISBN:
- 9780199784912
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195305760.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This book describes the education and ministry of the Reformed ministers who served the church of Basel in the century after the city’s official adoption of the Reformation. It argues that growing ...
More
This book describes the education and ministry of the Reformed ministers who served the church of Basel in the century after the city’s official adoption of the Reformation. It argues that growing homogeneity in social and geographical background and in amount of education was countered by a significant evolution in the content of that education, resulting in four distinct generations of clergy. These generational differences in turn influenced the preaching and pastoral care of the city-republic’s parish pastors. The evolution of the curriculum of the city’s university, especially the teaching of dialectic, contributed to the development of Reformed Orthodoxy in the theology faculty. Each generation of Basel’s pastors sought to inculcate a somewhat different understanding of the evangelical faith in their parishioners through their sermons, catechisms, and administration of the sacraments, moving from a general evangelical piety and rejection of late medieval Catholicism in the wake of the Reformation to a more self-conscious Reformed identity and the development of a Reformed religious culture. Over the last two decades of the 16th century, the church’s institutions for supervision of the clergy were strengthened, while the city magistrate and lay officials worked more closely with the clergy to oversee and enforce official standards of belief and conduct. Beginning with the third and fourth generations, it is possible to see the visible impact of both confessionalization and the professionalization of the clergy on popular religion.Less
This book describes the education and ministry of the Reformed ministers who served the church of Basel in the century after the city’s official adoption of the Reformation. It argues that growing homogeneity in social and geographical background and in amount of education was countered by a significant evolution in the content of that education, resulting in four distinct generations of clergy. These generational differences in turn influenced the preaching and pastoral care of the city-republic’s parish pastors. The evolution of the curriculum of the city’s university, especially the teaching of dialectic, contributed to the development of Reformed Orthodoxy in the theology faculty. Each generation of Basel’s pastors sought to inculcate a somewhat different understanding of the evangelical faith in their parishioners through their sermons, catechisms, and administration of the sacraments, moving from a general evangelical piety and rejection of late medieval Catholicism in the wake of the Reformation to a more self-conscious Reformed identity and the development of a Reformed religious culture. Over the last two decades of the 16th century, the church’s institutions for supervision of the clergy were strengthened, while the city magistrate and lay officials worked more closely with the clergy to oversee and enforce official standards of belief and conduct. Beginning with the third and fourth generations, it is possible to see the visible impact of both confessionalization and the professionalization of the clergy on popular religion.
Amy Nelson Burnett
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195305760
- eISBN:
- 9780199784912
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195305760.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
The introduction of systematic religious instruction at Basel’s most important Latin school, the reformation of its stipendiary system, and the creation of colleges intended especially for future ...
More
The introduction of systematic religious instruction at Basel’s most important Latin school, the reformation of its stipendiary system, and the creation of colleges intended especially for future pastors were foundational aspects of the city’s new system of pastoral training. Over time, the religious curriculum became more rigorous and the city’s catechism was interpreted to accord more fully with Reformed Orthodoxy. Stricter supervision of stipendiates and an increase in the number of stipends made it possible for more students to study for a longer time before entering the ministry. As students, they were expected to live in one of the university’s two colleges, where they received additional theological education and were subject to closer supervision.Less
The introduction of systematic religious instruction at Basel’s most important Latin school, the reformation of its stipendiary system, and the creation of colleges intended especially for future pastors were foundational aspects of the city’s new system of pastoral training. Over time, the religious curriculum became more rigorous and the city’s catechism was interpreted to accord more fully with Reformed Orthodoxy. Stricter supervision of stipendiates and an increase in the number of stipends made it possible for more students to study for a longer time before entering the ministry. As students, they were expected to live in one of the university’s two colleges, where they received additional theological education and were subject to closer supervision.
Amy Nelson Burnett
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195305760
- eISBN:
- 9780199784912
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195305760.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
Theology instruction at Basel’s university reflected generational change among its faculty from 1550 to 1629, resulting in a significant evolution of pastoral education. The second generation of ...
More
Theology instruction at Basel’s university reflected generational change among its faculty from 1550 to 1629, resulting in a significant evolution of pastoral education. The second generation of theologians tried to maintain Basel’s non-confessional evangelical identity into the 1570s. In the last quarter of the 16th century, the third generation, led by Johann Jacob Grynaeus, introduced Reformed Orthodoxy, developed with the tools of dialectic taught in the arts faculty. While Grynaeus relied primarily on Aristotle, his colleague, Amandus Polanus von Polansdorf, was committed to Ramism and introduced its use to theology. His successors, who taught the fourth generation of pastors, saw themselves as preservers of the Reformed tradition rather than as creative theological thinkers. An analysis of theological disputations illustrates the shift from general Protestant to more specifically Reformed theology, combined with the growth of anti-Catholic polemic at the turn of the century.Less
Theology instruction at Basel’s university reflected generational change among its faculty from 1550 to 1629, resulting in a significant evolution of pastoral education. The second generation of theologians tried to maintain Basel’s non-confessional evangelical identity into the 1570s. In the last quarter of the 16th century, the third generation, led by Johann Jacob Grynaeus, introduced Reformed Orthodoxy, developed with the tools of dialectic taught in the arts faculty. While Grynaeus relied primarily on Aristotle, his colleague, Amandus Polanus von Polansdorf, was committed to Ramism and introduced its use to theology. His successors, who taught the fourth generation of pastors, saw themselves as preservers of the Reformed tradition rather than as creative theological thinkers. An analysis of theological disputations illustrates the shift from general Protestant to more specifically Reformed theology, combined with the growth of anti-Catholic polemic at the turn of the century.
Amy Nelson Burnett
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195305760
- eISBN:
- 9780199784912
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195305760.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
The humanist disciplines of dialectic and rhetoric were the foundation of Protestant homiletics. Early Lutheran homileticists adapted the principles of classical rhetoric to develop a new, topical ...
More
The humanist disciplines of dialectic and rhetoric were the foundation of Protestant homiletics. Early Lutheran homileticists adapted the principles of classical rhetoric to develop a new, topical method of preaching. Reformed homileticists at the end of the century emphasized exegetical, rather than topical, sermons. Their homiletics texts were strongly influenced by Ramism, both in the organization of their works and in their recommendations for beginning preachers. Attendance at preaching services was fundamental to homiletic instruction in Basel; future pastors were expected to use their knowledge of classical rhetoric to analyze preached and written sermons. The theology professor Amandus Polanus wrote a strongly Ramist homiletics text that was later abridged by his student and successor, Johann Georg Gross.Less
The humanist disciplines of dialectic and rhetoric were the foundation of Protestant homiletics. Early Lutheran homileticists adapted the principles of classical rhetoric to develop a new, topical method of preaching. Reformed homileticists at the end of the century emphasized exegetical, rather than topical, sermons. Their homiletics texts were strongly influenced by Ramism, both in the organization of their works and in their recommendations for beginning preachers. Attendance at preaching services was fundamental to homiletic instruction in Basel; future pastors were expected to use their knowledge of classical rhetoric to analyze preached and written sermons. The theology professor Amandus Polanus wrote a strongly Ramist homiletics text that was later abridged by his student and successor, Johann Georg Gross.
Amy Nelson Burnett
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195305760
- eISBN:
- 9780199784912
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195305760.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
An analysis of sermons by three generations of preachers illustrates the evolution of preaching in Basel. While sermons from the 1560s were primarily exegetical homilies explicating the scriptural ...
More
An analysis of sermons by three generations of preachers illustrates the evolution of preaching in Basel. While sermons from the 1560s were primarily exegetical homilies explicating the scriptural text, sermons from the 1570s and 1580s show the gradual acceptance of topical preaching in the city. The topical sermons of Johann Jacob Grynaeus combine Christocentric piety with attention to key Reformed doctrines, especially concerning the Lord’s Supper. The sermons of his contemporary, Johann Jacob Gugger, are more expository and popular. The extant sermon schemata of the next generation are strongly influenced by Ramism. They proceed by dichotomies and emphasize Reformed Orthodoxy rather than experiential piety.Less
An analysis of sermons by three generations of preachers illustrates the evolution of preaching in Basel. While sermons from the 1560s were primarily exegetical homilies explicating the scriptural text, sermons from the 1570s and 1580s show the gradual acceptance of topical preaching in the city. The topical sermons of Johann Jacob Grynaeus combine Christocentric piety with attention to key Reformed doctrines, especially concerning the Lord’s Supper. The sermons of his contemporary, Johann Jacob Gugger, are more expository and popular. The extant sermon schemata of the next generation are strongly influenced by Ramism. They proceed by dichotomies and emphasize Reformed Orthodoxy rather than experiential piety.
Matthias Gockel
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199203222
- eISBN:
- 9780191707711
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199203222.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
The chapter shows to what extent Schleiermacher's essay on election agrees with Augustine and Calvin that the ground of election and reprobation is not found in human beings but in God. Those who are ...
More
The chapter shows to what extent Schleiermacher's essay on election agrees with Augustine and Calvin that the ground of election and reprobation is not found in human beings but in God. Those who are captured by the power of God's Word are the elect, those who are not captured by it are the reprobate. Reprobation does not entail damnation; nobody ever loses the possibility of being spiritually revived. The exclusion from the community of believers is not the result of a divine foreordination but an expression of the historical development of God's kingdom. Schleiermacher rejects not only the idea of a positive divine decree of reprobation, as Lutheran theologians did in their quarrel with the Reformed side, but he refutes altogether the idea of particular decrees for individuals or for two different groups of persons. Election and reprobation are rooted in a single divine decree.Less
The chapter shows to what extent Schleiermacher's essay on election agrees with Augustine and Calvin that the ground of election and reprobation is not found in human beings but in God. Those who are captured by the power of God's Word are the elect, those who are not captured by it are the reprobate. Reprobation does not entail damnation; nobody ever loses the possibility of being spiritually revived. The exclusion from the community of believers is not the result of a divine foreordination but an expression of the historical development of God's kingdom. Schleiermacher rejects not only the idea of a positive divine decree of reprobation, as Lutheran theologians did in their quarrel with the Reformed side, but he refutes altogether the idea of particular decrees for individuals or for two different groups of persons. Election and reprobation are rooted in a single divine decree.
Matthias Gockel
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199203222
- eISBN:
- 9780191707711
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199203222.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
The chapter argues that the main theme of the doctrine of election in Karl Barth's Göttingen Dogmatics is the twofold possibility of faith and unbelief, which is an integral part of God's address to ...
More
The chapter argues that the main theme of the doctrine of election in Karl Barth's Göttingen Dogmatics is the twofold possibility of faith and unbelief, which is an integral part of God's address to humanity. God's ‘unveiling’ is the purpose of His ‘veiling’, but the decision when and how the ‘unveiling’ occurs is made by God alone. Reprobation is the event in which God withholds the gift of faith, but it is not an end in itself and is always oriented toward election and salvation as the steadfast goal. Barth changes the concept of an eternal double predestination from a concept that refers to a pre‐temporal divine foreordination into an actualistic concept that refers to the freedom and contingency of God's acting in history. The modification underscores the theocentric and teleological character of his view.Less
The chapter argues that the main theme of the doctrine of election in Karl Barth's Göttingen Dogmatics is the twofold possibility of faith and unbelief, which is an integral part of God's address to humanity. God's ‘unveiling’ is the purpose of His ‘veiling’, but the decision when and how the ‘unveiling’ occurs is made by God alone. Reprobation is the event in which God withholds the gift of faith, but it is not an end in itself and is always oriented toward election and salvation as the steadfast goal. Barth changes the concept of an eternal double predestination from a concept that refers to a pre‐temporal divine foreordination into an actualistic concept that refers to the freedom and contingency of God's acting in history. The modification underscores the theocentric and teleological character of his view.
Jeffrey Mallinson
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199259595
- eISBN:
- 9780191698620
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199259595.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This concluding chapter sums up the key findings of this study on the contribution of Theodore Beza to the debate concerning the relation between faith and knowledge. It states that even after Beza's ...
More
This concluding chapter sums up the key findings of this study on the contribution of Theodore Beza to the debate concerning the relation between faith and knowledge. It states that even after Beza's appointment as rector of the Genevan Academie in Switzerland, he remained true to the Reformed tradition even though he fortified the objective aspect of Christian belief. He has also balanced the subjective and objective elements of Christian belief, and highlighted the evidential arguments for Scripture in response to the constraints of the Pyrrhonic Counter-Reformation polemics.Less
This concluding chapter sums up the key findings of this study on the contribution of Theodore Beza to the debate concerning the relation between faith and knowledge. It states that even after Beza's appointment as rector of the Genevan Academie in Switzerland, he remained true to the Reformed tradition even though he fortified the objective aspect of Christian belief. He has also balanced the subjective and objective elements of Christian belief, and highlighted the evidential arguments for Scripture in response to the constraints of the Pyrrhonic Counter-Reformation polemics.
Brannon Ellis
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199652402
- eISBN:
- 9780191742002
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199652402.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, Church History
For much of his career as a Reformer, John Calvin was involved in trinitarian controversy. Not only did these controversies span his career, but his opponents ranged across the spectrum of ...
More
For much of his career as a Reformer, John Calvin was involved in trinitarian controversy. Not only did these controversies span his career, but his opponents ranged across the spectrum of theological approaches — from staunch traditionalists to radical antitrinitarians. Remarkably, the heart of Calvin's argument, and the heart of others' criticism, remained the same throughout: Calvin claimed that the only-begotten Son of the Father is also, as the one true God, ‘of himself’. This book investigates the various Reformation and post-Reformation responses to Calvin's affirmation of the Son's aseity (or essential self-existence), a significant episode in the history of theology that is often ignored or misunderstood. Calvin neither rejected eternal generation, nor merely toed the line of classical exposition. As such, these debates turned on the crucial pivot between simple unity and ordered plurality — the relationship between the processions and consubstantiality — at the heart of the doctrine of the Trinity. This book's aim is to explain the historical significance and explore the theological implications of Calvin's complex solidarity with the classical tradition in his approach to thinking and speaking of the Triune God. It contends that Calvin's approach, rather than an alternative to classical trinitarianism, is actually more consistent with this tradition's fundamental commitments regarding the ineffable generation of God from God than its own received exposition.Less
For much of his career as a Reformer, John Calvin was involved in trinitarian controversy. Not only did these controversies span his career, but his opponents ranged across the spectrum of theological approaches — from staunch traditionalists to radical antitrinitarians. Remarkably, the heart of Calvin's argument, and the heart of others' criticism, remained the same throughout: Calvin claimed that the only-begotten Son of the Father is also, as the one true God, ‘of himself’. This book investigates the various Reformation and post-Reformation responses to Calvin's affirmation of the Son's aseity (or essential self-existence), a significant episode in the history of theology that is often ignored or misunderstood. Calvin neither rejected eternal generation, nor merely toed the line of classical exposition. As such, these debates turned on the crucial pivot between simple unity and ordered plurality — the relationship between the processions and consubstantiality — at the heart of the doctrine of the Trinity. This book's aim is to explain the historical significance and explore the theological implications of Calvin's complex solidarity with the classical tradition in his approach to thinking and speaking of the Triune God. It contends that Calvin's approach, rather than an alternative to classical trinitarianism, is actually more consistent with this tradition's fundamental commitments regarding the ineffable generation of God from God than its own received exposition.
James D. Tracy
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199209118
- eISBN:
- 9780191706134
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199209118.003.0010
- Subject:
- History, European Early Modern History
Holland's Baltic trade flourished as never before, and skilled immigrants helped revive local industries. But prosperity raised a political issue: should Holland trade with provinces loyal to Spain? ...
More
Holland's Baltic trade flourished as never before, and skilled immigrants helped revive local industries. But prosperity raised a political issue: should Holland trade with provinces loyal to Spain? The more Holland's leaders pushed for free trade, the more confederates in the Union of Utrecht saw them as selling out the cause to boost profits. Meanwhile, Holland upheld the public supremacy of the Reformed religion. Yet Reformed religion embraced two theologies. One, based in Geneva, required a church free of state control; the other, based in Zurich, sanctioned governance of the Church by magistrates. Most Holland clergy preferred the former view, while magistrates favored the latter. Thus several towns had major conflicts over appointment of preachers; at the provincial level, each side ignored the other's pronouncements on church governance.Less
Holland's Baltic trade flourished as never before, and skilled immigrants helped revive local industries. But prosperity raised a political issue: should Holland trade with provinces loyal to Spain? The more Holland's leaders pushed for free trade, the more confederates in the Union of Utrecht saw them as selling out the cause to boost profits. Meanwhile, Holland upheld the public supremacy of the Reformed religion. Yet Reformed religion embraced two theologies. One, based in Geneva, required a church free of state control; the other, based in Zurich, sanctioned governance of the Church by magistrates. Most Holland clergy preferred the former view, while magistrates favored the latter. Thus several towns had major conflicts over appointment of preachers; at the provincial level, each side ignored the other's pronouncements on church governance.
John Bishop
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199205547
- eISBN:
- 9780191709432
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199205547.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
Can it be justifiable to commit oneself ‘by faith’ to a religious claim when its truth lacks adequate support from one's total available evidence? After critiquing both Wittgensteinian and Reformed ...
More
Can it be justifiable to commit oneself ‘by faith’ to a religious claim when its truth lacks adequate support from one's total available evidence? After critiquing both Wittgensteinian and Reformed epistemologies of religious belief, this book defends a modest fideism that understands theistic commitment as involving ‘doxastic venture’ in the face of evidential ambiguity: practical commitment to propositions held to be true through ‘passional’ causes (causes other than the recognition of evidence of or for their truth). It is argued that the justifiability of religious faith-ventures is ultimately a moral issue — although such ventures can be morally justifiable only if they accord with the proper exercise of our rational epistemic capacities. The book canvasses issues concerning the ethics of belief and doxastic voluntarism. William James's ‘justification of faith’ in The Will to Believe is extended by requiring that justifiable faith-ventures should be morally acceptable both in motivation and content. The book conducts an extended debate between fideists and ‘hard line’ evidentialists, who maintain that religious faith-ventures are never justifiable. It concludes that, although neither fideists nor evidentialists can succeed in establishing their opponents' irrationality, fideism may nevertheless be morally preferable, as a less dogmatic, more self-accepting, even a more loving, position than its evidentialist rival.Less
Can it be justifiable to commit oneself ‘by faith’ to a religious claim when its truth lacks adequate support from one's total available evidence? After critiquing both Wittgensteinian and Reformed epistemologies of religious belief, this book defends a modest fideism that understands theistic commitment as involving ‘doxastic venture’ in the face of evidential ambiguity: practical commitment to propositions held to be true through ‘passional’ causes (causes other than the recognition of evidence of or for their truth). It is argued that the justifiability of religious faith-ventures is ultimately a moral issue — although such ventures can be morally justifiable only if they accord with the proper exercise of our rational epistemic capacities. The book canvasses issues concerning the ethics of belief and doxastic voluntarism. William James's ‘justification of faith’ in The Will to Believe is extended by requiring that justifiable faith-ventures should be morally acceptable both in motivation and content. The book conducts an extended debate between fideists and ‘hard line’ evidentialists, who maintain that religious faith-ventures are never justifiable. It concludes that, although neither fideists nor evidentialists can succeed in establishing their opponents' irrationality, fideism may nevertheless be morally preferable, as a less dogmatic, more self-accepting, even a more loving, position than its evidentialist rival.
Stephen Hampton
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199533367
- eISBN:
- 9780191714764
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199533367.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, Church History
This book is a study of the Anglican Reformed tradition (often inaccurately described as Calvinist) after the Restoration and it sets out to revise our picture of the theological world of the later ...
More
This book is a study of the Anglican Reformed tradition (often inaccurately described as Calvinist) after the Restoration and it sets out to revise our picture of the theological world of the later Stuart period. Arguing that the importance of the Reformed theological tradition has frequently been underestimated, the study points to a network of conforming Reformed theologians which included many of the most prominent churchmen of the age. Focussing particularly on what these churchmen contributed in three hotly disputed areas of doctrine (justification, the Trinity and the divine attributes), the study argues that the most significant debates in speculative theology which erupted within the English Church after 1662 were the result of Anglican Reformed resistance to the growing influence of continental Arminianism. It demonstrates the strength and flexibility of the Reformed response to the developing Arminian school, and shows that the Reformed tradition remained a viable theological option for Anglicans well into the eighteenth century. The study therefore provides a significant bridge linking the Reformed writers of the Elizabethan and early Stuart period to the Reformed Evangelicals of the 18th Century. It also shows that, throughout its formative period, Anglicanism was not a monolithic tradition, but rather a contested ground between the competing claims of those adhering to the Church of England's Reformed doctrinal heritage and the insights of those who, to varying degrees, were prepared to explore new theological avenues.Less
This book is a study of the Anglican Reformed tradition (often inaccurately described as Calvinist) after the Restoration and it sets out to revise our picture of the theological world of the later Stuart period. Arguing that the importance of the Reformed theological tradition has frequently been underestimated, the study points to a network of conforming Reformed theologians which included many of the most prominent churchmen of the age. Focussing particularly on what these churchmen contributed in three hotly disputed areas of doctrine (justification, the Trinity and the divine attributes), the study argues that the most significant debates in speculative theology which erupted within the English Church after 1662 were the result of Anglican Reformed resistance to the growing influence of continental Arminianism. It demonstrates the strength and flexibility of the Reformed response to the developing Arminian school, and shows that the Reformed tradition remained a viable theological option for Anglicans well into the eighteenth century. The study therefore provides a significant bridge linking the Reformed writers of the Elizabethan and early Stuart period to the Reformed Evangelicals of the 18th Century. It also shows that, throughout its formative period, Anglicanism was not a monolithic tradition, but rather a contested ground between the competing claims of those adhering to the Church of England's Reformed doctrinal heritage and the insights of those who, to varying degrees, were prepared to explore new theological avenues.
Susan Karant-Nunn
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195399738
- eISBN:
- 9780199777198
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195399738.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity, Religion and Society
The Reformation of Feeling looks beyond and beneath the formal doctrinal and moral demands of the Reformation in Germany in order to examine the emotional tenor of the programs that the ...
More
The Reformation of Feeling looks beyond and beneath the formal doctrinal and moral demands of the Reformation in Germany in order to examine the emotional tenor of the programs that the emerging creeds—revised Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Calvinism/Reformed theology—developed for their members. As revealed by the surviving sermons from this period, preaching clergy of each faith both explicitly and implicitly provided their listeners with distinct models of a mood to be cultivated. To encourage their parishioners to make an emotional investment in their faith, all three drew upon rhetorical elements that were already present in late medieval Catholicism and elevated them into confessional touchstones. Looking at archival materials containing direct references to feeling, this book focuses on treatments of death and sermons on the Passion. It amplifies these sources with considerations of the decorative, liturgical, musical, and disciplinary changes that ecclesiastical leaders introduced during the period from the late fifteenth to the end of the sventeenth century. Within individual sermons, it also examines topical elements—including Jews at the crucifixion, the Virgin Mary's voluminous weeping below the Cross, and struggles against competing denominations—which were intended to arouse particular kinds of sentiment. Finally, it discusses surviving testimony from the laity in order to assess at least some Christians' reception of these lessons on proper devotional feeling. This book presents a cultural rather than theological or behavioral study of the broader movement to remake Christianity. As it demonstrates, in the eyes of the Reformation's formative personalities, strict adherence to doctrine and upright demeanor did not constitute an adequate piety. The truly devout had to engage their hearts in their faith.Less
The Reformation of Feeling looks beyond and beneath the formal doctrinal and moral demands of the Reformation in Germany in order to examine the emotional tenor of the programs that the emerging creeds—revised Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Calvinism/Reformed theology—developed for their members. As revealed by the surviving sermons from this period, preaching clergy of each faith both explicitly and implicitly provided their listeners with distinct models of a mood to be cultivated. To encourage their parishioners to make an emotional investment in their faith, all three drew upon rhetorical elements that were already present in late medieval Catholicism and elevated them into confessional touchstones. Looking at archival materials containing direct references to feeling, this book focuses on treatments of death and sermons on the Passion. It amplifies these sources with considerations of the decorative, liturgical, musical, and disciplinary changes that ecclesiastical leaders introduced during the period from the late fifteenth to the end of the sventeenth century. Within individual sermons, it also examines topical elements—including Jews at the crucifixion, the Virgin Mary's voluminous weeping below the Cross, and struggles against competing denominations—which were intended to arouse particular kinds of sentiment. Finally, it discusses surviving testimony from the laity in order to assess at least some Christians' reception of these lessons on proper devotional feeling. This book presents a cultural rather than theological or behavioral study of the broader movement to remake Christianity. As it demonstrates, in the eyes of the Reformation's formative personalities, strict adherence to doctrine and upright demeanor did not constitute an adequate piety. The truly devout had to engage their hearts in their faith.
John Bishop
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199205547
- eISBN:
- 9780191709432
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199205547.003.0004
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter considers whether fideism might be avoided through alternative approaches to the (assumed) evidential ambiguity of theism. Isolationist (Wittgensteinian) epistemology (often linked to ...
More
This chapter considers whether fideism might be avoided through alternative approaches to the (assumed) evidential ambiguity of theism. Isolationist (Wittgensteinian) epistemology (often linked to theological non-realism) takes theistic doxastic frameworks to be epistemically isolated in the sense that their framework principles are necessarily not assessable in the light of external evidence. Reformed epistemology maintains that holding certain theistic beliefs may be evidentially justified because their truth is basically, non-inferentially, evident in the believer's experience. It is argued that both these epistemologies must ultimately be regarded as fideist, and a critique is provided, in particular, of William Alston's appeal to an alleged parity with perceptual beliefs and Alvin Plantinga's appeal to his epistemological externalist theory of warrant. It is argued that reflective believers must recognize that their commitment to basic theistic beliefs involves a faith-venture.Less
This chapter considers whether fideism might be avoided through alternative approaches to the (assumed) evidential ambiguity of theism. Isolationist (Wittgensteinian) epistemology (often linked to theological non-realism) takes theistic doxastic frameworks to be epistemically isolated in the sense that their framework principles are necessarily not assessable in the light of external evidence. Reformed epistemology maintains that holding certain theistic beliefs may be evidentially justified because their truth is basically, non-inferentially, evident in the believer's experience. It is argued that both these epistemologies must ultimately be regarded as fideist, and a critique is provided, in particular, of William Alston's appeal to an alleged parity with perceptual beliefs and Alvin Plantinga's appeal to his epistemological externalist theory of warrant. It is argued that reflective believers must recognize that their commitment to basic theistic beliefs involves a faith-venture.
C. Stephen Evans
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198263975
- eISBN:
- 9780191600579
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019826397X.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
The last chapter looked at two-stage evidentialist apologetics, and examined some of the problems that face this approach to the incarnational narrative. Although it was argued that these problems do ...
More
The last chapter looked at two-stage evidentialist apologetics, and examined some of the problems that face this approach to the incarnational narrative. Although it was argued that these problems do not mean that an evidentialist argument cannot be effective, they do provide good reason to examine an alternative theological account, one that lays stress on our knowledge of the historical Jesus as made possible through the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit, and makes evidence less central to the story. This alternative to the standard apologetic approach to incarnational knowledge is called here the Reformed account, since it is seen most clearly and prominently in the works of Protestant, and especially Reformed, theologians. For Reformed thinkers the historical knowledge that can be part of saving faith is derived from the Bible, and thus, the question of how we have such knowledge is basically the question of how we can know the Bible is the reliable revelation from God it is claimed to be by the Church; the Reformed creeds assert unanimously that this knowledge is due to the witness of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. The different sections of the chapter are: the Reformed emphasis on the testimony of the Holy Spirit; the epistemology of the Reformed account; epistemology supernaturalized; how can one know that a belief has a truth-conducive ground?; criteria for recognizing the work of the spirit; and, problems with the Reformed account.Less
The last chapter looked at two-stage evidentialist apologetics, and examined some of the problems that face this approach to the incarnational narrative. Although it was argued that these problems do not mean that an evidentialist argument cannot be effective, they do provide good reason to examine an alternative theological account, one that lays stress on our knowledge of the historical Jesus as made possible through the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit, and makes evidence less central to the story. This alternative to the standard apologetic approach to incarnational knowledge is called here the Reformed account, since it is seen most clearly and prominently in the works of Protestant, and especially Reformed, theologians. For Reformed thinkers the historical knowledge that can be part of saving faith is derived from the Bible, and thus, the question of how we have such knowledge is basically the question of how we can know the Bible is the reliable revelation from God it is claimed to be by the Church; the Reformed creeds assert unanimously that this knowledge is due to the witness of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. The different sections of the chapter are: the Reformed emphasis on the testimony of the Holy Spirit; the epistemology of the Reformed account; epistemology supernaturalized; how can one know that a belief has a truth-conducive ground?; criteria for recognizing the work of the spirit; and, problems with the Reformed account.
Gerald R. McDermott
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195373431
- eISBN:
- 9780199871681
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195373431.003.0018
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This chapter discusses Edwards’s relevance to issues today. It argues that Chapter 3 on revival calls into question some of the church’s strategies for growth today; Chapter 11 on literature ...
More
This chapter discusses Edwards’s relevance to issues today. It argues that Chapter 3 on revival calls into question some of the church’s strategies for growth today; Chapter 11 on literature demonstrates an alternative to much contemporary preaching; Chapter 15 on world religions suggests other ways of thinking about rival faiths. This chapter also argues that Edwards was neither fundamentalist nor liberal, and explores how his thought contributes to thinking about conversion and spiritual formation, the history of missions; renewal in church and society; the Reformed tradition; ethics and community; politics, pluralism and religious violence.Less
This chapter discusses Edwards’s relevance to issues today. It argues that Chapter 3 on revival calls into question some of the church’s strategies for growth today; Chapter 11 on literature demonstrates an alternative to much contemporary preaching; Chapter 15 on world religions suggests other ways of thinking about rival faiths. This chapter also argues that Edwards was neither fundamentalist nor liberal, and explores how his thought contributes to thinking about conversion and spiritual formation, the history of missions; renewal in church and society; the Reformed tradition; ethics and community; politics, pluralism and religious violence.
