ABSTRACT Scholarly discussions on what constitutes Christian humanism in the Renaissance and Refo... more ABSTRACT Scholarly discussions on what constitutes Christian humanism in the Renaissance and Reformation periods have typically concentrated on its manifestations before 1536, when Erasmus died. In this period, the old arguments for the reading of the Classics once set out by Basil and Augustine still predominated. Calvin’s teaching on the Fall and the noetic effects of sin, however, provided another basis for the incorporation of pagan thought into Christian learning. Christians who followed Calvin benefited from his precise and comprehensive theological position on the place of worldly knowledge in God’s original creation as a means for justifying their study of the Classics.
Scholars have debated whether the sentiment of sixteenth century reformers against material forms... more Scholars have debated whether the sentiment of sixteenth century reformers against material forms of worship derived from certain Neo-Platonic ideas proliferating in parts of Europe and disseminated by Erasmus or from strictly Scriptural principles that were initially formulated by the Old Testament prophets and given fuller expression in the New. This essay studies the reformers′ interpretation of the phrase logikē latreia at Romans 12:1, as well as other key passages. It concludes that, whether consciously or subconsciously, the reformers borrowed language concerning the material-spiritual dichotomy of worship, not directly from Neo-Platonists, but from a commonplace used by numerous Roman writers. Early Church Fathers had long ago turned the same commonplace against pagan rivals, but now the reformers were employing it against the Catholic Church itself.
Les 35 articles que regroupe le present volume sont le fruit du tout premier colloque consacre a ... more Les 35 articles que regroupe le present volume sont le fruit du tout premier colloque consacre a Beze en septembre 2005. Eminents specialistes venus de divers pays aussi bien que des chercheurs plus jeunes y tissent les liens entre Beze poete et B¨ze theologien, entre ses interets litteraires, ses travaux de traduction et d’exegese biblique, entre son engagement politique et son engagement confessionnel, entre son activite en tant que pasteur et ses relations avec les autorites civiles,entre ses prises de position en matiere juridique et sa theologie. On y suggere egalement plusieurs pistes de recherche. Le recueil permet au lecteur d’apprecier le reformateur dans sa specificite et dans sa diversite : Beze n’est plus considere comme l’insignifiant « successeur de Calvin » qui n’aurait rien innove en theologie, ni comme un nebuleux precurseur de la scolastique reformee.
ABSTRACT Genevan theologian Lambert Daneau's commentary on Augustine's De haeresibus incl... more ABSTRACT Genevan theologian Lambert Daneau's commentary on Augustine's De haeresibus includes a remarkable plate depicting a tree of heresies. The image illustrates the intricate connections between all Christian heresies culminating in Papism and Islam. Daneau additionally devotes an entire chapter of the book to a discussion of Islam. Until the writing of this work, Genevan theologians gave little attention to the problem of Islam, except as an apocalyptic matter or an example of God's judgment. At Zurich, Theodore Bibliander's massive work on the Koran and Heinrich Bullinger's Der Türgg represent more focused efforts to refute Islamic doctrine. Daneau, however, has a unique reason for treating Islam. Daneau traces the creeping growth of Islam from relatively minor, particularized errors within Christianity itself to a monstrous threat in order to stress a primary concern of his: the newly reformed churches need rigorous ecclesiastical discipline to prune themselves of even the smallest deviations from orthodoxy.
Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte - Archive for Reformation History
A brief but ominous entry in the minutes of the Genevan Company of Pastors on Saturday, 30 August... more A brief but ominous entry in the minutes of the Genevan Company of Pastors on Saturday, 30 August 1572, heralds a turning point in French history and the life of the Company’s moderator, Theodore Beza.1 “News has come,” it records, “of the treachery and horrible cruelty taking place in France against several nobles and all the faithful, not only at Paris, but also subsequently at Lyon and throughout all France, where there were horrible massacres.”2 The entry alludes to the Saint-Bartholomew’s Day massacre, which commenced on the morning of 24 August at the instigation of Catherine de’ Medici in collusion with her somewhat conflicted son, King Charles IX.3 Initially it involved the assassination of Admiral Gaspard II de Coligny (a Huguenot leader who was urging Charles to declare war on Spain) and some Huguenot nobles, who had come to Paris to attend the wedding of Henri de Navarre and Charles’ sister, Marguerite de Valois. It quickly spread, however, to the murder of some twoto four-thou-
ABSTRACT Scholarly discussions on what constitutes Christian humanism in the Renaissance and Refo... more ABSTRACT Scholarly discussions on what constitutes Christian humanism in the Renaissance and Reformation periods have typically concentrated on its manifestations before 1536, when Erasmus died. In this period, the old arguments for the reading of the Classics once set out by Basil and Augustine still predominated. Calvin’s teaching on the Fall and the noetic effects of sin, however, provided another basis for the incorporation of pagan thought into Christian learning. Christians who followed Calvin benefited from his precise and comprehensive theological position on the place of worldly knowledge in God’s original creation as a means for justifying their study of the Classics.
Scholars have debated whether the sentiment of sixteenth century reformers against material forms... more Scholars have debated whether the sentiment of sixteenth century reformers against material forms of worship derived from certain Neo-Platonic ideas proliferating in parts of Europe and disseminated by Erasmus or from strictly Scriptural principles that were initially formulated by the Old Testament prophets and given fuller expression in the New. This essay studies the reformers′ interpretation of the phrase logikē latreia at Romans 12:1, as well as other key passages. It concludes that, whether consciously or subconsciously, the reformers borrowed language concerning the material-spiritual dichotomy of worship, not directly from Neo-Platonists, but from a commonplace used by numerous Roman writers. Early Church Fathers had long ago turned the same commonplace against pagan rivals, but now the reformers were employing it against the Catholic Church itself.
Les 35 articles que regroupe le present volume sont le fruit du tout premier colloque consacre a ... more Les 35 articles que regroupe le present volume sont le fruit du tout premier colloque consacre a Beze en septembre 2005. Eminents specialistes venus de divers pays aussi bien que des chercheurs plus jeunes y tissent les liens entre Beze poete et B¨ze theologien, entre ses interets litteraires, ses travaux de traduction et d’exegese biblique, entre son engagement politique et son engagement confessionnel, entre son activite en tant que pasteur et ses relations avec les autorites civiles,entre ses prises de position en matiere juridique et sa theologie. On y suggere egalement plusieurs pistes de recherche. Le recueil permet au lecteur d’apprecier le reformateur dans sa specificite et dans sa diversite : Beze n’est plus considere comme l’insignifiant « successeur de Calvin » qui n’aurait rien innove en theologie, ni comme un nebuleux precurseur de la scolastique reformee.
ABSTRACT Genevan theologian Lambert Daneau's commentary on Augustine's De haeresibus incl... more ABSTRACT Genevan theologian Lambert Daneau's commentary on Augustine's De haeresibus includes a remarkable plate depicting a tree of heresies. The image illustrates the intricate connections between all Christian heresies culminating in Papism and Islam. Daneau additionally devotes an entire chapter of the book to a discussion of Islam. Until the writing of this work, Genevan theologians gave little attention to the problem of Islam, except as an apocalyptic matter or an example of God's judgment. At Zurich, Theodore Bibliander's massive work on the Koran and Heinrich Bullinger's Der Türgg represent more focused efforts to refute Islamic doctrine. Daneau, however, has a unique reason for treating Islam. Daneau traces the creeping growth of Islam from relatively minor, particularized errors within Christianity itself to a monstrous threat in order to stress a primary concern of his: the newly reformed churches need rigorous ecclesiastical discipline to prune themselves of even the smallest deviations from orthodoxy.
Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte - Archive for Reformation History
A brief but ominous entry in the minutes of the Genevan Company of Pastors on Saturday, 30 August... more A brief but ominous entry in the minutes of the Genevan Company of Pastors on Saturday, 30 August 1572, heralds a turning point in French history and the life of the Company’s moderator, Theodore Beza.1 “News has come,” it records, “of the treachery and horrible cruelty taking place in France against several nobles and all the faithful, not only at Paris, but also subsequently at Lyon and throughout all France, where there were horrible massacres.”2 The entry alludes to the Saint-Bartholomew’s Day massacre, which commenced on the morning of 24 August at the instigation of Catherine de’ Medici in collusion with her somewhat conflicted son, King Charles IX.3 Initially it involved the assassination of Admiral Gaspard II de Coligny (a Huguenot leader who was urging Charles to declare war on Spain) and some Huguenot nobles, who had come to Paris to attend the wedding of Henri de Navarre and Charles’ sister, Marguerite de Valois. It quickly spread, however, to the murder of some twoto four-thou-
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