The Reformation(s) - Part Two

Transcription

1 The Reformation(s) - Part Two Introduction: John Calvin ( ) Regarded as the greatest Protestant theologian Hugely important figure in Western intellectual history Shaped politics - democracy Shaped society - family Shaped economic theory - Max Weber Background - Early Years Born in Noyon, France (near Paris) in 1509 Studied at College de Montaigu - same place where Erasmus studied. Very harsh and strict. Studied logic, then logic, then logic Influenced by Augustine and nominalist thinking - rejected the Realism of Aquinas High view of the Fall Influenced by French Humanism - an approach to how ideas are attained. Ad Fontes - go back to the original sources and allow them to speak for themselves (this changes after the Council of Trent) Conversion? published a book. Then moved to a different law school (Bourges) and it is in this period Calvin experienced his conversion (but says very little about it). Mentions it 25 years later in his commentary on the Psalms. God drew me from obscure and lowly beginnings and conferred on me that most honourable office of herald and minister of the Gospel.What happened first was that by an unexpected conversion he tamed to teachableness a mind too stubborn for its years for I was strongly devoted to the superstitions of the Papacy that nothing less could draw me from such depths of mire. And so this mere taste of true godliness that I received set me on fire with such a desire to progress that I pursued the rest of my studies more coolly, although I did not give them up altogether. Before a year had slipped by anybody who longed for a purer doctrine kept on coming to learn from me, still a beginner and a raw recruit. This is all he says!? Was his conversion sudden? Or unexpected (and gradual)? Was he surprised that he ended up in this direction Attaches little importance to the precise event of his conversion. Even minimized the conversion of St. Paul and wasn t keen on the sensational story of Luther Believed that we are converted little by little over a long time What kind of conversion was this? To Christ? To Justification by Faith? Not clear returns to Paris. Friendship with Philip Cop who held controversial views (authored by Calvin) France begins to officially persecute the Protestant movement

2 Institutes of the Christian Religion At the age of 26, Calvin produces his first draft of the Institutes which was around 500 pages long. Nothing like this had ever appeared before. This is one of the greatest works in Christian history. Calvin at Geneva Independent city state that had chosen to be Reformed. Not under either Italian or German control or France for that matter Fiercely independent. Self-governing city, and heavily fortified Run by the Protestant William Farel. Asks him to stay and pastor in Geneva. When Calvin hesitates, Farel tells him this: "I declare, in the name of God, that if you do not assist us in this work of the Lord, the Lord will punish you for following your own interest rather than this call." Remains in Geneva and teaches/preaches Calvin was influenced by and looked up to Luther (who was 26 years older) sides with Luther on the Eucharist (not Zwingli) critical of Luther s sloppy scholarship quite an independent thinker in the end. Moves to Strasbourg in 1539 until meets Martin Bucer - father-like relationship with Calvin Finds Calvin a wife Loving marriage for 10 years. first and foremost a biblical theologian. Moves back to Geneva and pastors a church promoted singing of the psalms in Church. For Calvin, only if something can be found in Scripture could it be allowed in the church (contrasts this to Luther who argued that so long it wasn t forbidden by the Bible, then it was ok. And so, hymns were ok). Calvinism, Lutheranism & Politics Lutheranism - acquiesces to political power Calvinism - always challenges the state to come under the authority of Christ. Returns to Geneva reluctantly Seeks to bring about a thorough reform in Geneva. Servetus - Spanish doctor and theologian, escaped the Inquisition, but arrested and executed as a heretic. Calvin the preacher straight out of the Greek and Hebrew texts without notes Believes that God communicates through the preached Word and so preaching must be bound to Scripture Work through the text in an expository style

3 Forms an Academy in Geneva which becomes the centre of Calvinism in Europe. Hundreds of young men come and learn how to be a pastor and then travel throughout Europe pastoring. Church structure - Elders - teaching and lay Calvin as Theologian Biblical and systematic in source and method Luther hewed out giant blocks of theology, Bucer made them smooth, but Calvin arranged them into place Stands on the Creeds, on Augustine, on Anselm (when it comes to the Atonement) Scripture - all Scripture is equally inspired (OT and NT) differs from Luther and the Anabaptists God accommodates His language to us Critiques Natural Theology Holy Spirit -the spectacles by which we can read the Word - He is our inner witness to what is True in Scripture God s Creation - created for man (centrality of humankind in Creation) God is also Master of History - and so emphasizes God s Providence God is Master of Salvation: mystery of predestination and election. Church & State Model of Christendom - no sense of religious pluralism A civil society need to agree on religion. Needed a common religious foundation People under the ruler s jurisdiction can either submit or leave. Believes in a State Church - State is to fund the Church, pay the clergy but not interfere with the operation of the Church. Problematic? Ongoing tension in the church and society. System of Church welfare for the poor Economics - Max Weber (Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism) Calvin & Covenant Applied to the political realm. The monarch are in covenant with the people. If the king breaks covenant with people, then it is justified for people to rebel. Do a people have the right to armed resistance? Calvin may have said no, but Calvinist John Knox said yes. These ideas are secularized and can form the background to Contract Theory in social relations that are taken up during the Enlightenment. Calvin & Science Influence of providence in Creation God s revelation of His Creation to humanity Most of the Fathers of Modern Science were Calvinists.

4 Calvin & Education Reading is important Families should teach their children to read Scotland finds public education first being established - influence of Calvinism High degree of literacy in Calvinist areas Expansion of Calvinism beyond Geneva Better equipped for expansion than Lutheranism and Anabaptist teaching. Why? Because its teaching is systematized and readily intelligible to people France - 10% of France was Protestant in 1550s. French Calvinists were called Huguenots - very successful encounters great resistance St. Bartholomew s Day massacre Edict of Nantes granted French Protestants to worship, but then in 1685, the Edict is revoked. The Anglican Reformation Social Background to the English Reformation Social background sparse population million people, rural London - 50,000 population feudal system still intact rule by aristocracy vast ignorance - low literacy with life expectancy of 30 years elite were educated - Milton, Shakespeare, Wren, etc. only the elite could afford doctors but for the average person, life was nasty, brutish and short famines were common - 1 in 6 crops failed, epidemics common, and pervasive sense of helplessness pain - tooth aches, viruses, etc. vitamin deficiencies, disease. Subject to sudden disasters - Great Fire of London in No fire fighting equipment, thatched roofs. Reading by candlelight. High alcoholism Gambling Problem of Tudor Succession The monarch at the centre of all this is Henry VIII - goes through 6 marriages Wanting a male heir Thomas Cromwell Parliament makes moves to move the church under Royal authority. Appoints Thomas Cranmer in 1533 Saint Thomas More - was beheaded in the Tower of London in 1534 for voicing his dissent. Third wife - Jane Seymour - has a son, Edward VI

5 1534 -Henry declares himself sovereign of the Church - Act of Supremacy Status quo of centuries was overturned. Consequences The dissolution of the monasteries! monasteries suppressed. 16th-Century England was ripe for a Protestant harvest. Land was redistributed into the hands of the local nobility. Local nobility are now the ones to give positions to people within the church. What difference does this make? Lots of debate. Protestant Influences Growing Ground had been tilled by guys like John Wycliffe in the 14th-Century - translation of the Bible into vernacular which floats around in England for 200 years. Rising literacy rates. Followers known as the Lollards - go underground, but reemerge when Lutheran ideas hit England Captured and fanned into flame latent English nationalism This influence carries on. Prepares the ground for the Protestant teaching coming from the Continent Hardens the desire to have the Bible translated and used in English. Lutheran tracts are being smuggled in and ending up in places like the port of Cambridge and Oxford William Tyndale ( ) - Father of the English Bible Miles Coverdale - prints whole Bible in English Latimer and Ridley Henry VIII orders that the GREAT BIBLE be mass produced and chained to every pulpit in England Edward VI comes to the throne ( ) Violent Division Reign of Bloody Mary ( ) Mary lacked all the political skills that her father had. Allies with Spain and marries Philip II, the King of Spain. This marriage failed on two counts - 1. it was against the advice of Mary s closest advisors who feared the foreign influence over England. 2. Though she had fallen in love with Philip, he really had no time for Mary but rather was just following his duty. Local uprisings against her rule Attempts to reimposes Roman Catholicism. Geneva Bible Be of good cheer. Play the man, Master Ridley. For this day we shall light a candle which shall never fail in England. Hugh Latimer to Nicholas Ridley at their execution

6 Cardinal Reginald Pole ( ) to England. Upon arrival, he forgave the nation for heresy and placed England back under Roman authority in November, With the restoration came persecution (300). This was a big mistake of Mary because she made martyrs. The first victim was Bible translator, John Rogers who was burned in London on February 4, As he was led to execution, crowds cheered, but the cheered for him! Next, Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester, and Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London were burned in Oxford on October 16th. Mary ends up deserted by Philip II and left childless and there is growing fear among the English that Rome will overthrow England When Bloody Mary died on the morning of November 17, 1558, the succession of young Queen Elizabeth was greeted with great celebration throughout the realm. Elizabeth I s Restoration Succeeded by Elizabeth I ( ) - at the age of 25, has all the skills of Henry VIII. She was known for her ability to speak French, Latin and Italian [and] was also skilled in double talk. Considered the greatest monarch Britain has ever had. Her right to be monarch has to be based on the rejection of Catholic pronouncement of marriage and the acceptance of the Protestant one, for her mom was Anne Boleyn. Her success as a monarch would be secured by remaining unmarried too. Faces incredible difficulties. Choose the via media - the middle way between Rome and Geneva. And yet, at its new core, Protestantism clearly won out. Tolerant towards Roman Catholicism and resists attempts to purge the church of Catholicism (ie- the Puritans) Elizabethan Religious Settlement Act of Supremacy, 1559 She is only a woman, the mistress of half an island, and yet she makes herself feared by Spain, by France, by the Empire, by all! Pope Sixtus V referring to Elizabeth I Act of Uniformity, 1559 set out the form that the English Church would now take including a return to the 1552 Book of Common Prayer. Created the curious hybrid of the Anglican Church. Allowed the clergy to marry. 39 Articles of the Church of England - Reformed (rejected Transubstantiation), but liturgy looks a lot like Roman Catholicism.

7 The Puritans They are those within the Church of England in the 16th-17th-Centuries who want the church to be reformed in a Calvinist direction. To the monarchy, the Puritans are always seen as a threat. Origins of Puritanism Martin Bucer, 1540s in England Anglican theologians during the reign of Mary who studied under Calvin - Bishop Jewel Laity - strong lay movement 1620s - political agenda of the Puritans become influential in Parliament NOT because those in parliament agreed with the Puritans, but rather they saw that Puritanism was a way to resist against the monarchy. The monarchy by this time is very unpopular. Large-scale spiritual awakening in England. Movement from below rather than above. Aims Didn t like the rule of bishops and were unhappy with such a hierarchical form of church government. Didn t like the Prayer Book and its prescribed prayers. Wanted to do away with symbols that were seen within the church. Took issue with the vestments of the clergy for it distracted from the person preaching. Elizabeth is not overly keen about the Puritans. Cambridge was especially open to the influence of Puritanism Key figures like Thomas Cartwright, Edward Dering, William Perkins Discipled young students at Cambridge and try to place these students into key parishes throughout Britain. Two strongholds at Cambridge - Emmanuel College and Sidney Sussex College trained Puritan preachers Use printing press very effectively. Encouraged by what they see happening in Scotland Remain loyal to the Church of England Ideas of the Puritans Huge impact on Protestantism over the next few centuries. Disenchantment of the Universe. Pastoral Care patience in adversity ( sanctified affliction ). Very strong emphasis on God s Providence - comfort and assurance for believers. We need to trust God even when we do not understand what is going on. God judges and guides the Nations God not only chooses individuals, but He also chooses nations for Himself.

8 Elect nations God has elected a nation and given them particular responsibilities and will also judge that nations as to how it lives out the calling God had given it. High Regard for Scripture Work of the Holy Spirit. Sanctification Emphasis on devotion - living a well-ordered life Sabbath-keeping is key. Thought that they should keep the Sabbath holy Prayer and rejoicing (market-day of the soul) Be a person of Prayer - pay attention to your soul and be completely open and honest in prayer before God. Personal discipleship - devotional reading, produce thousands of books, educate the laity and the clergy Reading of biographies Spiritual Diaries - emphasize the process of self-examination, keep a daily record of how one is doing. Asceticism - lived out in the world Perseverance Pilgrim (wayfarer) - John Bunyan s Pilgrim s Progress Soldier (warfare) - William Gurnell s work - Christian in Complete Armour Heaven is emphasized Assurance - how do you know that you re a Christian? How do you know you are elect? The Puritan Family Marriage & Family Few Christian groups in history have paid as much attention to the family as has the Puritans (though the Jews did). Viewed the home as a little church - place where Christ rules Women have an important role in this schema - high role in education and spiritual formation in the home. Expected to be married. No asceticism when it comes to marriage. Marriage is a good, a wife is good

9 Elevated over the single life! Marriage is a gift - providing an opportunity to glorify God Marriage was a Creation Ordinance Marriage was a calling - we have a duty and responsibility to get married Singleness? Special calling from God, but a gift that is rarely given. Marriage Relationships Purposeful - rather than emphasizing procreation as the meaning of marriage, the Puritans recognized the value of companionship! The family, in the Puritans, essentially becomes the new monastery! Husband and wife are in covenant relationship - to love your spouse is vitally important (regardless of how you feel about your spouse). This is your covenant obligation. Wife is equal to the husband, but still a hierarchical role. Wife if the companion of his soul Cemented together through family worship - children are cherished as God s gifts Team ministry towards raising their children Relation to Culture and Society at Large Pious worldliness Live a Christian life IN the marketplace Focus is to ENGAGE society rather than RETREAT from society. This marked a reaction against the monastic ideal, BUT retain the emphasis on self-discipline. Education Fine Arts In the church, one comes to hear God speak through the Word and are anxious that nothing should distract from this. Discuss: What is the relationship between the Word and Aesthetics in the Church? Are they incompatible? Government Rise of Science Inner Life of the Church What is the role of the minister?

10 Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter (explore how important this work is) - by reformed, Baxter means spiritually renewed, not necessarily Calvinist Reformed. Minister as preacher and teacher Minister as shepherd and physician Exposition of Scripture - dedicate time to sermon prep. Parish Work Modelled after Richard Baxter s Reformed Pastor. Visit everyone in your parish Succeed because they are very committed to pastoral work at a grass-roots level Lectureships Puritan Distinctives God has a special place for England in His plans England has a leading role in the world for Protestantism. They fear that if England falls, then the world will succumb to Catholicism again. Post-millennial - things are going to get better and better and the millennium will be ushered in Pre-millennial view for a minority of Puritans. Anglicanism & Puritanism: Reigns after Elizabeth I James I of England The Puritans hang in with the Church of England right until the early 1600s. At this point, though, things begin to change. Her successors on the British throne are looked to with hope, but will deeply disappoint the Puritans. James I becomes king in Raised a Calvinist Becomes King of both Scotland and England Huge disappointment Of all the requests on a lengthy petition, the only request granted was the publication of an authorized version of the Bible - the King James Version in Response - Dissenters Some of the Puritans break away from the Church of England and become Dissenters. As a result, you do become a second class citizen Some become Baptists (connected to Dutch Anabaptism?) - Arminian at first, but later Baptists are Calvinists Mainstream Puritans (Pilgrim Fathers) are congregationalist Puritans Many move to Holland Many move to America and form New England Puritans are growing in strength in Parliament however.

11 Response - High Church Anglicans Strongly support the king (more Arminian) Emphasize the rule of bishops Hate the Puritans Courted by James I as a counter-balance to the Puritans Torn, because everybody really hated James I who eventually dies in 1625 Charles I ( ) Succeeds his father politically inept shuts down Parliament and tries to raise funds illegally tries to counter-balance the Puritans by courting the High Anglicans Invokes the divine right of Kings as a way to do as he pleases Appoints William Laud as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1633 and Laud will encourage Charles as he puts down the Puritans 1630s - Establishment of the Company Colony of Massachusetts Bay (private company with Puritans on the Board) 20,000 migrants between 1630 and 1640 Established a theocracy which became a nucleus for American national identity. Establish a Puritan State Church - congregational Calvinistic Baptist established - but reject infant baptism. Source of the Baptist movements in the world Charles difficulties Charles sends troops to arrest Parliamentary leaders, but fail outbreak of Civil War in Britain The Civil War and the Interregnum ( ) Charles is defeated and captured by Scots and handed over to Parliament Charles will be tried for high treason and in 1649, executed Greatest political mistake of the Puritans - created bad impressions of Puritans from this point onwards. Westminster Assembly to hammer out a statement of faith (Westminster Confession of Faith & Westminster Catechism including the Shorter Catechism) During the war with the monarchy, one person emerged as a key leader of the Puritans and his name was Oliver Cromwell ( ) Eclipse of Puritanism Restoration of the monarchy - Charles II from the Continent Charles II brings down a new legal code called the Clarendon Code which forced Puritans out of the Church of England.

12 Great Ejection of 1662 New Protestant groups are greatly strengthened as a result English Presbyterianism Congregationalists Baptist The Glorious Revolution Charles II is succeeded by his son, James II in Charles died as a Catholic and James II comes to the throne as a confessing Roman Catholic. This is awkward because technically England is still a Protestant country. Brings Jesuits into England Overthrown in 1688 by his son-in-law and his daughter (William of Orange and Mary from the Netherlands) Glorious Revolution and replacing of the Monarch All heirs to the throne must be Protestant Creates a crisis of conscience for the High Church Anglicans - can t swear allegiance and then suffer what the Puritans did Non-jurors Emerges into a new form of Anglicanism which is more liberal and rational and is sometimes called Latitudinarianism Splintering of Protestantism in England Freedom to practice your own religion without (much) persecution. Emergence of religious toleration in the English world. Jacobites - English who want to bring back Catholicism to England. England is afraid of plots from Catholics to retake England. Protestant Scholasticism The Thirty Years War (Wars of Religion) The reaction of the Enlightenment is the reaction to this war. Protestant world ends up under a lot of strain because of the Catholic Reformation. On the defensive. Theological Developments - Era of Protestant Scholasticism Evaluation Remarkable well-trained, well-educated Want to be biblical Deep faith and hard working But Over-focus on doctrine. Over-systematization of Calvinism

13 Confessionalism Strong polemical spirit Loss of a sense of mystery Like medieval scholasticism, the tradition becomes rationalistic over and against revelation. Paving the way for Enlightenment thinking Theological Developments Lutherans will spend a lot of time focusing in on the doctrine of verbal inspiration Reformed side - question of predestination will preoccupy people s attention. When did God decide to choose the elect? Calvin never started there, but his successors start with predestination. Start with the decrees that God made before He made the world Preoccupation with the ordo salutis - the order of salvation Supralapsarians - God decided before the fall to choose some to eternal salvation. The emphasis is on God s Will. God decides and everything follows from there. Sublapsarian or Infralapsarian - Election is decreed after the fall. God s decision comes after the fall in order to remedy the situation. Emphasis is on God s love, rather than His rational decision-making. Arminianism - Jacob Arminius ( ) Arminius rejects a number of key understandings about Calvinism Total Depravity Unconditional Election Limited Atonement Irresistible Grace Perseverance of the Saints [Calvin argued for the enlightened but not elect - close to Arminius]