Non-Conformist Conscience? Individual Conscience and the Authority of the Church from John Calvin to the Present

Ecclesiology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-52
Author(s):  
John P. Bradbury
Keyword(s):  
John Calvin ◽  
Freedom Of Conscience ◽  
Archival Material ◽  
Reformed Church ◽  
The Reformation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Church ◽  
Political Realm

This article traces the continuities and discontinuities in the idea of individual conscience and its relationship to ecclesial authority from the Reformation period to the present day. It does this with particular reference to the Reformed theological tradition, particularly the British non-conformist traditions that today form the United Reformed Church. Through an engagement with John Calvin, William Ames, confessional texts and later thinkers, key shifts in the understanding of conscience, from being informed by revelation within the context of the Church, to the more contemporary individual subjective model are explored. An account of the place of conscience within the union negotiations that brought the URC into existence is offered based on archival material. It is argued that the shift of understandings of freedom of conscience to the secular political realm, opens up a specifically ecclesiological space in which the relationship between individual conscience and ecclesial authority has been, and can be, reconceived.

Calvinism and Humanism: The First Generation

1975 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert D. Linder
Keyword(s):  
First Generation ◽  
Direct Relationship ◽  
John Calvin ◽  
Exact Nature ◽  
The Past ◽  
Reformed Church ◽  
The Reformation ◽  
The Subject ◽  
New Evidence ◽  
The Relationship

The nature of the relationship between the Renaissance and the Reformation has intrigued historians of both the past and the present. Recently a number of noted scholars have attempted to demonstrate the connection between the two movements with varying degrees of success. Historians seem to have marshalled an impressive and growing body of evidence to show the direct relationship between the advent of humanism and the coming of the Lutheran Reformation, even though the exact nature of this relationship has not yet been clarified in a definitive manner. But in the case of humanism and Calvinism no consensus has been reached concerning this problem; consequently, the situation is still in doubt. The purpose of this study is to enhance the historical understanding of the connection between humanism and Calvinism by a fresh analysis of the life and thought of three important first generation leaders of the Reformed church, namely, John Calvin, Theodore Beza and Pierre Viret. Moreover, new evidence on the subject from the career of Viret, the least known but nevertheless a very important member of this Calvinist trinity, will be presented to demonstrate more clearly the positive and direct link between humanism and Calvinism in the formative years of the Reformation.

scholarly journals Yohanes Calvin: Politik, Jabatan Gerejawi, dan Relevansinya bagi Gereja Masa Kini

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 258
Author(s):  
Mery Kolimon
Keyword(s):  
Church And State ◽  
John Calvin ◽  
Spiritual Needs ◽  
Protestant Church ◽  
The People ◽  
God's People ◽  
The Reformation ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Church

Recalling the Reformation movement of five hundred years ago provides us, the Churches throughout the world, with an opportunity to undertake a critical reflection on the meaning of the Reformation for us. In the Indonesian context, in particular relating to the relationship between Church and State, and the function of the Church in politics, we can learn from the legacy of John Calvin. This Reformation figure underlined the importance of separating the function of Church officials from that of State officials. Church pastors/ shepherds are responsible for taking care of the spiritual needs and the education of God’s people so that they can participate in politics as a faith responsibility. This is a duty that needs to be carried out with full commitment. Meanwhile the government and politicians work for the wellbeing of the people in the civic and governance spheres. Church and State have their own particular spheres of operation that should never be confused. <b>Keywords:</b> John Calvin, the reforms, ecclesiastical office, a Protestant church, politics, Indonesia ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Memperingati lima ratus tahun gerakan Reformasi memberikan kepada kita, Gereja-gereja di seluruh dunia, kesempatan untuk melakukan refleksi kritis atas makna Reformasi bagi kita. Dalam konteks Indonesia, khususnya berkaitan dengan hubungan antara Gereja dan Negara, dan fungsi Gereja dalam politik, kita bisa belajar dari warisan Yohanes Calvin. Reformasi ini menggarisbawahi pentingnya pemisahan fungsi jabatan Gereja dari jabatan Negara. Para gembala bertanggung jawab mengurusi kebutuhan spiritual dan pendidikan umat Allah sehingga mereka dapat berpartisipasi dalam politik sebagai tanggung jawab iman. Ini adalah tugas yang perlu dilakukan dengan komitmen penuh. Sementara itu, pemerintah dan politisi bekerja untuk kesejahteraan rakyat di bidang sipil dan pemerintahan. Gereja dan Negara masing-masing memiliki bidang khusus yang tidak boleh saling berebutan satu sama lain. <b>Kata-kata kunci:</b> Yohanes Calvin, reformasi, jabatan gerejawi, gereja Protestan, politik, Indonesia

Early Stuart Controversy

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles W. A. Prior
Keyword(s):  
Church And State ◽  
English Reformation ◽  
Freedom Of Conscience ◽  
British Atlantic ◽  
Religious Controversy ◽  
The Reformation ◽  
British Atlantic World ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Church

The literature of religious controversy that appeared between 1603 and 1642 was concerned with much more than debates on predestinarian theology. Instead, it should be seen as a vital conduit for the discussion of one of the most powerful legacies of the English Reformation: the relationship of church and state. Chapter 5 explores this theme by indicating how the reformation process generated political questions on the nature of power over and outside of the Church, before tracing prominent themes in the controversial literature of the Jacobean and Caroline Churches. The chapter argues that religious controversy drove the process of state-formation in the British Atlantic world, and fed into debates on liberty, toleration, and freedom of conscience.

scholarly journals Black women’s bodies as reformers from the dungeons: The Reformation and womanism

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fundiswa A. Kobo
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Dutch Reformed ◽  
Women's Bodies ◽  
Reformed Church ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Reformation ◽  
Black Bodies ◽  
Church Building ◽  
The Church ◽  
Society Today

While it cannot be denied that the 16th-century Reformation, which challenged papal authority and questioned the Catholic Church’s ability to define Christian moral practice in a just manner, indeed came with deep and lasting political changes, it remained a male-dominated discourse. The Reformation was arguably patriarchal and points to a patriarchal culture of subordination and oppression of women that prevailed then and is still pertinent in the church and all spheres of society today. The absence of Elmina and the silenced yet loud voices and cries from the female dungeons below a Dutch Reformed Church in the upper levels of the castle in the retelling of the narrative of the Reformation leaves much to be desired and has a bearing on how black women perceive the Reformation 500 years later. The article thus problematises the Reformation through the heuristic eyes of Elmina Castle in Ghana as the genesis of the ‘dungeoning’ of black women justified by faith. The article argues that black women are reformers from the dungeons following the historical experience of reformation and the Reformed faith as racist and sexist, among other ills experienced by blacks in the Global South, with black women literally kept in the dungeons below a Reformed Church building as they were in Elmina with a biblical inscription, Psalm 138, on the threshold of its main door. This article thus points to irreconcilable contradictions maintained by the Reformed faith that continues to bury black women in the ‘dungeons’ even today. The enfleshment of black bodies in the dungeons of the Elmina Castle underneath a Reformed Church building is seen as the historical and heuristic starting point of engaging Reformed faith from a womanist perspective.

scholarly journals John Calvin as ‘public theologian’ in view of his ‘Commentary on Seneca’s de Clementia’

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wim A. Dreyer
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
John Calvin ◽  
16Th Century ◽  
Public Theology ◽  
Vast Amount ◽  
The Reformation ◽  
Fundamental Understanding ◽  
Law And Justice ◽  
The Church ◽  
Legal Training

During the 16th century, Europe underwent fundamental sociopolitical changes, which challenged theologians and the church to respond theologically. In light of the celebration of the Reformation (1517–2017) and the theme of this conference, this contribution presents Calvin as a ‘public theologian’. To this purpose it is necessary to define ‘public theology’, describe the sociopolitical changes which challenged theologians during the 16th century, and lastly to focus on Calvin’s contribution to the discourse. Because of the vast amount of material that is available, this contribution is limited to Calvin’s first publication, his ‘Commentary on Seneca’s De Clementia’. Calvin’s fundamental understanding of law and justice, as well as his theological engagement with sociopolitical issues, made him a public theologian par excellence. Calvin’s legal training surfaced whenever he addressed the authorities, for instance, when pleading the case of persecuted Protestants. He had a fundamental understanding of issues such as justice and freedom. The rights, responsibilities and obligations of government and people should always remain in balance. Sociopolitical transformation, as experienced in South Africa during the last three decades, requires of theologians to engage theologically with relevant issues. In this, Calvin set a remarkable example.

From Venetian Visitor to Curial Humanist: The Development of Agostino Steuco's “Counter“-Reformation Thought*

1994 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald K. Delph
Keyword(s):  
Church Reform ◽  
Counter Reformation ◽  
The Reformation ◽  
Spiritual Crisis ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Church

The study of Italian humanism in the age of the Reformation has focused almost exclusively on the relationship between humanism and the Italian Spirituali. This emphasis can be traced back to the many works of Delio Cantimori. Cantimori persistently argued that humanism, with its emphasis on scriptural studies, philology, and spiritual and ecclesiastical renewal promoted evangelical spirituality and church reform among Italians. He saw the Spirituali—many of whom were humanists—as pious, devout individuals caught between their own evangelical convictions and the traditions of a spiritually unsatisfying and morally corrupt ecclesiastical system. It was the dynamics of this spiritual crisis, fueled by the clash between evangelism and the doctrines of the church, that formed the basis of many of Cantimori's works on humanism and reform in Italy.

scholarly journals Kritik terhadap Teologi Proses dan Pembelaan terhadap Pandangan “Greater Good” dalam Menanggapi Masalah Kejahatan

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-168
Author(s):  
Jessica Novia Layantara
Keyword(s):  
Problem Of Evil ◽  
Process Theology ◽  
John Calvin ◽  
Church Fathers ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
The Reformation ◽  
The Problem Of Evil ◽  
Greater Good ◽  
Free Will Defense ◽  
The Church

Selama berabad-abad, para teolog Kristen mencoba menanggapi pergumulan filosofis mengenai masalah kejahatan. Bapa-bapa Gereja dan tokoh-tokoh reformasi di masa lalu telah mencoba menanggapi permasalahan ini dengan argumen kebaikan yang lebih tinggi (greater good). Tetapi solusi-solusi semacam itu ditolak mentah-mentah setelah peristiwa Holocaust (Auschwitz), yang merupakan peristiwa kejahatan sangat dahsyat dan mengakibatkan penderitaan banyak sekali orang. Solusi tradisional dianggap sudah tidak relevan dalam menanggapi masalah kejahatan. Teologi proses kemudian mencoba menanggapi masalah ini dengan cara mereduksi atribut-atribut Allah. Tujuan karya tulis ini adalah untuk mengkritik pandangan kontemporer khususnya teologi proses dalam menanggapi masalah kejahatan, dan juga membela pandangan greater good sebagai solusi yang masih tetap dapat dipertahankan walaupun dengan beberapa penyesuaian. Kata-kata kunci: Teodisi, Soft-determinism, Kompatibilisme, Kedaulatan Allah, Masalah Kejahatan, Holocaust, Auschwitz, Teologi Proses, Pembelaan Kehendak Bebas, Teodisi Pembentukan Jiwa, Greater Good Theodicy, John Calvin, John Feinberg   English: Throughout the ages Christian theologians have attempted to understand, from a philosophical vantagepoint, the problem of evil. The Church Fathers as well as theologians during the era of the Reformation have offered a solution that argues from the basis of the greater good. However, solutions of that nature seem to ring hollow when one considers the magnitude and scope of the Holocaust (Auschwitz). In light of that historical reality traditional solutions to the problem of evil seem inadequate. Process theology attempts to overcome the impasse by restricting the attributes of God. The purpose of this article is to critically evaluate contemporary solutions to the problem of evil, especially process theology, as inadequate solutions. Further, to argue for the traditional positional argument of the greater good as offering a tenable solution. Keywords: Theodicy, Soft-determinism, Compatibilism, Sovereignty of God, Problem of Evil, Holocaust, Auschwitz, Process Theology, Free Will Defense, Soul-shaping Theodicy, Greater Good Theodicy, John Calvin, John Feinberg

scholarly journals Analisis Kritis Terhadap Konsep Kristologi Penganut Kristen Tauhid

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-143
Author(s):  
Herry Sonya Corneles ◽  
Jefry Yopie Afner Suak ◽  
Veydy Yanto Mangantibe
Keyword(s):  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Christian Theology ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Formula One ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
The Reformation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Trinity

Abstrak: Artkel ini membahas konsep kristologi penganut krsiten tauhid. Persoalan doktrin Kristologi, khususnya tentang hubungan antara natur keilahian dan natur keinsanian Yesus Kristus sudah ada sejak abad mula-mula, sehingga gereja merumuskan rumusan Chalcedon pada konsili Chalcedon yang diadakan tahun 451. Tetapi persoalan Kristologi tetap berlanjut meskipun gereja sudah memiliki rumusan Chalcedon tersebut. Salah satu ajaran yang menentang Trinitas dan doktrin keilahian Yesus Kristus adalah unitarianisme, yang muncul pada abad reformasi. Paham unitarianisme merupakan paham yang meyakini bahwa hanya ada satu Allah saja, baik eksistensi maupun persona. Dalam ajaran tentang Kristus, paham ini lebih menekankan kemanusiaan Yesus Kristus dan menolak natur keilahian Yesus Kristus. Dibuktikan pada  bagian Alkitab bahwa Yesus adalah Allah dalam beberapa cara. Karena Kristus benar-benar tokoh yang pernah hadir dalam sejarah dunia ini. Penulisan ini menggunakan metode penelitian deskriptif dengan pendekatan kajian literatur, sehingga diperoleh data tentang latar belakang sejarah dan ajaran penganut Kristen Tauhid, presuposisi penganut Kristen Tauhid, pokok-pokok pemikiran Kristologis penganut Kristen Tauhid, analisis terhadap konsep Kristologi penganut Kristen Tauhid dan implikasinya bagi Theologia Kristen.Abstract: This article discusses the christology concept of monotheistic Christians. The issue of the doctrine of Christology, especially regarding the relationship between the divine nature and the human nature of Jesus Christ, has existed since the early centuries, so the church formulated the Chalcedon formula at the Chalcedon council which was held in 451. But the Christological problem continued even though the church already had the Chalcedon formula. One of the teachings that opposed the Trinity and the doctrine of the divinity of Jesus Christ was unitarianism, which emerged in the Reformation century. Unitarianism is an understanding that believes that there is only one God, both existence and person. In the teachings of Christ, this understanding emphasizes the humanity of Jesus Christ and rejects the divinity of Jesus Christ. This writing uses a descriptive research method with a literature review approach, in order to obtain data on the historical background and teachings of monotheistic Christians, presuppositions of monotheistic Christians, the main points of Christological thoughts of monotheistic Christians, analysis of the concept of Christology of monotheistic Christians and their implications for Christian Theology

scholarly journals Unholy Territory

2020 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 526-549
Author(s):  
David van der Linden
Keyword(s):  
Seventeenth Century ◽  
Dutch Republic ◽  
Safe Haven ◽  
Counter Reformation ◽  
The Reformation ◽  
French Speaking ◽  
The Hague ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Church

Abstract This article studies the mission of French Discalced Carmelite friars in the seventeenth-century Dutch Republic. Established from 1647 onwards in The Hague, Leiden, and Amsterdam, the missionaries’ aim was to minister to the French-speaking Catholics of Holland, but they also sought to convert expatriate French Protestants as part of the wider Counter-Reformation campaign to win back souls lost to the Reformation. Despite conflict with the Walloon churches, however, the Carmelite mission was surprisingly successful in converting Huguenots to the Church of Rome, repatriating many of them to France in the wake of the Revocation. As such, this article sheds new light on the relationship between expatriate communities in Holland, arguing that the Dutch Republic was not only a safe haven for refugees, but also the scene of ongoing conflict between French Protestants and Catholics during the reign of Louis XIV.

scholarly journals The (Non)acceptance of Belhar in the Dutch Reformed Church: Analysing Synodical Debates of 2011 and 2013

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
George Jacobus Van Wyngaard
Keyword(s):  
Dutch Reformed ◽  
Reformed Church ◽  
History Of ◽  
Open Session ◽  
Local Congregations ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Church ◽  
Dutch Reformed Church

This article analyses the open session debates on the Belhar Confession at the 2011 and 2013 General Synod meetings of the Dutch Reformed Church. It identifies six key themes that repeatedly emerge from arguments made by delegates, namely: 1) accepting Belhar for the sake of the youth and future of the church; 2) Belhar as guide in the mission of the church; 3) Belhar as challenge to racism within the church; 4) Belhar and its relationship to liberation theologies; 5) the role of members in formal adoption of a new confession; and 6) adoption of confessions in ways which would not make them binding on all. From these themes three matters, which remain outstanding in terms of how the Dutch Reformed Church engages with the Belhar Confession, are raised: 1) the relationship between mission and racism; 2) the history of heresy and its implication for the present; and 3) the implication of and response to black and liberation theologies. These matters are identified as challenges given particular meaning in light of the emphasis on local congregations and members of the Dutch Reformed Church when discussing the Belhar Confession.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document