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Books > Christianity > Protestantism & Protestant Churches > Calvinist, Reformed & Presbyterian Churches
Recent decades have witnessed much scholarly reassessment of
late-sixteenth through eighteenth-century Reformed theology. It was
common to view the theology of this period-typically labelled
'orthodoxy'-as sterile, speculative, and rationalistic, and to
represent it as significantly discontinuous with the more
humanistic, practical, and biblical thought of the early reformers.
Recent scholars have taken a more balanced approach, examining
orthodoxy on its own terms and subsequently highlighting points of
continuity between orthodoxy and both Reformation and
pre-Reformation theologies, in terms of form as well as content.
Until now Scottish theology and theologians have figured relatively
minimally in works reassessing orthodoxy, and thus many of the
older stereotypes concerning post-Reformation Reformed theology in
a Scottish context persist. This collection of essays aims to
redress that failure by purposely examining post-Reformation
Scottish theology/theologians through a lens provided by the gains
made in recent scholarly evaluations of Reformed orthodoxy, and by
highlighting, in that process, the significant contribution which
Scottish divines of the orthodox era made to Reformed theology as
an international intellectual phenomenon.
The so-called extra Calvinisticum-the doctrine that the incarnate
Son of God continued to exist beyond the flesh-was not invented by
John Calvin or Reformed theologians. If this is true, as is almost
universally acknowledged today, then why do scholars continue to
fixate almost exclusively on Calvin when they discuss this
doctrine? The answer to the "why" of this scholarly trend, however,
is not as important as correcting the trend. This volume expands
our vision of the historical functions and christological
significance of this doctrine by expounding its uses in Cyril of
Alexandria, Thomas Aquinas, Zacharias Ursinus, and in theologians
from the Reformation to the present. Despite its relative
obscurity, the doctrine that came to be known as the "Calvinist
extra" is a possession of the church catholic and a feature of
Christology that ought to be carefully appropriated in contemporary
reflection on the Incarnation.
Calvinist missionaries.
If you think that sounds like an oxymoron, you're not alone. Yet
a close look at John Calvin's life, writings, and successors
reveals a passion for the spread of the gospel and the salvation of
sinners.
From training pastors at his Genevan Academy to sending
missionaries to the jungles of Brazil, Calvin consistently sought
to encourage and equip Christians to take the good news of
salvation to the very ends of the earth. In this carefully
researched book, Michael Haykin and Jeffrey Robinson clear away
longstanding stereotypes related to the Reformed tradition and
Calvin's theological heirs, highlighting the Reformer's neglected
missional vision and legacy.
Bringing together a rich range of primary sources - images,
liturgies, sermons, letters, eyewitness accounts, and Genevan
consistory records - this book examines worship as it was taught
and practiced in John Calvin's Geneva. Several of these primary
sources are translated into English for the first time, offering
new resources for studying Calvin and his context. Karin Maag uses
Geneva as a case study for investigating the theology and practice
of worship in the Reformation era. Covering the period from 1541 to
1564, the year of Calvin's death, Lifting Hearts to the Lord
captures both Calvin's signal contribution to Reformation worship
and the voices of ordinary Genevans as they navigated - and
debated, even fought about - the changes in worship resulting from
the Reformation.
The translator has done a truly excellent job of putting Calvin's
work into a very readable English format. If you have ever wanted
to read Calvin, here is your chance. Frankly, one might compare the
study of Calvin to the opportunity to either sit with Christ on the
mount or later to hear Matthew retell the story. Why go to a
secondary source when Calvin is so easy to understand and so
readily available in this edition? These pages bring Calvin right
into your living room, where you learn the reformed faith first
hand. To sum it up: Pastor, student, or layman, if you don't have
this work in your study collection, such a collection is
incomplete. Complete enough to suit the demands of the scholar,
written so the average layman can understand, here is John Calvin.
This is a terrific tool in understanding our Reformed faith from
the very father of the reformation that led to the Presbyterian
Church.
Long overshadowed by Luther and Calvin, Philipp Melanchthon
(1497-1560) is one of the most important figures in the Protestant
Reformation and had profound effect on Western church history. This
book gives the most detailed English-language biographical
treatment of Melanchthon to date, moving from his historical
context and personal origins, through his childhood, education, and
early career at Wittenberg during the dramatic events at the dawn
of the Reformation (1497-1524). Establishing the deep geopolitical
and religious context of Melanchthon's early life, the volume then
follows Melanchthon to the great halls of humanist learning at
Heidelberg and Tubingen, where his studies and teaching career
began and his'faith was richly fostered. The pivotal moment comes
in his appointment to the chair of Greek in Wittenberg where
Melanchthon became a great ally and supporter of Martin Luther.
Melanchthon's role as key player in the advocacy for reform
expanded through his involvement in the Leipzig Disputation, his
visible representation of the evangelical cause in Wittenberg
during Luther's absence at Worms and the Wartburg, and his struggle
with the radical wing. The volume closes by looking ahead to
Melanchthon's contribution to the Augsburg Confession of 1530.
Most biographers of Luther are faced with a choice-focus on
Luther's life or focus on his thought. The choice, though real, is
false. Luther's thought was inextricably bound up with his life. In
this short, engaging volume, Hans Schwarz succeeds in blending the
two-creating a volume that introduces Luther's thought in the
context of his life story. The book meets the need for a clear and
concise introduction to the life and teachings of the great church
reformer, Martin Luther. After a brief overview of his life, the
book devotes chapters to Luther's thoughts on key areas of the
Christian faith and life, including the knowledge of God, church
and sacraments, the Scriptures, marriage and parenthood, and
vocation. The author incorporates quotations from Luther's own
writings to show how Luther's insights have relevance for all
Christians today. With questions for reflection and discussion, the
book can be used as a study resource for individuals, church
groups, or college and seminary classes. For this revised edition,
Schwarz has thoroughly reviewed the text and added important new
sections on Luther and music, Luther and the economy, Luther and
the Jews, and more.
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