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Calvin betrachtet Rechtfertigung und Heiligung als Guter des dreieinigen Gottes, die dem Menschen durch das Heilswerk Christi uber den Heiligen Geist zuteil werden, so die These dieser Studie. Die Lehre von der doppelten Gnade steht dabei in dem groeren Zusammenhang der Rede von Gott als dem Schopfer und Erloser. Diesen beleuchtet Cornelis P. Venema und verortet die Lehre von Rechtfertigung und Heiligung in Calvins Theologie. Daruber hinaus werden strittige Fragen der Calvinforschung erortert, z.B. Calvins Verstandnis von Gesetz und Evangelium und die Rolle guter Werke.

James E. Bruce explores the relationship between morality and Gods free choices in the thought of Francis Turretin (16231687). The first book-length treatment of Turretins natural law theory, Rights in the Law provides an important theological backdrop to Early Modern moral and political philosophy. Turretin affirms Thomas Aquinass approach to the natural law, calling it the common opinion of the Reformed orthodox, but he develops it, too, by introducing a threefold scheme of right (ius)divine, natural, and positiveto explain how change within the law is possible. For example, God can change the specific day for Sabbath observance from Saturday to Sundayfrom positive rightwithout changing the natural law precept that finite creatures ought to rest. Yet even with respect to the natural law God is still free. God can make a world in which there is no such thing as murder: he can choose not to make a world that contains such a thing as man. What God cannot do is make a murderable man. So Gods free choices determine the natural law insofar as the natural law is constituted by the nature of the things that God has chosen to create.

A Classic Work on the Nature of God by Stephen CharnockStephen Charnock was a highly regarded seventeenth-century English Puritan theologian whose writings have continued to influence the church for centuries. He is known for his sophisticated approach to topics such as the existence and attributes of God, the person and work of Christ, and the doctrine of sin. This ebook, edited by Mark Jones, contains an updated and unabridged edition of Charnocks classic work, Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God, written to instruct and encourage Christian pastors, theologians, and laypeople. Jones precedes each discourse with an introductory summary that explains Charnocks general approach. In this clear, modernized presentation of this classic work, readers will experience his skillful exegesis, his influential way with words, his insight into human nature, his concern with the practical implications of who God is, and his Christ-focused approach to theology.Modernized Language: Archaic punctuation, words, and phrases have been updated for the modern reader Updated Bibliographic Information: In the footnotes, Charnocks sources have been located and updated with fuller bibliographic information, showing how widely read he was Chapter Summaries: Each discourse begins with a summary of the chapter to follow Extensive: Covers Charnocks defense of Gods existence and 11 attributes of God Includes In-Depth Chapter on the Life of Stephen Charnock by William Symington

Lebendige Tradition Kontinuitat und Wandel als Herausforderungen fur Kirchen und Theologien Tagungsbericht der 21. Wissenschaftlichen Konsultation der Societas OecumenicaLiving Tradition Continuity and Change as Challenges to Churches and Theologies Proceedings of the 21st Academic Consultation of the Societas OecumenicaLiving tradition is the focal point of this volume, exploring theologies of tradition, captivities of tradition, changing traditions, and dynamics of Tradition. It takes on the notion of living tradition from four distinct angles. How do various churches and denominations handle continuity while embracing different theologies of tradition? How do individuals address traditionalism and fundamentalism when faced with the captivities of tradition? In what ways can identity be preserved through discontinuities when dealing with changing traditions? The volume encompasses contributions from 31 scholars, presented during the 21st academic consultation of Societas Oecumenica (the European Society for Ecumenical Research).[Lebendige Tradition. Kontinuitat und Wandel als Herausforderungen fur Kirchen und Theologien] Die lebendige Tradition steht im Mittelpunkt dieses Bandes und untersucht Theologien der Tradition, Gefangene der Tradition, sich verandernde Traditionen und Dynamiken der Tradition. Der Begriff der lebendigen Tradition wird aus vier verschiedenen Blickwinkeln betrachtet. Wie gehen verschiedene Kirchen und Konfessionen mit Kontinuitat um und berucksichtigen gleichzeitig unterschiedliche Theologien der Tradition? Wie gehen Einzelpersonen mit Traditionalismus und Fundamentalismus um, wenn sie mit den Fesseln der Tradition konfrontiert werden? Auf welche Weise kann Identitat durch Diskontinuitaten im Umgang mit sich verandernden Traditionen bewahrt werden? Der Band umfasst Beitrage von 31 Wissenschaftlern, die wahrend der 21. akademischen Konsultation der Societas Oecumenica (der Europaischen Gesellschaft fur okumenische Forschung) vorgestellt wurden.

Post-war Lower Silesia was intended by the communists to be a "laboratory of socialism". Hence, they developed and pursued a special policy towards the Catholic Church. The book highlights the specificity of the pastoral ministry provided by the successive rulers of the Church in Wrocaw (Karol Milik, Kazimierz Lagosz, Cardinal Bolesaw Kominek) in the realities of the communist state. It shows the role of Cardinal Kominek who was persecuted for his attitude towards communists, his activity in the Polish Episcopate and in the forum of the universal Church. Moreover, it presents the system of repression aimed at diocesan clergy and religious orders and limiting theological education. With the objective of secularising the Lower Silesian society, the communists put emphasis on promoting their ideology, especially among the young generation. The Church responded with speeches by hierarchs condemning these activities and with pastoral initiatives to slow down the process.

James M. Scott examines a denarius minted in Rome in 55 bce which is visually fascinating but conceptually enigmatic. On its obverse, around the head of a female figure with turreted crown, appears the name A. Plautius, who held the office of aedilis curulis in that year; on its reverse is a camel, in front of which a male figure kneels on his right leg, holding the camels reins in his left hand and extending a branch in his right hand; the legend reads: BACCHIVS IVDAEVS.Scotts study argues that the oft-suggested connection between Aristobulus gift of the golden vine (from the Temple) and the Bacchius Iudaeus denarius does seem to merit further investigation. To that end,he examines, first, Pompeys own agenda in having the coin minted. It is shown that the year the denarius appeared, 55 bce, was the same year in which Pompey dedicated his spectacular theater-temple in Rome, and, furthermore, that these very public displays are related as expressions of Pompeys Dionysian pretensions. Second, Scott examines each element of the denarius in question, looking for clues as to the meaning of Bacchius Iudaeus. It is shown that the Latin inscription refers first and foremost to the god Bacchus/Dionysus via an interpretatio Romana. Finally, he explores the possible implications of his investigation for the precise date of the fall of Jerusalem in 63 bce. Scotts study delves deeply into Judaism at the beginning of the Roman era, using the Roman coin to highlight the complex interface between Greco-Roman and Jewish religiocultural institutions of the period.

The historical study of Protestantism is often limited to internal or national discussions. Yet a broader, international look means also studying the major upheavals that occurred throughout the world, such as wars and globalisation.This volume first reviews the history of the church in the 20th century from an international and interdisciplinary vantage point and takes a look at the most important themes and conflicts that marked that often tension-filled time, among others the two world wars, globalisation, the broad number of continuities and discontinuities, the influence of the 1960s on social life, and the debate on the role of gender in the history of Christianity.With contributions by H. Lehmann, H. McLeod, A.V. Tnnessen, U. stergaard, M. Greschat, N. Hope, M. Tomka (), H. Oelke, K.-J. Hummel, D. Thorkildsen, K. Koschorke, K. Ward, E. Gebremedhin and V. Mortensen.

This book presents case studies and empirical data of a phenomenon which increasingly gains popularity in Western societies: deconversion. There is, the authors argue, no better word than deconversion to describe processes of disengagement from religious orientations because these have much in common with conversion. Termination of membership may eventually be the final step of deconversion, but it involves biographical and psychological dynamics which can and need to be reconstructed by qualitative approaches and analyzed by quantitative instruments.In the Bielefeld-based Cross-Cultural Study on Deconversion disengagement processes from a variety of religious backgrounds in the USA and in Germany were examined, ranging from well-established religious organizations to new religious and fundamentalist groups. Nearly 1,200 persons participated in thestudy and were interviewed from 2002 to 2005. In the focus of the study are 100 deconverts from the USA and from Germany who were examined with narrative interviews, faith development interviews and an extensive questionnaire. For case study elaboration, the study followed a research design with an innovative triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data. Four chapters, corresponding to four types of deconversion, present 21 case studies. The highlights of the research project are new data on spirituality the deconverts in particular appear to prefer a more spiritual than religious self-identification and in-depth analyses of a variety of deconversion narratives with special focus on personality factors, motivation, attitudes, religious development, psychological well-being and growth, religious fundamentalism and right-wing authoritarianism. The results of this project which was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft are of special relevance for counselling and pastoral care, for religious education and for people concerned with administration and management of religious groups and churches, but also for a wider audience interested in contemporary changes in the religious fields in the USA and Germany.

Thanks to the recent return to religion, the holy has become a relevant issue in public debate, as is suggested by concepts such as re-sacralization and re-enchantment. Holy war and religiously motivated terrorist attacks, the fascination in popular culture for subjects such as the Holy Grail (as in Dan Browns Da Vinci Code), new spiritual longings both within and outside institutional religion all testify to the new religious climate. This situation calls for a reassessment of both classical and new theories about the holy.Espen Dahl offers a theoretical account of the holy. Central to its approach is the idea that the holy cannot be reduced to one stable essence, but is fundamentally composite and takes place in between. This means that the typical modern dichotomies between the holy and the profane, the pure and the impure, the pious and the violent, cannot be drawn as sharply as scholars once did. Instead, the manifestation of the holy takes place in the interstice between those spheres. Such a position is not strong it attests to the weakness of the holy. Through a critical dialogue with the most influential recent contributions, various theories and responses to them are presented on the basis of the books overall perspective.Espen Dahl deals with various theoretical perspectives, corresponding to the numerous dimensions of the holy. Phenomenology plays the principal role, because it offers the best means to preserve the experiential dimensions which are essential to the holy. From this perspective, the book discusses theories from religious science, theology, philosophy, and psychology.

Lee bedient sich der historischen Exegese, um zu erklaren, wie sich die reformierte Bundestheologie entwickelt hat. Diese exegetische Methode zeigt die Schwachen aktueller dogmatischer Erklarungen zum Ursprung der Bundestheologie auf und liefert dabei neue Einsichten zur Lehre vom Bund.Der reformatorische Wende hin zu den Quellen warf neue Fragen zu der Bedeutung der biblischen Begriffe vom Bund, berith und diatheke, auf und fuhrte zu der Entwicklung einer eher technischen lateinischen Terminologie, die zwischen foedus, testamentum und pactum unterschied. In diesem Kontext erlangte auch die Beziehung zwischen den Testamenten wieder mehr Bedeutung. Hebraer 710 versammelte diese verschiedenen Lehrmeinungen um sich, die im Laufe der Zeit zu einem dezidierten theologischen Bundestopos wurden. Der Hebraerkommentar von Johannes Cocceius von 1659 spiegelt beide Interpretationsanliegen wider. Er bedient sich typisch foderaler Terminologie, die erst im Laufe des 16. Jahrhunderts Eingang in den Sprachgebrauch der Theologen gefunden hatte. Cocceius betont sowohl eine testamentarische Kontinuitat als auch den soteriologischen Bruch (er spricht von zwei Formen der Rechtfertigung, eine vor und eine nach Christus). Uber die Untersuchung der alteren Hebraerkommentars von Cocceius sticht die hohe Bedeutung der testamentarischen Beziehungen in Cocceius Denken hervor. Dadurch stellt sich heraus, dass seine Bundestheologie starker als bislang angenommen in den Entwicklungen des 16. Jahrhunderts wurzelt. Ferner treten die zentralen Kontinuitaten in der reformierten Bundestheologie starker hervor.

Die Studie analysiert die politische Dimension protestantischer und romisch-katholischer Predigten an den Hofen von Karl II. (16601685) und Jakob II. (16851688/89), vor dem englischen Parlament und in den Kirchen Londons. Vor dem Hintergrund ungeloster politischer und konfessioneller Spannungen nach der Restauration, suchten Predigten mit Kritik an Machthabern und deren Beratung, Einfluss auf den religiosen und politischen Diskurs zu nehmen. Das Verhaltnis von geistlicher und weltlicher Macht sowie der Umgang mit der multikonfessionellen Situation in England sind dabei zentrale Themen. Das Vorhandensein einer differenzierten Rezeptionskultur, fur die Predigten als einmalige Auffuhrung und als Texte bedeutsam waren, zeigt die fortbestehende Wichtigkeit der Predigt in der Restauration.In this volume Christoph Ketterer analyses political preaching during the reigns of Charles II (16601685) and James II (16851688/89). He argues that the political importance of sermons preached at court, before Parliament and in the churches of London, is based on the unsolved political, and confessional tensions of the era. Preachers relatively freely discussed questions of religious tolerance, models of political power, and could offer counsel and criticism to those in power. They were in a position to influence the political and religious discourse of Restoration England. In addition, a refined culture of reception existed, and listeners, readers as well as preachers were acutely aware of the sermon genres performative dimension. Sermons therefore continued to be of central importance for the political and religious discourse of the Restoration.

More Christians now live in the Majority World than in Europe and North America. Yet most theological literature does not reflect the rising tide of Christian reflection coming from these regions. If we take seriously the Spirits movement around the world, we must consider how the rich textures of Christianity in the Majority World can enliven, inform, and challenge all who are invested in the ongoing work of theology.Majority World Theology offers an unprecedented opportunity to enter conversations on the core Christian doctrines with leading scholars from around the globe. Seeking to bring together the strongest theological resources from past and present, East and West, the volume editors have assembled a diverse team of contributors to develop insights informed by questions from particular geographic and cultural contexts. This book features a comprehensive overview of systematic theology, with sections on the Trinity, Christology, pneumatology, soteriology, ecclesiology, and eschatology contributors including Amos Yong, Ruth Padilla DeBorst, Victor I. Ezigbo, Wonsuk Ma, Aida Besançon Spencer, Randy S. Woodley, Munther Isaac, and Veli-Matti Karkkainen explorations of how Scripture, tradition, and culture fit together to guide the churchs theological reflection scholars demonstrating how to read the Bible and think theologically in light of contextual resources and concerns inside views on what doing theology looks like in contributors contexts and what developments they hope for in the future When we learn what it means for Jesus to be Lord in diverse places and cultures, we grasp the gospel more fully and are more able to see the blind spots of our own local versions of Christianity. Majority World Theology provides an essential resource for students, theologians, and pastors who want to expand their theological horizons.

This is the first work to examine Calvins understanding of the relationship between Jews and Christians at such a fundamental level. After an overview of the status of Jews in Europe during the late Middle Ages and the interest at that time in the knowledge of Hebrew and Judaism, the author turns specifically to Calvin and his interpretation of the Bible.Several important questions are addressed: How did Calvin understand the relationship between Jews and Christians? Have Christians taken the place of the Jews, or do they belong to the Jews because they are included in the relationship between God and Israel? What does Calvin have to say about the future of the Jews?The author concludes that Calvins view of the relationship between Jews and Christians is closely tied to his view of the unity of the Old and New Testaments.

This volume introduces an important concept which hitherto has not gotten the recognition it deserves. The concept simul, the idea of a both-and in theology, is primarily associated with the Lutheran understanding of justification. The formula simul iustus et peccator is a shorthand for the nucleus and heart of the Reformation. But the concept, which implies a tension or even a paradox, appears to play a significant role in other areas of theological reflection. This volume highlights a number of areas in which this idea historically has played an important role, as well as its potential in the contemporary conversation. The aim of the work is to provide an informed and readable introduction to the simul concept in various areas of systematical theology and Biblical exegesis.

The thirteen essays in this volume were all originally presented at international conferences or in public lectures.They address three main areas of inquiry, all of which, in one way or another, are of key importance in early modern historical discourse and theological thinking: (1) the theological diversity and debates within the Reformed tradition in the sixteenth century and beyond; (2) Peter Martyr Vermiglis noteworthy contribution to Reformed ecclesiology and biblical exegesis; and (3) the later development and enrichment of Reformed thought on both sides of the Atlantic. They show that the Reformed tradition was neither monolithic, nor monochrome, nor immutable, but evolved in different, if interrelated, patterns and directions.

There has been much academic debate over recent years on Europe defining itself over against the Other. This volume asks from the opposite perspective: What views did non-Europeans hold of European Christianity? In this way, the volume turns the agency of definition over to non-Europeans. Over the last centuries, the contacts between Europeans and non-Europeans have been diverse and complex. Non-Europeans encountered Europeans as colonialists, traders, missionaries and travellers. Most of those Europeans were Christians or were perceived as Christians. Therefore, in terms of religion Europe was often identified with Christianity. Europeans thus also conveyed a certain image of Christianity to non-European countries. At the same time, non-Europeans increasingly travelled to Europe and experienced a kind of Christianity that often did not conform to the picture they had formed earlier. Their descriptions of European Christianity ranged from sympathetic acceptance to harsh criticism. The contributions in this volume reveal the breadth of these opinions. They also show that there is no clear line of division between insiders and outsiders, but that Europeans could sometimes perceive themselves as being outsiders in their own culture while non-Europeans could adopt insider perspectives. Furthermore, from these encounters new religious and cultural expressions could emerge.

"Dialogical Preaching - Bakhtin, Otherness and Homiletics" explores the genre of preaching in light of theories of dialogicity and carnivalization developed by Mikhail Bakhtin. The Bakhtinian approach to preaching evokes ways in which historical acts and embodied experiences are transcribed in literary genres. The theories of carnivalization manifest the dynamic, other-oriented, interaction between reflexive texts and embodied acts. Experiences of otherness and difference play a central role in human communication as well as in theological descriptions of the relationship between God and humans. One of the central aims of this book is to explore ways in which others, different from the designated preacher, influence contemporary preaching practices and in that sense can be seen as co-authors. As material for this investigation the book provides analyses of four theologians who have contributed significantly to contemporary homiletical developments, namely those of the American homileticians Charles Campbell, John S. McClure, and James H. Harris and the Danish Systematic Theologian, Svend Bjerg.The homiletical analyses lead to the thesis, that the dialogical encounter between author, and addressees, analyzer and analyzed, is one of the conditions of interpretation and communication rather than a disturbance. The communication theoretical and practical theological analyses are discussed in light of Kierkegaard`s, Barth`s and Jungels emphasis on the qualitative difference between God and humans. These concluding reflections suggest ways in which inter-human otherness can function as a dynamically conjoining rather than mutually exclusive difference between God as the Wholly Other and other-wise humans.

John Anthony McGuckin, one of the worlds leading scholars of ancient Christianity, has synthesized a lifetime of work to produce the most comprehensive and accessible history of the Christian movement during its first thousand years. The Path of Christianity takes readers on a journey from the period immediately after the composition of the Gospels, through the building of the earliest Christian structures in polity and doctrine, to the dawning of the medieval Christian establishment. McGuckin explores Eastern and Western developments simultaneously, covering grand intellectual movements and local affairs in both epic scope and fine detail.The Path of Christianity is divided into two parts of twelve chapters each. Part one treats the first millennium of Christianity in linear sequence, from the second to the eleventh centuries. In addition to covering key theologians and conciliar decisions, McGuckin surveys topics like Christian persecution, early monasticism, the global scope of ancient Christianity, and the formation of Christian liturgy. Part two examines key themes and ideas, including biblical interpretation, war and violence, hymnography, the role of women, attitudes to wealth, and early Christian views about slavery and sexuality. McGuckin gives the reader a sense of the real condition of early Christian life, not simply what the literate few had to say.Written for student and scholar alike, The Path of Christianity is a lively, readable, and masterful account of ancient Christian history, destined to be the standard for years to come.

In an innovative, pluri-disciplinary approach this volume focuses on how memory in Sacred Heart devotion is created, promulgated and transformed. The volume with contributions by historians, theologians, religious scientists and art historians links the dimension of memory to that of iconography, language, body and ritual practices and sheds light on adaptations, transfers, contestations and variations in a perspective of longue duree from the late Middle Ages to the present. The first part of the volume develops central axes of analysis, which are specifically investigated in the two following parts. The contributions of part two intertwine perspectives of cultural, social and art history focusing on the multi-layered creation, public presence and political usage, diversity and variations of Sacred Heart iconography and devotion in a long-term perspective. In-depth analyses centre on late medieval northern Italy, early modern France and 18th-century Switzerland (Eidgenossenschaft), on France from the 1950s to the 1980s, and on Indonesia in the 20th and 21st centuries. In a dynamic way, the third part combines systematic theological, philosophical and didactic reflexions on the Sacred Heart with a focus on imagination, embodiment, spirituality and memory.

The Synod of Dort was an international conference of Reformed leaders held in 16181619 in the Netherlands. It is famous for its so-called Five Points of Calvinism which were a refutation of the Five Remonstrances of the followers of Arminius on the nature of divine grace and the perseverance of believers unto eternal salvation. As an international Synod, Dort made a significant impact on the definition and development of Reformed orthodoxy for decades and centuries to come. In countries such as France, the Canons of Dort served as a confessional boundary for Reformed orthodoxy and all pastors had to swear allegiance to them. Despite its tremendous influence, the decisions of the Synod of Dort remain a mystery to many today and are subject to caricatures and stereotypes of an extreme divine determinism and the hijacking of Calvins pure theology. This volume seeks to shed light on various aspects of the Synod of Dort in order to inform the contemporary reader of its proper historical and theological context and its experiential emphases. Some leading scholars of post-Reformation Reformed thought and the Synod have contributed essays to this work.The book is divided into three major sections designed to deliver a better overall perspective on the Synod. The first section focuses on the reception of the Canons of Dort among the Reformed churches in France where they were accepted and enforced. However, there were some internal questions, concerns, and even objections to the canons which are detailed in these chapters. The second section hones in on the theology of the Canons of Dort with particular attention to the doctrines of election and the nature of the atonement. This section also includes an important chapter on the relationship between church and state, always a central concern in the Reformation and post-Reformation eras. Finally, the third major section looks at how believers could apply the theology to their daily lives and devotion to Christ. These chapters indicate that this was not merely a theological conference, but one that had practical and experiential implications as well. The book concludes with a chapter on the application of the Synod for believers today.