Transcript John Calvin for Dummies

John Calvin for
Dummies
Background to the Reformation
Theories of the Reformation
Background to the Reformation
Theories: Why?
Old Fashion Revolution: One ruling elite replaced
another
Insignificant : Did not permanently change anything
and no different from what all religions are seeking.
Genuine: Clearest re-presentation of Gospel since
New Testament
Contexts of the Reformation
Background to the Reformation
Political
Kings and national consciousness
became stronger
England
War of Roses (Lancaster and York) united England.
Henry VII (1495) initiated House of Tudor.
England had national church but not Catholic because
they rejected papal control.
Spain
 Marriage of Isabella and Ferdinand united Spain
(1469).
 While not papal, Roman Catholic Church was
national by 16th century.
 The Reformation made no progress in Spain because
of strength of Catholic political rulers.
 By time of Reformation, Charles, son of Ferdinand,
was King.
Germany

Maximillian (Germany) married Mary (Burgundy & the
Netherlands). Their child was Philip who married Joanna (Spain).
Their child was Charles V who became Holy Roman Emperor,
1519. By inheritance became most powerful ruler since
Charlemagne. A cosmopolitan man, someone has said he spoke
French to the ladies, Italian to the men, German to his horse and
Spanish to God. While technically Germany was under the Holy
Roman Empire (descending from Charlemagne, 800s), there were
365 sovereign states within German territory, including
ecclesiastical states.

Council of Constance cured Great Schism 1417 and established
one pope over the Empire with authority immediately from
Christ.
France
When the Hundred Years’ War ended in 1453, France
developed a sense of national unity. The Catholic
Church was national and papal. It was the home of
the “Babylonian” (Avignon) captivity (1309-78).
Francis I became king in 1515 while Calvin was writing
from Geneva (dedicatory preface to Institutes).
Social Factors
After the Plague, cities began to grow again. By 1500,
five cities in the world were over 100,000. By 1600,
twelve cities were over 100,000. Geneva’s population
was 15,000; Wittenberg never had more than 3500.
Reformation succeeded in cities because the populace
was more open to change
People were able to make money without inheriting it.
Kings became more powerful than popes.
Ecclesiastical Factors
Papal corruption:
Secularized: Cardinal speaking of Medicci
Pope: “he would have been a good pope had
he believed in God.” Medicci Pope said, “Now
that we have attained papacy, let us enjoy it.”
Lucrative: sold indulgences, taxed papal
estates, higher clergy taxed lower clergy
Ecclesiastical Factors
Members
Sacramental system was mechanical and
only reminded of Christ’s merit in order
to inspire members’ merit.
Lacked assurance and feared death:
sought relief through indulgences, masses
for the dead and viewing
relics/pilgrimages.
Progress of the Reformation
Background to the Reformation
Germany
Discovery of Grace
Augustinian monk (1505)
Professor of Bible at
University of Wittenberg
(1512)
Ninety-five theses (1517)
Tower experience (1518)
Justification
Debates: Scripture Alone
Bulls
Against Luther’s teaching (June 1520)
For excommunication (Jan. 1521)
Writings between Bulls
Appeal to German Nobility: against the pope
Babylonian Captivity of the Church: repudiated sacramental
system; fuzzy on confession
Freedom of the Christian Man: most beautiful; what it means to
be a Christian
Conflicts
State
•Diet of Worms (1521)
•Temporal ban at Wartburg (1521-
22): under ban of State for treason,
interdicted by Frederick for
safekeeping at Wartburg
Conflicts
Devil
•Inkwell at Wartburg
•“dark night of the soul”: regularly battled spiritual depression, played lute and flute for
comfort, and Katie was an aid (“From the way you were acting, I thought God had died”)
Conflicts
Radicals
Andrew Karlstadt: tried to push Reformation faster, but
Luther urged moderation
Peasants: hereditary rights to things like firewood, etc.
were being taken away
Luther’s Admonition to Peace: said the nobles were guilty
of oppression and the peasants were guilty of
insurrection
Conflicts
Erasmus
On Free Will (1524): “bondage of the will is one of the useless
doctrines we can do without,” afraid it would give rise to
licentiousness
On the Bondage of the Will (1525): if brilliant man like
Erasmus cannot develop freedom of the will, proves it is a lie
Zwingli
Marburg (1529): dispute over Christ’s presence in Supper.
After gaining respite from Francis the Pope and the Turks,
Charles V turned his attention against the Protestants. They
sought at Marburg to strengthen themselves by unifying.
Agreed on 15 of 16 points but left divided.
Conflicts
Self
Coarse language and conduct
Tolerated secret bigamy of Philip of Hesse: Protestant
elector who could not divorce first wife, nor give up
second
Harsh toward Jews when grew impatient that they were
not converting.
Switzerland
Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) was
“third man of the Reformation”
in terms of prominence though
his life and work occurred
between Luther’s (1483-1546) and
Calvin’s (1509-1564).
Founder of the “Reformed
Tradition,” that is, international,
non-sectarian consensus on
Scriptural principles as opposed
to Lutheran. That emphasis was
continued by his son-in-law
Bullinger who at the Consensus
Tigerinus pulled together Calvin
and Zwinglian works on Lord’s
Supper.
Zwingli
Preacher and patriot
Man of the Land
Born January 1, 1484 to
relatively prosperous and
godly agrarian family. He
was proud of his heritage
and reminded that “Adam
and Eve were the first
peasants.”
“The Reformation will
proceed as surely as the
Rhine.”
Translation of Psalm 23,
“He leads me along the
Alps.”
Zwingli
Studied classics, Erasmus, the Greek and
Hebrew Bible. Memorized the Epistles in
Greek.
Ministry at Great Minster in Zurich (1519)
Preaching: Began in Matthew and preached
through the New Testament. Thrilled the
people.
Gifted musician, singer, composer
Reform at Zurich
Sermon On the Choice and Freedom of Foods
(1522): breaking point was indulgences in
Germany; sausages in Switzerland
Priests’ petition to Marry (1522); Bishop
denied request, but Zwingli and nine others
married.
England
The course of the
Reformation in England
followed the ideas of
Henry and his successive
children: Edward, Mary,
and Elizabeth.
England: Early Influences
Wycliffe and the Lollards (1506-30): 50 Lollards were killed
between 1506-30.
Erasmian Humanists (Thomas More, 1478-1535): Among there
ranks were defenders and objectors to Catholic Church
New “German Theology” (Lutheran)
Cambridge (White Horse Inn): Latimer, Ridley, Foxe, Tyndale
(maybe) formed study group to promote German theology.
William Tyndale’s (1494-1536), New Testament (1526): included
Lutheran preface and notes. When Tyndale died he prayed:
“Lord, open the King of England’s eyes”
Henry VIII
King of England (1509-47): He was the king, the whole king and nothing but the king.
He desired to be the pope, the whole pope, and something more than the pope”
Henry’s “divorce problem” (Catherine of Aragon): received a papal dispensation to
marry his brother’s widow.
Canonical: Married in 1510. Sought divorce in 1527. Problem with church because
some supported earlier dispensation.
Political: Rome just captured by Charles V and Pope Clement VII not willing to offend
Charles (Catherine’s nephew) in order to please Henry.
Solution: laws culminating in the Supremacy Act (1534); Thomas More executed
because he refused to acknowledge Act of Supremacy
Creation of new church:
Thomas Cromwell (1485-1540): Chief political advisor to Henry. Convinced him to
put Coverdale Bible (based on Tyndale’s) in all churches
Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556): Archbishop of Canterbury: quiet scholar, timid.
Greatest accomplishment, appreciation of tradition and piety which produced Book of
Common Prayer
Edward VI: 1547-1553
Became king at nine years old
Dramatic move to Protestantism
Book of Common Prayer (1549): Lutheran
Forty-two Articles (1552): Calvinistic, basis of Thirty-Nine
Articles
Second Book of Common Prayer (1552): Puritan
Mary Tudor: 1553-1558
Catholic, pro-Spanish (married Philip II of Spain): offended English, dismantled Protestantism
By 1554, England was Catholic again
“Marian Exiles” – left England to save life, John Knox left
Martyrs (about 300), earned name “Bloody Mary”
John Foxe’s (1516-87): Acts and Monuments (Book of Martyrs): responsible for spreading anti-Catholic
sentiments
Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley (1555): “Today we shall light such a candle in England as will
never be put out”
John Hooper (1555): “Life to come is more bitter and death to come is more sweet”
Thomas Cranmer (1556): Signed document to recant, but burned anyway. Recanted recantation and
charred hand, which signed document
Conclusion
Lovers of Jesus Christ
Not. . .
Lutheran
Protestant
Reformed
Evangelical
Catholic
Christian
But. . .
Lovers of Jesus Christ
Prophets
Disciples
Prophets Against Falsehood
We are before a spectacle exactly like that of a city struck by a
severe epidemic and taken by assault by an enemy, that is sinking
under the simultaneous impact of the double carnage and is being
utterly consumed in a single fire. Blow your trumpet, watchman!
To arms, shepherd! What? You do nothing? What? You remain
inactive? What? You sleep? Now, when there is murder
everywhere? . . .You must render an account to the Lord of so many
dead, wretched man; you are a homicide so many times, you are
guilty of the blood shed, every drop of which the Lord will reclaim
from your own hand. . . . But it is still not enough to call you a
homicide and traitor to your own people. Behold a crime too great
for any branding to punish: as far as it depends on you, you sell
Christ over again and crucify him anew. --Calvin
Disciples for Christ
To all lovers of Jesus Christ and of his Gospel, greetings.
Preface to Olivetan Bible, 1535
“We are all called to this inheritance without
distinction of persons; male or female, small or great,
servant or lord, master or disciple, cleric of layman,
Hebrew or Greek, Frenchman or Latin, none is
rejected; anyone who will with assured trust receive
what is sent to him, who will embrace what is
presented to him, in short, who will recognize Jesus
Christ as what he has been given by the Father.”
Preface, 1535