On Mondays we want to encourage discussion about Church history. The Lutheran Reformation was not over in 1517. It had just begun. Other very important dates in the process include 1529, 1530, and especially 1580, when the publication of the Book of Concord would seem to lay the essential doctrines out clearly. The process was not all happiness and harmony. How did the second generation of Lutherans work out their doctrinal positions?
Mondays are for Church History - 1/2/17
Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity: The Reformation to the Present Day. Revised and Updated ed. Vol. 2. New York: HarperCollins, 2010b. Kindle Electronic Edition.
Chapter 20 “Lutheran Orthodoxy” Loc. 3404-3535.
Gonzalez now turns to the second generation of Lutherans (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3418). While some were supportive of Melanchthon, others thought he was too conciliatory. There were various negotiations made to attempt reconciliation with Rome. Most notably, the Augsburg Interim and the Leipzig Interim (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3432). Some Lutherans were unwilling to compromise while others were. Melanchthon’s position gave man more freedom of the will in salvation than the traditionalists were comfortable with (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3439). By 1577 the release of the Formula of Concord clarified a Lutheran position (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3447). Martin Chemnitz, responsible for much of the Formula of Concord, sought to reconcile the opposing positions (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3455). The Lutheran Orthodoxy articulated in this document was a detailed, scholastic view of theology (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3463).
Gonzalez points out that in the Lutheran and Calvinist traditions, the scholastic works are very detailed and tend to follow Aristotelian patterns (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3470). They come from university communities, not from churches (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3477). This scholasticism always depends on the Scripture as uniquely inspired by God (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3485).
The teacher Georg Calixtus proposed that while all Scripture is inspired, not all of it is essential for the Christian (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3507). He determined importance of various ideas based on the conclusions of the first five centuries of Christianity (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3514). The practice of gathering attractive ideas from various branches of Christianity rather than seeking one true doctrine is called syncretism and condemned as a heresy (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3529).
All the work of Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry, including this blog, is supported by the generosity of people like you. Please consider joining our team of prayer and financial supporters. Read more here!
Mondays are for Church History - 1/2/17
Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity: The Reformation to the Present Day. Revised and Updated ed. Vol. 2. New York: HarperCollins, 2010b. Kindle Electronic Edition.
Chapter 20 “Lutheran Orthodoxy” Loc. 3404-3535.
Gonzalez now turns to the second generation of Lutherans (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3418). While some were supportive of Melanchthon, others thought he was too conciliatory. There were various negotiations made to attempt reconciliation with Rome. Most notably, the Augsburg Interim and the Leipzig Interim (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3432). Some Lutherans were unwilling to compromise while others were. Melanchthon’s position gave man more freedom of the will in salvation than the traditionalists were comfortable with (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3439). By 1577 the release of the Formula of Concord clarified a Lutheran position (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3447). Martin Chemnitz, responsible for much of the Formula of Concord, sought to reconcile the opposing positions (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3455). The Lutheran Orthodoxy articulated in this document was a detailed, scholastic view of theology (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3463).
Gonzalez points out that in the Lutheran and Calvinist traditions, the scholastic works are very detailed and tend to follow Aristotelian patterns (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3470). They come from university communities, not from churches (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3477). This scholasticism always depends on the Scripture as uniquely inspired by God (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3485).
The teacher Georg Calixtus proposed that while all Scripture is inspired, not all of it is essential for the Christian (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3507). He determined importance of various ideas based on the conclusions of the first five centuries of Christianity (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3514). The practice of gathering attractive ideas from various branches of Christianity rather than seeking one true doctrine is called syncretism and condemned as a heresy (Gonzalez 2010b, Loc. 3529).
All the work of Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry, including this blog, is supported by the generosity of people like you. Please consider joining our team of prayer and financial supporters. Read more here!
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