Institutionis Christianae religionis Iohanne Calvino auctore selectiones electae: 1559 Latin Edition with Facing Translation and Running Commentary (original) (raw)
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John Calvin’s Ecclesiology : Ecumenical Perspectives T&T Clarck, 2011
Since the beginning of the twentieth century, an innovative category has entered discussions related to the restoration of Christian unity. The category vestigia Ecclesiae has been used by both Roman Catholic and non-Catholic theologians. As an ecclesiological category it is intimately bound to the 'requirements' of particular church membership, as well as membership of the Church of Christ as such. The doctrine of vestigia Ecclesiae has been progressively re-confi gured in terms of a doctrine of elementa Ecclesiae, which itself has been understood and employed differently in Roman Catholic, Protestant and ecumenical circles. From a systematic and historic point of view, this paper will examine the sixteenth-century doctrine of vestigia Ecclesiae, including its reception in the doctrine of elementa and its content. Sixteenth-Century Foundation of the Doctrine Calvin's notion of Vestigia Calvin developed his ecclesiology in his principal theological work entitled Institutio Christianae Religionis; his views on the church underwent profound transformations in various successive editions from 1536 to the last one in 1559. 1 In the second chapter of the fourth book in the last edition of the work (IV 2, 11), Calvin goes back to his doctrine of vestigia Ecclesiae already formulated in the 1539 version. The context of this statement is his views on the nature of the church, stressing the church's invisible aspects. Nonetheless, at the same time he also affi rmed the visible reality of the church, which became increasingly central to him. 2 Although the fi rst foundation of the church and its unity is God's election, 3 and, therefore, its invisible origin is crucial and
Calvin between facilis brevitas, confessio, and institutio: instruction of faith in Geneva
Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship, 2009
Calvin between facilis brevitas, confessio, and institutio: instruction of faith in Geneva This article focuses on catechetical instruction in Geneva under Calvin, taking the 1537 "Instruction" and the 1545 "Catechism" as objects of study. The relationship among three key notions-Calvin's own ideal of striving for brevity and simplicity on the one hand, the notions of "confessio" and "institutio" on the other hand-serves as catalyst to approach the nature of this catechetical instruction. After a historical overview of the circumstances amidst which the above-mentioned writings were produced, a comparative study of their internal organisation leads to the assessment of Calvin's method of theological exposition when dealing with the law and the Apostle's Creed. 1 This article was presented on 14 May 2009 as a lecture during the National Synod of the Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS), held in Hamburg, Minnesota. The author wishes to thank Ms Deborah Stein sincerely for proofreading the text of this article.
European Journal of Theology, 2022
John Calvin’s references to the sensus divinitatis in the Institutes have been variously understood and applied. This article considers four interpretations of Calvin’s meaning and use of the term and critically evaluates these against his comments on enlightenment by the Logos in the prologue of the Gospel of John, and his thoughts on idolatry and non-Christian religion. In light of the analyses, I propose an alternative interpretation of the usage of the term, namely that Calvin employed it to stand in opposition to and in ongoing tension with the fruit of the semen religionis – namely idolatrous religion. I argue that this particular reading of Calvin’s adoption and adaptation of Stoic terminology has certain advantages over alternative readings, given his opposition to the religious hypocrisy of the Roman Catholic Church of his era.