Midterm Flashcards
Erasmus
a Dutch theologian and humanist scholar who sought for the reformations of customs, the practice of decency and moderation, an inner devotion shaped by learning and meditation, and a church that encouraged these things.
While he influenced many of the Protestant reformers such as Zwingli and Calvin, he preferred a reform based on tolerance and moderation working within the Catholic Church.
When forced to speak out about Luther, Erasmus attacked Luther’s position on free will and predestination. (14-18, 43)
Marburg Colloquy
took place in 1529 when Landgrave Philip of Hesse brought together Luther and Melanchthon from Wittenberg, Bucer from Strasbourg, Oecolampadius from Basel, and Zwingli from Zurich.
The group agreed on fourteen out of fifteen issues but not on the meaning and efficacy of communion.
Their differences were the result of their divergent views on the relation between matter and spirit, and therefore on the nature of God’s revelation.
Melanchthon reminded Luther of the importance of Eucharistic theology to Catholic sympathy. This disagreement ultimately led the inability of the groups to unite against the Roman Catholic Church.
Institute of the Christian Religion
first published by John Calvin in 1536 as a short summary of the Christian faith from a Protestant point of view.
Initially, the book contained six chapters: the Law, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the sacraments, “false sacraments of Rome,” and Christian freedom.
However, the book was such a success that Calvin continued to work on successive editions including the controversies of the time, expanding into four books with eighty chapters and allowing one to observe the development of Calvin’s theology over time.
This work was the high point of Protestant systematic theology at the time of the Reformation. (79-80)
The ban (Anabaptists)
the principle of the Anabaptists which was to be applied to those who refuse to amend their lives after two private and one public admonitions.
This banned the person from the communion table.
Codified as second principle in Confession of Schleitheim, which outlined Anabaptist practices.
This practice is theologically rooted in belief of creating “alternative societies”, a separation from the world. The Anabaptists aimed for purity and distinctiveness (like Donatists) and believed the *True church is in heaven, Earthly churches are only parodies.
Peace of Augsburg
put an end to religious wars in Germany in 1555. The peace stipulated “whose realm, his religion,” meaning that the princes or rulers could determine the religion of their territories and their subjects who wished to do so could migrate to lands where the official religion coincided with their own.
This agreement included only Protestants who subscribed to the Confession of Augsburg in 1530 so other Protestants including Calvinists were considered heretics.
Also, the “ecclesiastical reservation” guaranteed that territories ruled by bishops would remain Catholic even if their bishops became Protestant. The peace was an armistice. (177)
Ignatius of Loyola
founded the Jesuits, who came to be one of the main instruments of the Catholic offensive against Protestantism as advisors for Catholic princes and missionary activities.
Ignatius, a Spanish monk, patterned the Society of Jesus after the military, which enabled them to respond rapidly and efficiently to various challenges and opportunities.
Education was important and many Jesuits were scholars who contributed to polemics against Protestantism.
The Jesuits committed to activity of living out prayer in the world and regularly engaged in spiritual exercises as outlined in Ignatius’s book, Spiritual Exercises. (144-5, notes)
Frederick the Wise of Saxony
elector of Saxony, was a German prince and one who secured from Emperor Maximillian a safe-conduct for Luther and protected Luther.
Engineered Luther’s disappearance to the Castle at Wartburg after the Diet of Worms.
He held a belief in justice and demanded a hearing and fair trial. As the founder of the University of Wittenberg, he wanted to be known as a wise and just ruler. (30-32)
Schleitheim Confession
was a brief document, written during a meeting of Anabaptist leaders in 1527, which expounded on the seven fundamental practices and principles held by most Anabaptists.
Baptism should only be administered to those who have repented and amended their lives and who believed in Christ.
The “ban” of members who refuse to repent and the communion table was only offered to those who were baptized as adults.
True believers must separate themselves from all that is not united with God and Christ. The duties of pastors was outlined.
The rejection of “the sword” and giving oaths means that true believers must not participate in any activity connected with violence or civil service. (70-1)
Charles V
Emperor and King of Spain, was a faithful, devout Catholic who sought to suppress the Protestant movement in Germany.
He met with Luther and demanded him to recant at the Diet of Worms. Unfortunately, he was often drawn away from these efforts by the threat of the Turks and the French.
Political rivalry with Francis I of France led to complicated political arrangements to preserve power, including a 1527 attack on Rome and Pope Clement.
This forced Charles to ally with the German princes and allow for some measure of toleration so that the princes would support his military efforts.
John Knox
the leader of Scottish Protestantism and a Marian exile who studied under Calvin in Geneva.
He lost favor with Elizabeth I by writing a book criticizing Mary I using anti-feminine prejudice.
He returned to Scotland and reinvigorated the Protestant reform through fiery sermons.
He eventually organized the Reformed Church of Scotland, which was similar to later Presbyterianism, with elected church elders and ministers and a foundation in the Book of Discipline, Book of Common Order, and Scots Confession. (100-104)
Menno Simons
a Dutch Catholic priest, left his position in 1536 and embraced Anabaptism.
He survived persecution and spent years traveling Holland and northern Germany preaching and encouraging his followers, Mennonites.
He was convinced that pacifism was essential to Christianity and refused to associate with the revolutionary Anabaptists.
While he believed that Christians should not offer any oaths, he did advocate for his followers to obey civil authorities as long as what was required was not contrary to Scripture.
The group was scattered throughout Eastern Europe, particularly Russia, and eventually migrated from North America to South America where they could live in relative isolation. (74-6)
Thomas Muntzer
the leader of a spiritualist, radical reform movement.
As a spiritualist, Muntzer claimed that the most important source was not the written word of Scripture but the present revelation of the Spirit.
Luther forced Muntzer out of Saxony because Muntzer believed those who had been born again via the Spirit should join in a theocratic community to bring about the Kingdom of God.
He took part in the peasant uprising and was executed in 1525 just as the Anabaptist movement began in Zurich. (41, 72)
Thomas Cranmer
the Archbishop of Canterbury who replaced Cardinal Wolsey during the reign of Henry VIII and lead the English Reformation during Edward’s reign.
Cranmer helped Henry break with Rome and provided a theological treatise for Henry’s annulment from Catherine.
Cranmer also wrote the “Forty-three Articles” and the Book of Common Prayer.
During the 1550s, Cranmer was influenced by continental reformers such as Martin Bucer. When Mary I ascended to the throne, Cranmer was arrested, tortured, and eventually executed for his reforming beliefs.
Matteo Ricci
succeed Francis Xavier in the Jesuit missionary field of East Asia.
In 1549, Xavier established a mission in Japan but sought mission in China.
Ricci, a mathematician and scholar, engaged the Chinese in accommodationist methods and found a point of contact between Christianity and Confucianism.
This led him to establish the first mission in China and the respect of the Chinese nobility. (notes)
Pope Leo X
member of the Medici family, benefitted from the system of indulgences and focused on the beauty and power of the Vatican.
When Luther sent him a copy of the 95 Theses, he was infuriated and sought to suppress Luther’s voice.
When Emperor Maximilian died, he sought peace with Luther in order to win over Frederick the Wise of Saxony.
When Charles V took power, Pope Leo issued a papal bull declaring that a wild boar had entered the Lord’s vineyard, he ordered all books by Luther to be burned, and gave rebellious Luther sixty days to submit to Roman authority. This signified the official breach. (28-35)
