conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

thesis? what thesis?

You may all start praying now. I am staring at my thesis this morning. In conversation with Justin last night I was reminded what it is that I need to be doing with my lenten time. This is something I must take up this lent. You know, I only need to crank out another twenty or thirty pages and send that draft in. I will repeat the process again after that, but the research is done. I can do this...if I do this in stages.

So, here are a couple of thoughts from Martha Moore-Keish, an excellent Calvin scholar and Emory grad.

Likewise Calvin sought a middle way with regard to actions: a physical action alone is not sufficient to accomplish the purpose of the ritual, but actions do have a kind of power. For instance, if those who are unworthy partake of the bread and the wine of communion, they bring condemnation on themselves. Their action proclaims that salvation is only in Christ, but they lack the faith in this proclamation. Therefore, through their actions, �they are their own accusers.� Furthermore, Calvin showed his concern for proper actions in the eucharist by devoting eight subheadings of the Institutes to the details of celebration of the Lord�s Supper. Physical symbols, both objects and actions, are central to the eucharistic ritual.

and

Words are a crucial element in the eucharistic ritual. Perhaps he overemphasized words as a reaction to the mass, but he was supremely concerned that people understand what they are doing. The ritual is not effective if they cannot hear the words or understand the language in which they are spoken. As he stated, �the Word must explain the sign� and �the sacrament requires preaching to beget faith.� The sacrament must include comprehensible words, because it is not the elements that are converted; people are converted.

Ad fontes was a �call to arms� for the humanists of the Renaissance. According to Bouwsma, �[Renaissance humanists] looked for inspiration not to the philosophers of antiquity but to its orators, poets and historians. Their preference for persuasion over rational conviction was associated with a view of human beings as passionate, active and social rather than intellectual�Rhetoric, in the words of Coluccio Salutati, can �inspire souls and set hearts afire.��

Humanism was a philosophical reaction against the systematic and dogmatic Nominalism of the Middle Ages. �It was descended from the ancient rhetorical tradition, which had contested the pretensions of philosophy at least since the confrontation between Socrates and Protagoras.� It was a philosophical reaction against the systematic and dogmatic Nominalism of the Middle Ages. Humanism espoused free inquiry and thus doctrine could be challenged, assessed and redefined. This redefinition for Christian Humanism thus allowed for greater criticism of church doctrine and practice. Authority shifted from cotemporary ecclesial doctrines of authority and theology but to the source (ad fontes), the early church and the Fathers.

In Bouwsma�s biography of John Calvin, we find this statement:

. [Humanism] was crucial to his thought. It constantly challenged his traditional culture, and Calvinism has its origins in his struggle to come to terms with the double legacy of philosophy and humanism. Much of Calvin�s genius lay in the skill � which, however, was that of a humanist � that enabled him to contain and sometimes to conceal, the tensions and contradictions in his thought. This is what makes his achievement so characteristic of his time.

Language and words are meant to inspire. Mere facts are not enough. Simply describing a systematic theology does not convince no matter how accurate it may be. Figurative language goes farther to express an idea than plain facts. �Decorum and figure seemed to him basic to eloquence, which he praised as a �special grace from God.�� Though one may wish to debate whether or not Calvin was an eloquent writer or speaker, that he held it in high regard is, according to Bouwsma, irrefutable.

Somehow this makes me think that this Emergent church thing is not so new. Heh. And it reminds me why I like Calvin. He lived the contradictions. Nice.

Okay, y'all have a good day. I am gonna have some coffee.

Posted by tripp at February 15, 2005 06:17 AM