Luther’s Hermeneutic

Central to Luther's doctrine of Scripture was the claim that Scripture was clear; from this doctrine of the clarity (or perspicuity) of Scripture came Luther's method of interpretation (or hermeneutic). Because the clarity of Scripture is a property of the text itself on account of God’s authorship, Luther’s primary hermeneutical approach is prayerful mediation upon … Continue reading Luther’s Hermeneutic

Some Thoughts on Philip Schaff’s The Principle of Protestantism

Buy from Amazon In part one of his book the Principle of Protestantism, Philip Schaff sketches the two-sided (material and formal) principle he sees to be the essential positive element of the Reformation; that is, the progressive element the Reformation contributed to the evolution of the Catholic Church. The second part addresses the relation of … Continue reading Some Thoughts on Philip Schaff’s The Principle of Protestantism

Some Thoughts on Braaten and Jenson, The Catholicity of the Reformation

Buy from Amazon In the section Structures of Authority in his essay, The Problem of Authority in the Church, Carl E. Braaten argues that the Reformation was catholic in the way it viewed the relationship between Scripture and the church. Braaten argues beforehand that the church needs a way to identify and denounce heresy; to … Continue reading Some Thoughts on Braaten and Jenson, The Catholicity of the Reformation