Posted on 06/24/2009 7:40:28 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
John Calvin's 500th birthday rolls around next month, and the theologian's influence will be observed in ceremonies and seminars across the country. Our own Texas Faith panelist Cynthia Rigby is participating in Calvin conferences in North Carolina and Russia this year.
If you only knew of Calvin's participation in a trial that led to a heretic being put to death, you would think he was a sinister figure bent on punishing his foes. Actually, he was one of the most influential theologians the world has ever known. His work on the sovereignty of God, for example, remains a bedrock of the Reformed tradition. What's more, his emphasis on empowering young Genevans to read on their own reflects the premium he placed on education.
Love him or hate him, 500 years later Calvin remains a force with which theologians --and the larger world --must grapple. And that leads us to this week's question:
What thinker has most influenced you? Please explain.
(Excerpt) Read more at religionblog.dallasnews.com ...
Love him or hate him, 500 years later Calvin remains a force with which theologians --and the larger world --must grapple.
Rather than post the initial responses that the blog itself gave (FWIW, Karl Barth's name came up often), this thread is for FReepers to offer their own responses to the question What thinker has most influenced you? Please explain.
Don’t take this as a trite answer cause i don’t mean it that way. But I would answer Jesus. The idea that i must “grapple” with Calvin is odd to me. If he could murder in Jesus name, he is clearly on the wrong path.
It seems like all kinds of mischief and evil happen, when “thinkers” are used as a proxy for our own common sense, and the actual words of Christ.
I agree with DesertRhino that Jesus Christ has influenced me the most, and to lesser degrees Martin Luther, Plato, Viktor Frankl, Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Hamilton & Madison, and Thomas Jefferson.
Martin Luther?
John Edwards?
John Wesley?
Charles Spurgeon?
the list is long and impossible to ascertain the real effect of their work.
What with the Hebrew interpretations currently being discussed and taught by scholars ... the impossible to understand all the changes wrought by the Catholic Church for about a thousand years ...
We are to fall back on the Dead Sea Scrolls, etc. Several teachings entered into the church over time ... due to various ‘light’ given to the leading leaders of their day. How do we discern truth?
Jesus promised the Holy Spirit .. a Comforter from the Father ... He also promised “to be with us alway’ ...”I will never leave you!”
The very world around us cries out with the reality of God. A pure heart (the desire to be pleasing and obedient to God and to follow and become like Jesus is given to us in the Bible. What else can we believe? IF WE can not rest on a solid foundation ... what is there?
'As for me and my house ... I/we will believe the LORD!'
God help us in our day. Amen.
Without Martin Luther there would be no Reformation as we know it. Most likely there would be no John Calvin without Luther. There would be no Protestants. Calvin is (represents) a very significant religious figure, and he has had more impact on American Evangelicalism than Luther. Universal education, Bible in the vernacular, justification by faith, community chest, etc. are just a few of the things that are credited to Luther. Luther’s Bible standardized the German language. Not only that, but Luther had better insight into the evils of Islam than our leaders seem to recognize. Lutherans never burned a heretic.
1. Paul
2. Luther
3. Kierkegaard
4. Barth
5. Heidegger & Aristotle
Although not a “thinker” in the Occidental sense, David Wilkerson has had a great impact on my faith.
Too often the haters of God use the Medieval religious homicides of heretics to “prove” that the church is wrong.
I just see it as a warning. A modern thinker might not burn anyone at the stake, etc, but they sure can lead a persion into lifelong error. The only antidote i know, is to thoughtfully go into the word on your own. How can a regular person tell when a “thinker” is worthy of respect?
Opinions?
And thats a good list you had. It wouldnt be completely honest for me to say none of them isn’t an influence on me. The problem with my main answer is that a layman like me has an exceedingly difficult time wading throught the Bible ACCURATELY. Especially when you need to consider translation issues from the original languages, etc.
In a sense, this is an amazing time to be a Christian. We routinely and easily find and consider information that only a seminary student would have seen back then.
So ok, ive talked myself into understanding why we need thinkers to better advise us. I just don’t have a good way to choose among them.
Very good point. Im obviously protestant. I might see deep flaws in Calvin, but without the protestant reformation by people of his ilk, i wouldnt be here opining that i am worthy to approach Jesus words, on my own.
Speaking of which, how about Guttenburg? Before him, Bibles stayed in churches. They weren’t available in any way for a layman like me to read.
Gotta run for now, but for what its worth, this is something i treasure about FR. I came here to read the Obama “outrage of the day”, and am now leaving after reflecting on better things for a few minutes.
Again, not to be trite, but i can honestly say ive learned *a lot* just by listening to people here on FR, even ones i don’t completely agree with. Reason #348 that FR is better for a person than DU or Huff.
Joyeux anniversaire Jean Cauvin...
Sure they were, but the "way" involved a considerable amount of cash. The monk who hand-copied those thousands of pages has to eat, too.
The incomparable and superior intellect of B. B. Warfield and his “sola scriptura” views will always be in the top 10.
An innerantist, before the word ever appeared in liberal thought and disdain .. he said scripture alone was all man needed in his walk with the Creator
He fought modernism and emotional revivalism prevalent at the turn of the century, two plaques that run rampant today in our churches.
IE sin, obedience, (to the Scriptures of God), God is love ... (surely he will send people to hell, there is no hell), end time prophesy, little teaching on the Holy Spirit and the indwelling of the Spirit... are a few.
It seems it has become a teaching on practical living around a few basic Scriptures, Salvation John 3:16, Do good works, believe God, eternal salvation no matter what we do, pray, read the Bible, tithe, fellowship, ...
It is not that they teach falsely ... it is more that it is an incomplete teaching ... to avoid controversy and to attract new people. I love God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit and His church. I resist evil, Satan, and things against the word of God. I pray for forgiveness of my sins, and turn from evil. Read your Bible and God will meet you there. God help us in our day. Amen.
“It seems it has become a teaching on practical living around a few basic Scriptures, Salvation John 3:16, Do good works, believe God, eternal salvation no matter what we do, pray, read the Bible, tithe, fellowship, ...”
Ah yes ... the “practical living” (a tad bit of sarcasm) angle. I’m not in the habit of out right slamming Preachers or Ministries ... but ... several have made millions with this angle, and it is tangential to a life of Faith by Grace. Several come to mind immediately and I KNOW you know who I am talking about.
Grace. What a concept. It is not free, nor is it cheap ... I think I would have to add Dietrich Bonhoeffer to that list of great men .... Every Christian ought to read his “The Cost of Discipleship”
My best advice is to listen to your gut...or conscience...whatever you're more comfortable calling this inner sense of right and wrong. We can fool ourselves into believing all sorts of things with titles, degrees, authority, etc., but deep down our instincts tell us differently.
Also, the only authority figure I believe 100% is Jesus. All others are subject to editing. :)
AMEN, brother! Bluck!
But what gives any of Luther’s discoveries any authority?
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