In the history of the church, there have always been both a quest for the true church and a call for personal and communal reform and renewal. Most frequently the predominant model for this reform and renewal was the ecclesia primitiva. The notion of the ecclesia primitiva in the church history has most frequently referred to the apostolic church as portrayed in such New Testament passages as Acts 4:32ff, but has sometimes been extended to cover either the pre-Constantinian church or the whole patristic period.
The first known use of the term ecclesia primitiva dates at least from the fifth century. One may find occasional references to the idea of the ecclesia primitiva in Merovingian documents. Also, during the Carolingian period, the idea of the ecclesia primitiva remained and was used primarily to signify the ideals of the common and apostolic life. The idea was current, especially among those groups interested in the reform of monastic and canonical life. The use of the term ecclesia primitiva is seldom found in the tenth-century documents but the idea remained and was widely revived in the middle of the eleventh century and later on was used to promote the ideal of monastic and canonical reform. The idea of the ecclesia primitiva was also associated with the search for the most perfect form of the Christian life. The idea became so common by the middle of the twelfth century that sometimes it was simply used to refer to the institutions believed to have existed in the early church, very occasionally implying that in the early church Christianity had not achieved the fullness of its development. In general the idea of the ecclesia primitiva in the Middle Ages was most commonly associated with the following of the apostolic life and the practice of having all things in common and living a simple and communal life.
The reform on the model of the primitive church has been a primary motive for dissent since the early Middle Ages. Reformation, especially of the Anabaptists, was the culmination of the efforts to restore the primitive church. The ecclesia primitiva has been the model for the reform and renewal toward the true church within Protestantism as well as within Catholicism throughout the history of Christianity.
It is the aim of this study to explore the theological significance of “the divine light”, expressed in the writings of St. Symeon, the New Theologian. It was understood that the believers of the Eastern Orthodox Church focused on “deification” as the vision of Christian life. It was their belief that the experience of an intimate fellowship and a union with God is crucial on the path toward deification. They also asserted that some believers experienced the divine light, which was often expressed by the icons of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The icons implied that the experience of the divine light was crucial, as it worked deeply within the soul of the believer for deification. St. Symeon, based on his experiences, was a prominent and renowned teacher of “the divine light”.
This article outlines the meaning of the divine light in five points. First, the writings of St. Symeon reveal that the divine light is not simply symbolic, but rather as real as the experiences of Jesus and Moses in the Scripture. Those of the Eastern Orthodox Church believed in the literality of these stories, and were convinced that they themselves could undergo such experiences. As a result, many of them, including St. Symeon, experienced the divine light in their earthly lives. Second, the divine light is not permanent, but rather temporal. Because of this temporality, they believed that followers should live a life of thorough obedience to the Scripture. When such a lifestyle is kept, the divine light could be granted again through the grace of God. Third, the divine light is significant for the deification of believers because it is the presence of God. Though there are multiple means through which one might experience the presence of God, the divine light is a particular mean, as it is expressed in the Bible. Fourth, when the believer is blessed by the coming of the divine light upon him or her, said person is filled with the joy of the soul overwhelming all worldly pleasures. This joy functions as a motivation to commit him or herself to a spiritually disciplined life. Finally, the fruit of the divine light is the union with God, and this union is concretely expressed in the daily life of the believer. The believer would then live a life according to the will of God, as well as a life of love regarding one’s neighbor as him or herself.
The subject of this thesis is the history of the iconoclastic controversy that originated in the 8th century Byzantine church. Christian art flowered in the time of the Emperor Justinian and in the 8th century the iconoclastic controversy arose. The full-dress iconoclastic controversy started at the beginning of the 8th century, was dealt with by successive General Councils until the matter was solved when the 7th Nicene council of 787 approved the veneration of images.
These became idolatry, threw church and society into chaos so that the Pope and the emporer and their supporters over the course of two centuries developed their own Christologies. At that time images were at the heart of the people(Minjung)’s faith. There is always a tendency for religious feelings to be transformed by images.This writer in concentrating on the 8th century controversy has reviewed its historical background, occasion and results and has attempted to deal with the question of images in relation to present day church worship.
Idolatry through worship of symbols finds fulfillment in Eucharistic theology for that visualizes the presence of Christ.
In diesem Aufsatz handelt es sich um Johannes Tauler als Lebemeister und praktischen Mystiker. Heute gibt es zwei Forschungsrichtungen über Taulers Gedanken: die eine ist mit Eckharts Denken verbunden, die andere mit Taulers gedanklichen Eigentümlichkeiten. Diese Forschung geht von der zweiten Richtung aus. Im Besonderen wird die praktische Möglichkeit der Einheit zwischen contemplativa vita et activa vita bei Johannes Tauler untersucht. Daraus werden einige wichtige Ergebnisse gewinnt.
Erstens, Taulers Gedanke “contemplativa vita et activa vita” fängt mit der dominikanischen Tradition an und darüber hinaus bildet er sein eigenes geistiges System: Umsetzung von Innerlichkeit zu Äuβlichkeit. Durch diese Umsetzung wird die dominikanische Tradition-Spekulation der Innerlichkeitüberwunden und Taulers neues Verständnis entfaltet. Da erschient seine Theologie mit dem Leben verbunden als praktisch. Deshalb konzentriert sie meistens auf die Frage des Lebens.
Zweitens, in Taulers Gedanke findet sich die Differenz zwischen verschiedenen Lebensmodellen-“contemplativa vita et activa vita”. Bei Tauler zeigen beide Modelle einerseits das Verhältnis der Spannung, anderseits die organische Verbindung. Während die Spanungsverhältnis von dem Vorrang der contemplativa vita vor der activa vita ausgeht, findet sich der Umtasch von innerlich nach äuβerlich in der organischen Verbindung beiden Modelle und umgekhert. Durch diesen Umtasch zerstört sich beide Spannung und schlieβlich gelangt der Umtasch zur Einheit zwischen beiden Lebensmodellen. Also kann es gesagt werden, dass ihre Differenz kein Dualismus ist, sondern eine Voraussetzung für ihre Einheit.
Drittens, die Praktizierung in der Einheit beiden Lebensmodelle erscheint als fruchtbar. Die Innerlichkeit spielt nun eine Rolle auf die Ursache für die äuβliche Bewegung und die Äuβerlichkeit ist ein Ausdruck der Innerlichkeit: In dem äuβlichen Werk wird das innere Werk sichtbar. Diese Sichtbarkeit trägt die Fruchtbarkeit.
Also wird es zusammengefasst: Tauler, der eine Interesse an das Leben hat, ist ein praktischer Mystiker und entwickelt seinen eigenen Gedanke in der Praktizierung der Einheit zwischen contemplativa vita et activa vita. Darin ist der Ziel seiner Theologie die Überwindung der Differenz zwischen Innerlichkeit und Äuβerlichkeit.
One of the ultimate purposes of ecumenical dialogue is to share, beyond mere understanding and reconciliation, special gifts of traditions and spiritual experiences. This paper aims to explore Luther’s doctrine of justification in the ecumenical dialogue, especially investigating “Joint Declaration on the doctrine of Justification”, which is ecumenical document between Lutherans and Roman Catholics. This document says that Lutherans and Roman Catholics has reached a fundamental consensus on the gospel, though they still admitted that even after several years of dialogue they still had differences. The significance of this paper is twofold. First, it will advance Luther research by bringing to light an important ecumenical interpretation and emphasis of Luther’s theology of Justification. It will also contribute to contemporary ecumenical efforts by focusing attention on the dialectic methodology of faith and love in Luther’s theology. In regard to understanding of Luther’s doctrine of Justification in the ecumenical context, this paper suggests two points, which hopes to produce effective results. First, Luther’s teaching should be interpreted in spiritual dimension, that is to say, in terms of mystical union with Christ. Second, it should be understand essential basis of faith for social ethics of Christians. Ultimately, the paper asserts that Luther’s theology of Justification provides underlying principles for Christian ethics today, and that for Luther, faith and love are integrated in his theology.
Heinrich Bullinger and John Calvin agreed on a common doctrine of the Eucharist in 1549. They signed a mutual agreement in Zurich, includes 26 items:≪Consensus Tigurinus≫, which was published in Zurich and Geneva in 1551. The agreement between the Zurich and the Geneva branch of the Reformation is historically significant. On the one hand, the≪Consensus Tigurinus≫brought the unity of the Zwinglian Reformation and that of the Calvinist in Switzerland. This means to be a single Reformed Church. But on the other hand, the document was attacked by the Gnesio Lutheran Joachim Westphal, and it brought about the innocent occasion of the second sacramental controversy.
Among the theories of the atonement in the church’s history is the Pentecostal-holiness view of healing in the atonement. The North American Pentecostal Holiness Church emerged historically from both the Holiness movement and Methodism, yet there was a very strong connection with Evangelicalism, especially with A. J. Gordon and A. B. Simpson. In the 1920s, the doctrine of divine healing that brought wholeness to believers’ bodies caused a church schism. Some adherents believed that divine healing was to be without any assistance from medical science or “remedies” as they termed it. Also, there were episodes of civil disobedience associated with divine healing when some parents were arrested for “criminal neglect” by failing to allow medical care for their minor children. Anointing with oil and prayer for the sick is considered to be a kind of sacrament among Pentecostals. It is hoped that a more inclusive reading of the traditions of church history will include the Pentecostal-holiness view of divine healing in the atonement.