Though Bishop John Jewel did not say much against the institution of monasticism in his Apologia ... more Though Bishop John Jewel did not say much against the institution of monasticism in his Apologia Ecclesiae Anglicanae, he does have much to say about it in his other works. An examination of his opinions on monasticism show that he is in general agreement with other Reformation-era views of monasticism, including some Anglican divines as well as Martin Luther, John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli. The Roman Catholic Thomas Harding’s A confutation of a booke intituled An apologie of the Church of England took Jewel to task for his misunderstanding of monasticism. Jewel, in due course, responded to Harding in his A defence of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande by stitching together a litany of quotations from the early and medieval Church to show that Harding was mistaken. Though Jewel’s rhetorical strategy in this instance has been called a ‘polemical duplicity’ by Gary Jenkins, it is part of Jewel’s larger rhetorical strategy. This article investigates the writings of Jewel to discern his understanding of monasticism, showing that Jewel’s rejection of monasticism falls under the principle of abusus tollit usum (‘abuse removes use’), whereas Harding’s response conforms to traditional Catholic Reformation understandings of the monastic life. An analysis of Jewel’s litany of patristic and medieval sources that supposedly oppose monasticism shows how he often misuses his sources. At all times due consideration is given to both Jewel’s and Harding’s rhetorical strategies in their disagreement. In the end, Jewel’s views of monasticism, though in agreement with many other Reformers, are not wholly consistent with 16th-century views of monasticism in England.
By the late 1830s, John Henry Newman and Edward Bouverie Pusey were discussing the re-introductio... more By the late 1830s, John Henry Newman and Edward Bouverie Pusey were discussing the re-introduction of monastic/religious life into the Church of England. Though Newman did not remain in the Church of England long enough to see the full flowering of this effort, his writings as an Anglican theologian reveal that he viewed the monastic/religious life as a central way in which a person could grow in holiness and also a means of fostering the holiness of the Church as a whole
More than one person has joked over the years that Evangelical believers do not have an ecclesiol... more More than one person has joked over the years that Evangelical believers do not have an ecclesiology. In one sense, that is absurd: Evangelical churches (especially if you include Pentecostals in that group) are some of the fastest-growing, most vibrant churches in the world. Evangelicals are proclaiming the gospel, praising the Lord, reading the Bible, and loving the poor. But there is a case to be made that the Evangelical devotion to the mission of the church has left Evangelicals with little time to reflect on the church itself. In this collection of essays, first given at annual meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society, the authors take time to reflect on the nature of the church in an Evangelical context, asking after the way in which it is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.https://digitalcommons.biola.edu/faculty-books/1310/thumbnail.jp
Ever since Richard Foster wrote Celebration of Discipline in 1978, evangelicals have hungered for... more Ever since Richard Foster wrote Celebration of Discipline in 1978, evangelicals have hungered for a deeper and more historic spirituality. Many have come to discover the wealth of spiritual insight available in the Desert Fathers, the medieval mystics, German Pietism and other traditions. While these classics have been a source of life-changing renewal for many, still others are wary of these texts and the foreign theological traditions from which they come. The essays in this volume provide a guide for evangelicals to read the Christian spiritual classics. The contributions fall into four sections. The first three answer the big questions: why should we read the spiritual classics, what are these classics and how should we read them? The last section brings these questions together into a brief reading guide for each of the major traditions. Each essay not only explores the historical and theological context, but also expounds the appropriate hermeneutical framework and the significance for the church today. Ch.
Richard Froude wrote in 1833 to John Henry Newman that the present state of things in England mak... more Richard Froude wrote in 1833 to John Henry Newman that the present state of things in England makes an opening for reviving the monastic system Seemingly original words at the time. Yet, monasticism is one of the most ancient and enduring institutions of the Christian church, reaching its zenith during the High Middle Ages. Although medieval monasteries were regularly suppressed during the Reformation and the magisterial Reformers rejected monastic vows, the existence of monasticism has remained within the Reformation churches, both as an institution and in its theology. This volume is an examination of Protestant theologies of monasticism, examining the thought of select Protestant authors who have argued for the existence of monasticism in the Reformation churches, beginning with Martin Luther and John Calvin and including Conrad Hoyer, John Henry Newman, Karl Barth, and Donald Bloesch. Looking at the contemporary church, the current movement known as the New Monasticism is discussed and evaluated in light of Protestant monastic history.https://digitalcommons.biola.edu/faculty-books/1029/thumbnail.jp
assistance of many people. My interest in and study of Christian monasticism continues to benefit... more assistance of many people. My interest in and study of Christian monasticism continues to benefit from my friendship with the monks and oblates of St. Andrew's Abbey, Valyermo, especially Fr. Luke Dysinger, OSB, and Fr. Cassian DiRocco, OSB. The past and present faculty, staff, and students of the Torrey Honors Institute at Biola University continue to stimulate my thinking on monasticism through their insightful questions and comments. I am thankful to the administration of Biola University for awarding me a sabbatical during which I began writing this book. I appreciate my research assistant Nadia Poli for dutifully retrieving articles and books and for moments of levity in an otherwise stressful environment. The members of Anglican Church of the Epiphany, La Mirada, have been gracious in supporting me, their priest, through this and all writing projects. My wife, Christina, continues to support me unconditionally, creating a home that is both conducive to and a refuge from the ups and downs of writing. I am truly thankful for her companionship and love. Lastly, I give thanks for Brendan and Nathanael, to whom I dedicate this book. I am blessed that God called me to be their father.
Several scholars, most notably the twentieth century German Hans Achelis, have argued that the or... more Several scholars, most notably the twentieth century German Hans Achelis, have argued that the origin of the early Christian ascetic practice of syneisaktism, or "spiritual marriage," 1 can be found in the famous passage on virginity in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians (7:25-38). In fact, twentieth century biblical commentators have often agreed with Achelis' understanding of the Corinthian text, thus lending support to his view. 2 If these modern commentators are correct then it would appear that Paul was aware of the agapetae and supported their chosen ascetical path. Furthermore, several early church writers also write about the agapetae, thus lending further support to the thesis of Achelis that the practice of "spiritual marriage" was approved of in the earliest church. 3 Achelis pictures two persons of the opposite sex living in an impossible situation. They had initially agreed to live together in a chaste marriage, but now they are tempted beyond their limits of control. The question is then raised, "Can such a virgin, vowed to virginity in a spiritual marriage, be free to marry?" Paul advises that the virgin can marry if necessity dictates. She would not be sinning if
The origins of Christian monasticism are buried deep in the shadows of Christian history, but wit... more The origins of Christian monasticism are buried deep in the shadows of Christian history, but without doubt it came to full fruition during the fourth century and continued to grow nearly unabated for the next millennium and a half [...]
Though Bishop John Jewel did not say much against the institution of monasticism in his Apologia ... more Though Bishop John Jewel did not say much against the institution of monasticism in his Apologia Ecclesiae Anglicanae, he does have much to say about it in his other works. An examination of his opinions on monasticism show that he is in general agreement with other Reformation-era views of monasticism, including some Anglican divines as well as Martin Luther, John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli. The Roman Catholic Thomas Harding’s A confutation of a booke intituled An apologie of the Church of England took Jewel to task for his misunderstanding of monasticism. Jewel, in due course, responded to Harding in his A defence of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande by stitching together a litany of quotations from the early and medieval Church to show that Harding was mistaken. Though Jewel’s rhetorical strategy in this instance has been called a ‘polemical duplicity’ by Gary Jenkins, it is part of Jewel’s larger rhetorical strategy. This article investigates the writings of Jewel to discern his understanding of monasticism, showing that Jewel’s rejection of monasticism falls under the principle of abusus tollit usum (‘abuse removes use’), whereas Harding’s response conforms to traditional Catholic Reformation understandings of the monastic life. An analysis of Jewel’s litany of patristic and medieval sources that supposedly oppose monasticism shows how he often misuses his sources. At all times due consideration is given to both Jewel’s and Harding’s rhetorical strategies in their disagreement. In the end, Jewel’s views of monasticism, though in agreement with many other Reformers, are not wholly consistent with 16th-century views of monasticism in England.
By the late 1830s, John Henry Newman and Edward Bouverie Pusey were discussing the re-introductio... more By the late 1830s, John Henry Newman and Edward Bouverie Pusey were discussing the re-introduction of monastic/religious life into the Church of England. Though Newman did not remain in the Church of England long enough to see the full flowering of this effort, his writings as an Anglican theologian reveal that he viewed the monastic/religious life as a central way in which a person could grow in holiness and also a means of fostering the holiness of the Church as a whole
More than one person has joked over the years that Evangelical believers do not have an ecclesiol... more More than one person has joked over the years that Evangelical believers do not have an ecclesiology. In one sense, that is absurd: Evangelical churches (especially if you include Pentecostals in that group) are some of the fastest-growing, most vibrant churches in the world. Evangelicals are proclaiming the gospel, praising the Lord, reading the Bible, and loving the poor. But there is a case to be made that the Evangelical devotion to the mission of the church has left Evangelicals with little time to reflect on the church itself. In this collection of essays, first given at annual meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society, the authors take time to reflect on the nature of the church in an Evangelical context, asking after the way in which it is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.https://digitalcommons.biola.edu/faculty-books/1310/thumbnail.jp
Ever since Richard Foster wrote Celebration of Discipline in 1978, evangelicals have hungered for... more Ever since Richard Foster wrote Celebration of Discipline in 1978, evangelicals have hungered for a deeper and more historic spirituality. Many have come to discover the wealth of spiritual insight available in the Desert Fathers, the medieval mystics, German Pietism and other traditions. While these classics have been a source of life-changing renewal for many, still others are wary of these texts and the foreign theological traditions from which they come. The essays in this volume provide a guide for evangelicals to read the Christian spiritual classics. The contributions fall into four sections. The first three answer the big questions: why should we read the spiritual classics, what are these classics and how should we read them? The last section brings these questions together into a brief reading guide for each of the major traditions. Each essay not only explores the historical and theological context, but also expounds the appropriate hermeneutical framework and the significance for the church today. Ch.
Richard Froude wrote in 1833 to John Henry Newman that the present state of things in England mak... more Richard Froude wrote in 1833 to John Henry Newman that the present state of things in England makes an opening for reviving the monastic system Seemingly original words at the time. Yet, monasticism is one of the most ancient and enduring institutions of the Christian church, reaching its zenith during the High Middle Ages. Although medieval monasteries were regularly suppressed during the Reformation and the magisterial Reformers rejected monastic vows, the existence of monasticism has remained within the Reformation churches, both as an institution and in its theology. This volume is an examination of Protestant theologies of monasticism, examining the thought of select Protestant authors who have argued for the existence of monasticism in the Reformation churches, beginning with Martin Luther and John Calvin and including Conrad Hoyer, John Henry Newman, Karl Barth, and Donald Bloesch. Looking at the contemporary church, the current movement known as the New Monasticism is discussed and evaluated in light of Protestant monastic history.https://digitalcommons.biola.edu/faculty-books/1029/thumbnail.jp
assistance of many people. My interest in and study of Christian monasticism continues to benefit... more assistance of many people. My interest in and study of Christian monasticism continues to benefit from my friendship with the monks and oblates of St. Andrew's Abbey, Valyermo, especially Fr. Luke Dysinger, OSB, and Fr. Cassian DiRocco, OSB. The past and present faculty, staff, and students of the Torrey Honors Institute at Biola University continue to stimulate my thinking on monasticism through their insightful questions and comments. I am thankful to the administration of Biola University for awarding me a sabbatical during which I began writing this book. I appreciate my research assistant Nadia Poli for dutifully retrieving articles and books and for moments of levity in an otherwise stressful environment. The members of Anglican Church of the Epiphany, La Mirada, have been gracious in supporting me, their priest, through this and all writing projects. My wife, Christina, continues to support me unconditionally, creating a home that is both conducive to and a refuge from the ups and downs of writing. I am truly thankful for her companionship and love. Lastly, I give thanks for Brendan and Nathanael, to whom I dedicate this book. I am blessed that God called me to be their father.
Several scholars, most notably the twentieth century German Hans Achelis, have argued that the or... more Several scholars, most notably the twentieth century German Hans Achelis, have argued that the origin of the early Christian ascetic practice of syneisaktism, or "spiritual marriage," 1 can be found in the famous passage on virginity in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians (7:25-38). In fact, twentieth century biblical commentators have often agreed with Achelis' understanding of the Corinthian text, thus lending support to his view. 2 If these modern commentators are correct then it would appear that Paul was aware of the agapetae and supported their chosen ascetical path. Furthermore, several early church writers also write about the agapetae, thus lending further support to the thesis of Achelis that the practice of "spiritual marriage" was approved of in the earliest church. 3 Achelis pictures two persons of the opposite sex living in an impossible situation. They had initially agreed to live together in a chaste marriage, but now they are tempted beyond their limits of control. The question is then raised, "Can such a virgin, vowed to virginity in a spiritual marriage, be free to marry?" Paul advises that the virgin can marry if necessity dictates. She would not be sinning if
The origins of Christian monasticism are buried deep in the shadows of Christian history, but wit... more The origins of Christian monasticism are buried deep in the shadows of Christian history, but without doubt it came to full fruition during the fourth century and continued to grow nearly unabated for the next millennium and a half [...]
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