A History of Christian Thought Volume 3: From the Protestant Reformation to the 20th Century: 003 by González Justo L

Author:González, Justo L. [González, Justo L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780687171842
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Published: 2010-09-01T00:00:00+00:00

Principal Theologians

The great forerunner of Lutheran orthodoxy was Martin Chemnitz (1522-1586), whom we have already mentioned in connection with his Christology and his participation in the drafting of the Formula of Concord.1 He also wrote a work in four volumes in which he attempted to show that the Council of Trent had abandoned not only the faith to be found in Scripture, but also the earlier Christian tradition. Chemnitz thus became Bellarmine's Lutheran counterpart, and a great deal of Roman Catholic polemics against Protestantism in later years was a refutation of his charges. He also made a vast attempt to systematize biblical theology. This was published posthumously under the title of Loci theologici. We have already mentioned his treatise On the Two Natures of Christ, which was to be very influential in later christological discussions. But the reason that Chemnitz can be said to be the forerunner of Lutheran orthodoxy is that he set for himself the great task of reconciling the opposing factions within the Lutheran tradition. While accepting many of the tenets of the strict Lutherans, he nevertheless was very appreciative of Melanchthon, from whom he derived a great deal of his method and style. Therefore, with Chemnitz—and with the most significant of his achievements, the Formula of Concord—the Lutheran tradition entered into a new period in which theology would be more positive, and polemics would be generally directed toward non-Lutherans.

Aegidius Hunnius (1550-1603), after a period of teaching at the University of Marburg, joined the faculty of Wittenberg, and is credited with having begun the tradition of Lutheran orthdoxy in that university.2 Although he wrote no great systematic compendium, he dealt with the most pressing theological issues of his time. He also wrote extensive biblical commentaries that were later used by other more systematic theologians.3 He was the father of Nikolaus Hunnius, another orthodox theologian whom we shall meet further on. This is significant, for it has been pointed out that during the period of Lutheran orthodoxy the main chairs of theology were occupied by veritable dynasties, and that theology became an occupation passed from father to son, as any other trade.4

Leonard Hütter (1563-1616) was also a professor at Wittenberg, where he contributed to the work that Hunnius had already begun in favor of Lutheran orthodoxy.5 Whereas Hunnius did most of his work in biblical studies, Hütter devoted his attention to dogmatics and to the study of creeds and confessions. Together with Gerhard, he developed a theory of the inspiration of Scripture that would become normative for the entire period of Lutheran orthodoxy. Although his best-known systematic work, Loci Communes Theologici, was influenced by Melanchthon in many ways, he was closer to Luther than to Melanchthon. Following Luther's lead, he distinguished clearly between theology and philosophy and attempted to develop his theological system on the basis of Scripture and the confessions, and quite apart from philosophical or metaphysical considerations. The importance that he gave to the Lutheran confessions may be seen in the title of what was perhaps

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