Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Van Oort, Johannes

Titel

Notes on Calvin’s knowledge, use, and misuse of the Church Fathers

Ist Teil von

• Hervormde teologiese studies, 2015-09, Vol.71 (3), p.01-09

Ort / Verlag

Reformed Theological College of the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Pretoria and Society for Practical Theology in South Africa

Erscheinungsjahr

2015

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• John Calvin (1509–1564) started his career as a thoroughly trained humanist who possessed, in addition, a thorough knowledge of the Fathers of the Church. This article provides an overview of this particular knowledge. It also focuses on the use Calvin made of the patristic argument in both his instructive and apologetic writings. Some evident cases of Calvin’s misuse of the patres are discussed as well. It is concluded that Calvin’s special patristic knowledge gave his theology its special hallmark and still links authentic Calvinism with the church’s catholic tradition through the ages.