THE PROVENANCE OF JOHN CALVIN'S EMPHASIS ON THE ...

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Calvin's exposition implies that Augustine himself refers to the work of the Holy Spirit, but Augustine does not. 1063 So the robust pneumatology expressed in this passage quoted from Calvin is Calvin's, not explicitly Augustine's, at least not of the passage in Augustine to which Calvin refers. Language with regard to the Spirit is prominent in Augustine's Homilies on the Gospel of John, but even there his particular expression is different from that of Calvin's, and Calvin seemingly does not refer to Augustine's expositions on the fourth gospel with regard to the role of the Holy Spirit and believers' participation in the Lord's Supper. 1064 That is, Calvin's emphasis on the virtus of the etiam calumnia deprehenditur, locum hunc a nobis torqueri insimulans, ut nihil nobis coena afferat praeter inanem figuram" (CO 9:162-63). [At the * the editors indicate a footnote, the text of which reads: In Psal. 98. This reference appears in the margin of the sixteenth century edition at this very point (John Calvin, Ultima admonitio ad Ioachimum Westphalum [Geneva: Ioannem Crispinum, 1557], 65). 1063 See Augustine's exposition of Psalm 99 (Latin Psalm 98) in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, ed. Philip Schaff (Edinburgh: T & T Clark; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, reprinted 1996), 8:484. 1064 Unlike Zwingli, and even Oecolampdius and Viret, Calvin does not appeal to John 6:63— "The Spirit is life; the flesh profits nothing"—as a mantra against Roman Catholic and Lutheran views of the sacrament. In his 1553 commentary on the text, he forthrightly declares: "Nor do I approve of the views of those who say, that the flesh of Christ profiteth, so far as he was crucified, but that, when it is eaten, it is of no advantage to us; for on the contrary, we must eat it, that, having been crucified, it may profit." In his commentary on John 6, Calvin refers approvingly to the progression of Augustine's exegesis: "I confess that there is nothing said here that is not figured and actually presented to believers in the Lord's Supper. Indeed, we might say that Christ intended the holy Supper to be a seal of this discourse. This is also the reason why John makes no mention of the Lord's Supper. And therefore Augustine follows the proper order when, in expounding this chapter, he does not touch on the Lord's Supper until he comes to the end. And then he shows that ths mystery is represented in a symbol whenever the Churches celebrate the sacred Supper, in some places daily, in others only on the Lord's day" (The Gospel according to St. John 1-10, trans. T. H. L. Parker, CNTC 4:170). Regarding John 6:63, Calvin writes: "Augustine thinks that we should supply the word 'only' or 'by itself', because it must be joined with the Spirit. This fits in well with the argument, for Christ is referring simply to the manner of eating. He does not exclude every kind of usefulness, as if none at all could be obtained from his flesh, but says that it will be useless if separated from the Spirit. For where does the flesh get its quickening power, but because it is spiritual? Therefore, whoever stops short at the earthly nature of the flesh, will find in it nothing but what is dead. But those who raise their eyes to the power of the Spirit which which the flesh is imbued, will feel from the effect itself and the experience of faith that quickening is no empty word. §We now understand how the flesh is meat indeed and yet profits nothing. It is meat in that, by it, life is procured for us, in it God is reconciled to us, and in it we have all the parts of salvation accomplished. It profits nothing if considered in its origin and nature; for the seed of Abraham, which in itself is subject to death, does not give life, but receives its power of feeding us from the Spirit. Therefore 330
Spirit is not expressed in Augustine here, nor is the explicit use of vinculum or nexus, though Augustine does speak eloquently of the "dread" a Christian ought to harbor at the thought of being "separated from Christ's body": 1065 For if he is separated from Christ's body, he is not a member of Christ; if he is not a member of Christ, he is not quickened by the Spirit of Christ. "But if any man," saith the apostle, "have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." [Rom 8:9] It is the Spirit," then, "that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." What means "are spirit and life"? They are to be understood spiritually. Hast thou understood spiritually? "They are spirit and life." Hast thou understood carnally? So also "are they spirit and life," but are not so to thee. 1066 All of this is said simply to point out that Augustine's writings do not appear to be the provenance of Calvin's very expressions. It is not said to counter the seminal, long-standing discussion about the diversity of Eucharistic doctrines in the early and medieval periods of the church, their nature, whence they emerged, and when and where they converged or clashed. 1067 Amid this diversity, many scholars discern two we also must bring the spiritual mouth of faith that we may be truly nourished by it" (The Gospel according to St. John 1-10, trans. T. H. L. Parker, CNTC 4:174-75). 1065 Augustine, "Tractate 27.6" in Tractates on the Gospel of John in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, ed. Philip Schaff (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, DATE; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, reprinted 1996), 7:176. 1066 Augustine, "Tractate 27.6" in Tractates on the Gospel of John , in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, 7:176. 1067 Introductory surveys to this discussion include 1) Gary Macy, Treasures from the Storeroom (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1999); Quere, "Melanchthon's Christum Cognoscere, 11ff; and John W. Riggs, a volume on the Eucharist in the Reformed tradition, forthcoming from Westminster John Knox Press. (This volume will be a companion to his Baptism in the Reformed Tradition: An Historical and Practical Theology [Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002]). Among others, Macy, Quere, and Riggs cite the following helpful studies: Joseph Geiselmann, Die Eucharistielehre des Vorscholastik (Paderborn: F. Schoningh, 1926) and Die Abendmahlslehre an der Wende der christlichen Spätantike zum Frühmittelalter. Isidor von Seville und das Sakrament der Eucharistie (Munich: Max Hueber, 1933); Henri de Lubac, Corpus mysticum: L'Eucharistie et l'église au moyen âge. Étude historique, 2nd ed., Théologie. Études publiées sous le direction de la Faculté de Théologie S. J. de Lyon-Fourvière 3 (Paris: Aubier, 1949); Darwell Stone, A History of the Doctrine of the Eucharist (London: Longmans, Green, 1909); Edward J. Kilmartin, S.J., The Eucharist in the West: History and Theology, ed. Robert J. Daly, S.J. (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1998); Pierre Batiffol, L'Eucharistie, la presence réelle et la 331
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THE PROVENANCE OF JOHN CALVIN'S EMP
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THE PROVENANCE OF JOHN CALVIN'S EMP
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For Paul, Liesl, & Annemarie. Witho
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CONTENTS Acknowledgments...........
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am deeply indebte
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ABBREVIATIONS BDS Bucer, Deutsche S
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INTRODUCTION With respect to one of
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and secondary source material to my
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among humanists who dwell deeply on
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of the Greek Fathers for whom the i
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Optima ineundae concordiae ratio (1
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in the Supper," 13 Calvin refers to
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To make his point even more forthri
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I come to close quarters at once wi
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ends. 33 Read critically it becomes
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purpose, 'My flesh is meat indeed,'
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eality" (rei exhibitionem). 51 That
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themselves, because of their "natur
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locally present on earth, at least
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that there is a medium between thes
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another to receive." 85 The "nature
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the mouth of faith, 91 are truly fe
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concordiae ratio of 1560, "raises u
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1.4 Coda under the symbols of bread
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CHAPTER 2 A STUDY OF CALVIN'S REFER
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a historical development." 108 As J
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The chapter itself unfolds as a chr
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instructs us by his Word, confirms
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and blood in the Supper, he does no
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In light of his first treatment of
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y which under bread and wine he rep
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under the bread, or of the blood un
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participation we are fed on eternal
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François Gilmont conclude, "If it
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enclosed under some corruptible ele
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paragraphs before in this very trea
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preaching, as far as God uses the i
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moved and our souls opened for the
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ody, spirit, and soul with him. The
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In this passage Calvin concerns him
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order that they might truly receive
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minister and catechumen. He publish
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exert his energy (virtutem) by his
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same year Calvin published a liturg
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the vital role of the Holy Spirit w
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communicated in the sacrament, and
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(per spiritum), even although it is
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sacramentally, is Calvin's emphasis
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The nub of disagreement between Cal
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are three: "that the signs are not
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seemingly conceded the use of the t
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Spirit still figures as the "agent"
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truly fulfils what he figures, he t
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CHAPTER 3 A NARRATIVE, BIOGRAPHICAL
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with another, one must not simply i
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Paris were reading, appreciating, a
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Faculty and Parlement censured Berq
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devotio moderna" who longed for his
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Beyond the foregoing detail, little
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"brilliant classical scholar" 332 o
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oyally endowed lectures in the 'thr
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In May 1532, Calvin returned to Orl
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writes: "Like most of the humanists
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possibility exists, to which father
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which offered scholars opportunitie
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Oecolampadius' death in 1531 (just
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communes theologici, the first edit
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What of patristic influence? Lane t
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open repudiation of the "papist" in
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the churches and the destruction of
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defended the evangelical position,
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to his complete vilification by the
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is wholly due to "the secret and mi
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intention of devoting himself once
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Among medievals: Calvin cites Thoma
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whether positive or negative, of Me
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sources—the exegesis of Origen, 4
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placing loci into their commentarie
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"confluence" of humanistic and scho
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And, of course, Calvin seems to hav
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specifically refers include Bernard
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By now, an emphasis on the Holy Spi
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traditions, rather than by way of h
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subsequent early expressions (prepa
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distinguished Calvin's earliest ins
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sacraments" as seals of promises).
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that "a static view of the eucharis
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Supper between the publication of t
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Davis continues just a little on: O
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Chrysostom and published it in one
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It was in a sermon which Erasmus ha
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Like van't Spijker, Wendel claims d
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up again the question of the proven
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CHAPTER 5 ASSIMILATION: CALVIN'S DO
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when Calvin concerns himself with "
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the Lord's Prayer, and the Sacramen
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creation, "we are never to doubt or
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We are persuaded that there is for
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Here, the "efficacy" of the Spirit
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length. While the doctrine of the T
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Calvin's Trinitarian conception of
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… our faith receives from baptism
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the Godhead into itself. Now who do
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As noted in Chapter 2, Calvin inter
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Calvin broaches the conception of d
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with respect to the person and work
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In his exposition of the confession
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So Christ, the Son, is appointed by
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us to seal the gift of a thing invi
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himself, not the Spirit, but Christ
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Spirit He consecrates us as temples
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This is evident from Calvin's prefa
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CHAPTER 6 ASSIMILATION: THE THOUGHT
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integrate his ideas into a powerful
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Bourges. 694 So it is not unlikely,
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Luther's own doctrine of the Lord's
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Luther's doctrine of the Lord's Sup
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Supper of 1528, 718 Luther employs
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proof that only a spiritual eating,
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ifurcation of these two views, not
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The point is then, that although Ca
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naturally'—vere et efficaciter ex
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Therefore just as the word is an in
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eading them." 760 Given its context
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this view in his definition of the
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the contemplation of faith" (adesse
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doctrine as an argument for Christ'
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physically." This fact seemingly mi
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He then proceeds to his exegetical
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sharers in all his blessings." 800
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century. 808 Oecolampadius had been
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Oecolampadius' treatment of the sac
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The extent to which Calvin had acce
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Clearly Oecolampadius is concerned
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Calvin's thought and expression is
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faithfully defending his predecesso
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which, being received spiritually b
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sacraments, as signs of things sign
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espect to the sacraments, at least
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eliever, operatio spiritu sancti. A
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The Zwinglian, even "Karlstadtian,"
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judiciously, distinguished his thou
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Bucer and Capito given that it was
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might have been picked up from Bren
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"Lutheran-leaning," or, as Amy Nels
Page 291 and 292: Confessionis Augustanae (1530), 912
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Page 295 and 296: signified. Christ himself is encoun
Page 297 and 298: The 1537 Synod of Bern was called,
Page 299 and 300: This is the confession Bucer ratifi
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Page 305 and 306: By esprit, Viret is presumably spea
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Page 313 and 314: efers to the Spirit as the nexus be
Page 315 and 316: Now, it cannot be declared definiti
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Page 319 and 320: Since Calvin's early interest in th
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Page 327 and 328: Interestingly, in his presentation
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Page 331 and 332: Once again Calvin's signature expla
Page 333 and 334: of the Institutio, and the expressi
Page 335 and 336: Even though such an expression is n
Page 337 and 338: Throughout the dialog between the K
Page 339 and 340: himself." So Butin, for one among o
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Page 345 and 346: Ratramnus were monks at the Benedic
Page 347 and 348: as the papal legate designated to p
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Page 351 and 352: Here, as in the passage above, Ratr
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Page 355 and 356: 8.1 Calvin's Liturgy: Context and C
Page 357 and 358: himself and printed in Strasbourg i
Page 359 and 360: On the day of the Lord's Supper, th
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Page 363 and 364: one "disposes" one's soul "to be no
Page 365 and 366: edition of his Institutio, "suggest
Page 367 and 368: Their content is likewise distinct.
Page 369 and 370: lavishness of God's "peace, grace,
Page 371 and 372: Bürki suggests. And yet such a ric
Page 373 and 374: Bucer's rhetorical set-up of this c
Page 375 and 376: truly be for us the communion of Hi
Page 377 and 378: in true childlike trust, and always
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Page 381 and 382: The prayer of confession immediatel
Page 383 and 384: Calvin's Genevan and Strasbourg rub
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Page 387 and 388: However, given their thematic struc
Page 389 and 390: For all their resonance, though, it
Page 391 and 392: disposition could subscribe to it,
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and beyond? 1213 What is the measur
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CONCLUSION The front matter of this
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expositions of the sacrament—pres
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uniquely ordained for such proclama
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Institutio christianae religionis,
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Hazlett, W. Ian P. "Calvin's Latin
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-----. "Confession on the Eucharist
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-----. De Trinitate, translated by
Page 409 and 410:
Battles, Ford Lewis. "The Sources o
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-----. Revelation, Redemption, and
Page 413 and 414:
Farge, Benjamin W. Orthodoxy and Re
Page 415 and 416:
Guggisberg, Hans R. Basel in the Si
Page 417 and 418:
Koopmans, J. Het oudkerkelijk dogma
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Macy, Gary. The Theologies of the E
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Neuser, Wilhelm H., and Brian G. Ar
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Partee, Charles. "Farel's Influence
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------. "Philip Melanchthon." In Re
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van Stam, Frans Pieter. "Das Verhä
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