Melanchthon's idea of biblical authority as it developed under the influence of his rhetorical theory to 1521
Ever since Melanchthon assumed the historical role of spokesman for the Lutheran movement in the sixteenth century, debates have raged over his manner of relating human reason to biblical faith. Since the pioneering critical work of H. Heppe in 1854, until quite recently, it was generally agreed upon in the historiographical tradition that Melanchthon was to blame for an excessive and damaging use of humanistic values in developing his Protestant theological position. It has been commonly held that his systematic methods had the result of petrifying the creative, vibrant insights of Luther, that he was, hence, the forerunner of a too rationalistic Protestant scholasticism, that he stressed human realities at the cost of attention to the divine, and finally, that he failed adequately to uphold Luther's crucial principle of <i>sola scriptua</i> in reference to philosophy. The present dissertation has arisen in part from concerns which have been brought forward by a body of research published mainly during the last twenty-five years. It is now a growing interpretative view that the central subject of faith and reason in Melanchthon cannot be accurately assessed apart from thorough knowledge of his pre-Lutheran
Schneider, J. R.
Lutheran biblical scholarship
Melanchthon's idea of biblical authority as it developed under the influence of his rhetorical theory to 1521. Ever since Melanchthon assumed the historical role of spokesman for the Lutheran movement in the sixteenth century, debates have raged over his manner of relating human reason to biblical faith. Since the pioneering critical work of H. Heppe in 1854, until quite recently, it was generally agreed upon in the historiographical tradition that Melanchthon was to blame for an excessive and damaging use of humanistic values in developing his Protestant theological position. It has been commonly held that his systematic methods had the result of petrifying the creative, vibrant insights of Luther, that he was, hence, the forerunner of a too rationalistic Protestant scholasticism, that he stressed human realities at the cost of attention to the divine, and finally, that he failed adequately to uphold Luther's crucial principle of <i>sola scriptua</i> in reference to philosophy. The present dissertation has arisen in part from concerns which have been brought forward by a body of research published mainly during the last twenty-five years. It is now a growing interpretative view that the central subject of faith and reason in Melanchthon cannot be accurately assessed apart from thorough knowledge of his pre-Lutheran
idea biblical authority develop influence rhetorical theory ever_since assume historical role spokesman lutheran movement debate manner relate human_reason biblical faith since pioneer critical work quite recently generally_agree upon historiographical_tradition blame excessive use humanistic value develop protestant theological position commonly_hold systematic method creative vibrant insight luther hence forerunner rationalistic protestant scholasticism stress human reality cost attention divine finally fail adequately uphold luther crucial principle sola reference philosophy present arisen part_concern bring forward body publish mainly last grow interpretative view central subject faith_reason accurately assess apart thorough knowledge pre lutheran