The Saving Humanity of Christ: John Calvin's
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THE SAVING HUMANITY OF CHRIST: JOHN CALVIN'S CRITIQUE OF ANDREAS OSIANDER A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF WYCLIFEE COLLEGE AND THE THEOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF THE TORONTO SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF THEOLOGY AWARDED BY WYCLIFFE COLLEGE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO JASON T. INGALLS TORONTO, ON FEBRUARY 4, 2011 ©2011 Library and Archives Bibliotheque et 1*1 Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 OttawaONK1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-80325-7 Our file Notre rGference ISBN: 978-0-494-80325-7 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privee, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont ete enleves de thesis. cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. 1+1 Canada ABSTRACT In the 1559 edition of the Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin spent portions of Books I-III addressing the work of Lutheran Andreas Osiander. The disagreement's heart seems to be the doctrine of justification; however, contemporary scholars have suggested four other possibilities: the relationship of justification and sanctification, the nature of union with Christ, the place of Christ's humanity in human salvation, and the relationship of Christ's divine and human natures. After considering these issues in turn, this thesis concludes that the heart of the disagreement is the systematic place given to Christ's human nature vis-a-vis his divine nature in his Person and in the economy of salvation. Insofar as Calvin's position against Osiander represents an early break with non-Philipist Lutheranism over justification, this thesis has significant implications for the study of Reformation era theology and the charting of "Reformed" and "Lutheran" influence in other Reformation traditions. u ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Special thanks to Dr. Victor Shepherd, for his thoughtful and wise counsel throughout the writing of this thesis; to W. Travis McMaken, for his help in revising and clarifying this thesis with an eye to contemporary theological discussions; and, above all, to my wife Dr. Monique Ingalls, for always being able to see this project through fresh eyes and for sharing that insight with me. m CONTENTS INTRODUCTION. "WHY" AND "WHAT"? 1 Why Did Calvin Choose to Address Osiander? 1 The Heart of the Matter 13 CHAPTER 1. JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION 15 Osiander and Essential Righteousness 17 Calvin on Justification and Sanctification 23 The Relationship of Justification and Sanctification 33 Conclusion 39 CHAPTER 2. THE UNION OF THE BELIEVER WITH CHRIST 41 Shared Emphasis 45 Osiander's Doctrine of Union 47 Calvin's Doctrine of Union 49 Conclusion 60 CHAPTER 3. RIGHTEOUSNESS, DISTANCE, UBIQUITY, AND THE COMMUNICATIO IDIOMATUM 62 Which Righteousness? 63 How do we overcome the distance between Christ and us? 73 Two Christologies 78 Conclusion 82 CONCLUSION. CALVIN'S CATHOLIC CHRISTOLOGY 84 BIBLIOGRAPHY 91 iv Introduction "Why" and "What"? Staggered with growing illness, spitting blood, and eager to finish his greatest project, John Calvin began the final revision of his Institutes of the Christian Religion in 1558.1 In the decade leading to this revision, published in 1559, Calvin had grown increasingly involved in debates with Lutheran interlocutors about the Lord's Supper. But instead of confronting those opponents directly in the final revision of the Institutes, he chose instead to spend a considerable amount of time addressing the then-deceased Lutheran Reformer Andreas Osiander. While an increasing number of Calvin studies scholars in the last forty years have become interested in Osiander, Osiander's importance for Calvin's thought has been largely ignored. However, Calvin's interaction with Osiander became one of his defining engagements, profoundly affecting the shape of the 1559 Institutes. In this thesis I will address the major issues in Calvin's Osiandrian polemic and outline its implications for future studies. Why Did Calvin Choose to Address Osiander? Why did Calvin choose to address Osiander in the 1559 edition of the Institutes? Calvin did so because he believed what Osiander said and represented threatened his ongoing 1 Bruce Gordon, Calvin (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009), 301. 1 2 eciunenical work.2 Contemporary scholars rarely address this "why" question.3 Instead, most assume that Calvin addressed Osiander for purely theological reasons. James Weis puts the controversy into historical perspective in his seminal article, "Calvin Versus Osiander on Justification". He notes that the argument Calvin has with Osiander unfolded amidst the Eucharistic controversies of the 1540s and 1550s.4 He also mentions that Calvin was "quite sensitive" to the charge of being Osiandrian, a charge which Calvin's Lutheran interlocutors had leveled against him.5 Weis goes on to say that the controversy enabled Calvin to clarify his doctrine of justification and differentiate himself from Osiander's aberrations. However, the question remains open: why was Calvin so sensitive to being lumped together with Osiander? The next question follows quickly upon the first: If Calvin is so sensitive to the accusation of Osiandrianism, why did he go so far out of his way to rescue parts of Osiander's phraseology in sections of the Institutes?6 Patricia Wilson-Kastner in her 2 It might be anachronistic to call Calvin's work "ecumenical." I find the term useful because it highlights some of the major characteristics of Calvin's ongoing relationships with leaders of other Protestant churches. 3 A notable exception is Mark A. Garcia, Life in Christ: Union with Christ and Twofold Grace in Calvin's Theology, Studies in Christian History and Thought (Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2008). 4 James Weis, "Calvin Versus Osiander on Justification," Springfielder 29 (Aut 1965): 31. 5 Weis, "Calvin Versus Osiander on Justification," 43; See also, John Calvin, "To Peter Toussain (12 October 1558)," in Letters of John Calvin, ed. Jules Bonnet, trans. David Constable, vol. 3, 4 vols. (New York: B. Franklin, 1972), 477-479. 6 John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, trans. Ford Lewis Battles (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1960), 3.11.5-3.11.6 Each section contains a back and forth between Calvin and 3 important article "Andreas Osiander's Theology of Grace in the Perspective of the Influence of Augustine of Hippo" puts it well: Calvin, however, is willing to admit that Osiander does not wish to eliminate the element of grace in justification; is not mistaken in saying that we are one with Christ, who is our Head as redeemer; is correct that faith does not justify, but only Christ received in faith; and has perceived that redemption is beyond the work of human nature [Institutes III, 11 (5-12)]. When all is said and done, however, at the same time, and sometimes in the same sentence that Calvin admits the usefulness of Osiander's assertions, he attacks him.. .7 However, while Wilson-Kastner notes the oddity, she does not ask after the reason for its presence. Instead, she notes Calvin's claim to be "free of all perverted motives" while attacking Osiander for stubbornness and perversity, as well as Calvin's sudden moves from appreciation to attack.8 She implies that Calvin's own theological stubbornness is to blame.9 There are two questions, then, that scholars have raised only implicitly: 1) Why was Calvin so sensitive to the charge of Osiandrianism? and 2) Why does Calvin go out of his way to agree with Osiander when he has the opportunity? Recent works leave these two questions unanswered. J. Todd Billings, for example, raises the "why" Osiander wherein Calvin points out how Osiander could have kept his main insights without straying into error. 7 Patricia Wilson-Kastner, "Andreas Osiander's Theology of Grace in the Perspective of the Influence of Augustine of Hippo," The Sixteenth Century journal 10, no. 2 (Summer 1979): 88. 8 Calvin, Institutes, 3.11.10; Wilson-Kastner, "Andreas Osiander's Theology of Grace in the Perspective of the Influence of Augustine of Hippo," 88. 9 Wilson-Kastner, "Andreas Osiander's Theology of Grace in the Perspective of the Influence of Augustine of Hippo," 88. 4 question, but answers it similarly to Weis and Wilson-Kastner, showing that Calvin's Lutheran interlocutors were accusing Calvin of Osiander's errors, and Calvin felt the need to defend himself.10 Billings points out Calvin's sympathies with Osiander's thought even while showing how Calvin downplayed these similarities.11 Because the question of why Calvin chose to engage Osiander remains implicit in Billing's work, no clear answer emerges.