Spring 2018 Concordia Theological Journal Vol. 5 Issue 1
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Early Pyrrhonism As a Sect of Buddhism? a Case Study in the Methodology of Comparative Philosophy
Comparative Philosophy Volume 9, No. 2 (2018): 1-40 Open Access / ISSN 2151-6014 www.comparativephilosophy.org EARLY PYRRHONISM AS A SECT OF BUDDHISM? A CASE STUDY IN THE METHODOLOGY OF COMPARATIVE PHILOSOPHY MONTE RANSOME JOHNSON & BRETT SHULTS ABSTRACT: We offer a sceptical examination of a thesis recently advanced in a monograph published by Princeton University Press entitled Greek Buddha: Pyrrho’s Encounter with Early Buddhism in Central Asia. In this dense and probing work, Christopher I. Beckwith, a professor of Central Eurasian studies at Indiana University, Bloomington, argues that Pyrrho of Elis adopted a form of early Buddhism during his years in Bactria and Gandhāra, and that early Pyrrhonism must be understood as a sect of early Buddhism. In making his case Beckwith claims that virtually all scholars of Greek, Indian, and Chinese philosophy have been operating under flawed assumptions and with flawed methodologies, and so have failed to notice obvious and undeniable correspondences between the philosophical views of the Buddha and of Pyrrho. In this study we take Beckwith’s proposal and challenge seriously, and we examine his textual basis and techniques of translation, his methods of examining passages, his construal of problems and his reconstruction of arguments. We find that his presuppositions are contentious and doubtful, his own methods are extremely flawed, and that he draws unreasonable conclusions. Although the result of our study is almost entirely negative, we think it illustrates some important general points about the methodology of comparative philosophy. Keywords: adiaphora, anātman, anattā, ataraxia, Buddha, Buddhism, Democritus, Pāli, Pyrrho, Pyrrhonism, Scepticism, trilakṣaṇa 1. INTRODUCTION One of the most ambitious recent works devoted to comparative philosophy is Christopher Beckwith’s monograph Greek Buddha: Pyrrho’s Encounter with Early Buddhism in Central Asia (2015). -
Adiaphora, Luther and the Material Culture of Worship Andrew Spicer
Adiaphora, Luther and the Material Culture of Worship Andrew Spicer During the seventeenth and eighteenth century, English merchants and travellers to Germany and the Baltic were surprised by the pre-Reformation furnishings that remained in the Lutheran churches they visited, particularly commenting on the altarpieces, organs and statues.1 The survival of these aspects of late medieval worship has been attributed to the so-called ‘preserving power’ of Lutheranism. Significant numbers of images, ecclesiastical plate and vestments together with altarpieces remain even to this day through having been retained by Lutheran congregations.2 Recent scholarship, however, has acknowledged that this material culture has not always survived without some adaptation to accord with the needs of Lutheran worship.3 Furthermore, it has been questioned whether ‘preservation’ or ‘survival’ are the appropriate terms to refer to these items associated with pre-Reformation worship but with which the Lutheran faithful continued to engage.4 Adiaphora has become a convenient term to explain the retention of this ecclesiastical material culture, particularly in relation to religious art and images, within the Lutheran tradition.5 Adiaphora, a Greek term, had its origins in classical philosophy but had been adopted by the some of the Church Fathers. The meaning of the concept gradually evolved so that by the late middle ages, it had come to refer to things that were permitted because they had neither been divinely commanded nor prohibited, as determined by the New Testament. These were matters, which were not regarded as necessary for salvation. It was this understanding of the term that was applied by the Reformers in the early sixteenth century. -
Xerox University Microfilms
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The Limits Upon Adiaphoristic Freedom: Luther and Melanchthon1 Bernard J
THE LIMITS UPON ADIAPHORISTIC FREEDOM: LUTHER AND MELANCHTHON1 BERNARD J. VERKAMP Vincennes University, Indiana HEN LUTHER and his principal spokesman, Philip Melanchthon, Wlaunched their attack against the many ecclesiastical laws and regulations which had cropped up over the centuries, it was not so much a matter of attacking the traditions in themselves as it was an attempt to restore the doctrine of solafideism, which in their opinion the traditions had severely jeopardized. Once that doctrine was fully appreciated, Luther wrote, the Christian would "easily and safely find his way through those myriad mandates and precepts of popes, bishops, monas teries, churches, princes, and magistrates."2 As it turned out, that way, according to both Luther and Melanchthon, was an adiaphoristic via media. But whether such a path was as "easily and safely" to be discerned as Luther thought, may be doubted; for, as a matter of fact, the adiaphoristic freedom championed by the two Wittenberg Reformers was closely circumscribed by "limits" from without and within, which, because of their subtlety and complexity, could be and not infrequently were overlooked. In what follows, it will be my intention to show exactly what those limits are. I will begin by trying to establish the outer boundaries, or, in other words, the precise locus of the adiaphorism proffered by Luther and Melanchthon. At its sixth session the Council of Trent declared: "Si quis dixerit, nihil praeceptum esse in Evangelio praeter fidem, cetera esse indifferentia, ñeque praecepta, -
Kant's Doctrine of Religion As Political Philosophy
Kant's Doctrine of Religion as Political Philosophy Author: Phillip David Wodzinski Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/987 This work is posted on eScholarship@BC, Boston College University Libraries. Boston College Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, 2009 Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. Boston College The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Department of Political Science KANT’S DOCTRINE OF RELIGION AS POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY a dissertation by PHILLIP WODZINSKI submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2009 © copyright by PHILLIP DAVID WODZINSKI 2009 ABSTRACT Kant’s Doctrine of Religion as Political Philosophy Phillip Wodzinski Advisor: Susan Shell, Ph.D. Through a close reading of Immanuel Kant’s late book, Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason, the dissertation clarifies the political element in Kant’s doctrine of religion and so contributes to a wider conception of his political philosophy. Kant’s political philosophy of religion, in addition to extending and further animating his moral doctrine, interprets religion in such a way as to give the Christian faith a moral grounding that will make possible, and even be an agent of, the improvement of social and political life. The dissertation emphasizes the wholeness and structure of Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason as a book, for the teaching of the book is not exhausted by the articulation of its doctrine but also includes both the fact and the manner of its expression: the reader learns most fully from Kant by giving attention to the structure and tone of the book as well as to its stated content and argumentation. -
Martin Luther Extended Timeline Session 1
TIMELINES: MARTIN LUTHER & CHRISTIAN HISTORY A. LUTHER the MAN (1483 – 1546) 1502: Receives B.A. at University of Erfurt 1505: Earns M.A. at Erfurt; begins to study law 1505 Luther “struck by lightning” and vows to become a monk 1505 Luther enters the Order of Augustinian Hermits 1507: Luther is ordained and celebrates his first Mass; he panics during the ceremony 1510: Luther visits Rome as representative of Augustinians 1511: Luther transfers to Wittenberg to teach at the new university. 1512: Luther earns his doctorate of theology 1513: Luther begins lecturing on The Psalms 1515: Luther lectures on Paul’s Epistles to the Romans 1517: October 31, he posts his “95 Theses (points to debate)” concerning indulgences on Wittenberg Church door. 1518: At meeting in Augsburg, Luther defends his theology & refuses to recant 1518: Elector Frederick the Wise of Saxony places Luther under his protection. 1519: In debates with Professor John Eck at Leipzig, Luther denies supreme authority of popes and councils 1520: Papal bull (Exsurge Domine) gives Luther 60 days to recant or be excommunicated 1520: Luther burns the papal bull and writes 3 seminal documents: “To the Christian Nobility,” “On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church,” & “The Freedom of a Christian” 1521: Luther is excommunicated by the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem 1521: He refuses to recant his writings at the Diet of Worms 1521: New HRE Charles V condemns Luther as heretic and outlaw Luther is “kidnapped” and hidden in Wartburg Castle Luther begins translating the New Testament -
A History of German-Scandinavian Relations
A History of German – Scandinavian Relations A History of German-Scandinavian Relations By Raimund Wolfert A History of German – Scandinavian Relations Raimund Wolfert 2 A History of German – Scandinavian Relations Table of contents 1. The Rise and Fall of the Hanseatic League.............................................................5 2. The Thirty Years’ War............................................................................................11 3. Prussia en route to becoming a Great Power........................................................15 4. After the Napoleonic Wars.....................................................................................18 5. The German Empire..............................................................................................23 6. The Interwar Period...............................................................................................29 7. The Aftermath of War............................................................................................33 First version 12/2006 2 A History of German – Scandinavian Relations This essay contemplates the history of German-Scandinavian relations from the Hanseatic period through to the present day, focussing upon the Berlin- Brandenburg region and the northeastern part of Germany that lies to the south of the Baltic Sea. A geographic area whose topography has been shaped by the great Scandinavian glacier of the Vistula ice age from 20000 BC to 13 000 BC will thus be reflected upon. According to the linguistic usage of the term -
Historical Aspects of Thuringia
Historical aspects of Thuringia Julia Reutelhuber Cover and layout: Diego Sebastián Crescentino Translation: Caroline Morgan Adams This publication does not represent the opinion of the Landeszentrale für politische Bildung. The author is responsible for its contents. Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Thüringen Regierungsstraße 73, 99084 Erfurt www.lzt-thueringen.de 2017 Julia Reutelhuber Historical aspects of Thuringia Content 1. The landgraviate of Thuringia 2. The Protestant Reformation 3. Absolutism and small states 4. Amid the restauration and the revolution 5. Thuringia in the Weimar Republic 6. Thuringia as a protection and defense district 7. Concentration camps, weaponry and forced labor 8. The division of Germany 9. The Peaceful Revolution of 1989 10. The reconstitution of Thuringia 11. Classic Weimar 12. The Bauhaus of Weimar (1919-1925) LZT Werra bridge, near Creuzburg. Built in 1223, it is the oldest natural stone bridge in Thuringia. 1. The landgraviate of Thuringia The Ludovingian dynasty reached its peak in 1040. The Wartburg Castle (built in 1067) was the symbol of the Ludovingian power. In 1131 Luis I. received the title of Landgrave (Earl). With this new political landgraviate groundwork, Thuringia became one of the most influential principalities. It was directly subordinated to the King and therefore had an analogous power to the traditional ducats of Bavaria, Saxony and Swabia. Moreover, the sons of the Landgraves were married to the aristocratic houses of the European elite (in 1221 the marriage between Luis I and Isabel of Hungary was consummated). Landgrave Hermann I. was a beloved patron of art. Under his government (1200-1217) the court of Thuringia was transformed into one of the most important centers for cultural life in Europe. -
Melanchthon Versus Luther: the Contemporary Struggle
CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY Volume 44, Numbers 2-3 --- - - - JULY 1980 Can the Lutheran Confessions Have Any Meaning 450 Years Later?.................... Robert D. Preus 104 Augustana VII and the Eclipse of Ecumenism ....................................... Sieg bert W. Becker 108 Melancht hon versus Luther: The Contemporary Struggle ......................... Bengt Hagglund 123 In-. Response to Bengt Hagglund: The importance of Epistemology for Luther's and Melanchthon's Theology .............. Wilbert H. Rosin 134 Did Luther and Melanchthon Agree on the Real Presence?.. ....................................... David P. Scaer 14 1 Luther and Melanchthon in America ................................................ C. George Fry 148 Luther's Contribution to the Augsburg Confession .............................................. Eugene F. Klug 155 Fanaticism as a Theological Category in the Lutheran Confessions ............................... Paul L. Maier 173 Homiletical Studies 182 Melanchthon versus Luther: the Contemporary Struggle Bengt Hagglund Luther and Melanchthon in Modern Research In many churches in Scandinavia or in Germany one will find two oil paintings of the same size and datingfrom the same time, representing Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon, the two prime reformers of the Church. From the point of view of modern research it may seem strange that Melanchthon is placed on the same level as Luther, side by side with him, equal in importance and equally worth remembering as he. Their common achieve- ment was, above all, the renewal of the preaching of the Gospel, and therefore it is deserving t hat their portraits often are placed in the neighborhood of the pulpit. Such pairs of pictures were typical of the nineteenth-century view of Melanchthon and Luther as harmonious co-workers in the Reformation. These pic- tures were widely displayed not only in the churches, but also in many private homes in areas where the Reformation tradition was strong. -
Wartburg College Is Dedicated to Challenging and Nurturing Students for Lives of Leadership and Service As a Spirited Expression of Their Faith and Learning
2017 Annual Report to the Synods Wartburg College is dedicated to challenging and nurturing students for lives of leadership and service as a spirited expression of their faith and learning. Enrollment Fall 2017 enrollment was 1,527 students from 30 U.S. states and 55 countries. This number included international students and U.S. students of color, who constitute 21 percent, a record number being Hispanic. Transforming Tomorrow Campaign Transforming Tomorrow raised a total of $89.5 million, exceeding the $75 million goal. The five-year comprehensive campaign resulted in investments across campus, including more than 60 new donor-funded scholarships. More information can be found at www.wartburg.edu/transform. Focus on the Future Wartburg engaged more than 150 alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends of the College in an examination of strategic opportunities in today’s challenging environment for higher education. There were seven task forces – three focused on academic innovation, two on dimensions of student success, and two on expanding our reach. Reformation Celebration Wartburg commemorated the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in numerous ways. The following represent some of the highlights: • Wartburg hosted “Spirited Expression: A Celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation” on Oct. 31, featuring music leadership by Dr. Karen Black, college organist, and the Wartburg Choir and Dr. Lee Nelson, conductor, with remarks by the Rev. Dr. Kathryn Kleinhans, Mike and Marge McCoy Family Distinguished Chair in Lutheran Heritage and Mission. • A documentary “The Wartburg Choir in Germany: Celebrating 500 Years of the Reformation” followed the choir on its May Term tour through several German towns with strong ties to the College and the Reformation. -
In the Footsteps of Martin Luther in Germany: 500 Years of Reformation
Wartburg College Alumni Tour In the Footsteps of Martin Luther in Germany: 500 Years of Reformation June 7-21, 2017 15 Days with optional extension to Bavaria June 21-24 Led by the Rev. Dr. Kit Kleinhans Group Travel Directors Enriching Lives Through Travel Since 1982 DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther Dr. Kit Kleinhans is Day 1, Wed, June 7 Your Journey Begins posted 95 theses against indul- the Mike and Marge Depart US for overnight flight to Berlin. (Meals in- McCoy Family Dis- flight) gences on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany – an tinguished Chair of Day 2, Thur, June 8 Herzlich Willkommen! event ranked as one of the most Lutheran Heritage and Arrive in Berlin and travel to Wittenberg by pri- important events of the millennium! Mission at Wartburg vate motor coach. Check into Colleg Wittenberg, College, where she our home for the next 6 days. After an orientation Celebrate the 500th anniversary of walk through the town, a welcome dinner will has taught since 1993. get us off to an excellent start. Colleg Wittenberg Luther’s bold action by following in Her passion is the (Meals in-flight, D) his footsteps. Visit Eisleben, where history and theology Day 3, Fri, June 9 Wittenberg Luther was born; Wittenberg, where of Lutheranism and its relevance for us City tour through Wittenberg, where Martin Lu- he taught; Worms, where he stood today. Her article “Lutheranism 101,” pub- ther lived and taught for 36 years. Visit the Luther up for beliefs against the leaders of lished in The Lutheran in 2006, remains House - a former monastery – where Luther lived before his marriage and which the Luther family the church and the empire; the Wart- the most frequently requested reprint received as a wedding gift from their prince. -
Johannes Bugenhagen and His Pomeranians Sermon
A new beginning with the word – Johannes Bugenhagen and his Pomeranians Sermon on Romans 10, 9-17 at the English church service, the Day of John the Baptist (June 24th 2018 in St. Johns’ Church, Greifswald) The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Dear Friends, Brothers and Sisters, Do you know, why the goal of Toni Kroos yesterday evening was so important for the people of Greifswald? Because Toni Kroos is a son of this city and because the Pomeranian People, that means the people of this region, where we are living, have a broken identity. In the last century they lost part of their history and most of their people. Once, before the second World War, Pomerania was a great province of Germany. Now, it is nearly forgotten. Some in Germany think: Is there anymore an area called Pomerania in our country? Perhaps you realized the tough discussion about the name of the university of Greifswald in the last two years. Should the uni- versity be called after Ernst Moritz Arndt, a great scholar of the Pomeranian island of Rügen or not. Arndt and Kroos are guys from this area. So people think: We are somebody. We are not forgotten. Another great guy from Pomerania was Johannes Bugenhagen. Today is his birth- day. He was born in the yaer 1485, 533 years ago. He is one of the big four of the memorial at the Rubenow place. This church is linked very close to Johannes Bugenhagen, because it is a Johanneskirche, Johns’ Church.