Book Reviews / CHRC () –
Girolamo Zanchi, De religione Christiana fides—Confession of Christian Reli- gion. Edited by luca baschera and christian moser [Studies in the History of Christian Traditions ]. vols., Brill, Leiden/Boston , x + pp. ISBN . ; US.
The work under review presents, in two volumes, an edition of the text of the Confession written by Girolamo Zanchi at the request of the Convent of Frankfurt, held in September . Zanchi’s work was intimately linked with an important stage in the Eucharistic controversy. With the Book of Bergen, Lutheran theologians had tried to put an end to internal conflicts, while at the same time distinguishing their position vis-à-vis the European churches that subscribed to a Reformed confession. The latter felt the need of a clear presen- tation of their Reformed point of view. In this fine modern edition we have the result of Zanchi’s work. It was difficult enough for him to find the time and concentration for this project, given all the developments in the Palatinate. The editors have presented the fascinating history in an excellent introduction of pages, including a summary of Zanchi’s life in Italy, Strasburg, Chiavenna, Heidelberg, and Neustadt an der Haardt. They sketch the place of this Con- fession within the wider developments of the Eucharistic controversy, with ref- erences to the relevant sources. They also trace origins and background of the Confession and the specific difficulties that presented themselves. It was a fasci- nating story indeed. While Zanchi laboured on his Confession—hemadeslow progress—the diversity of international Reformed church life became mani- fest in not always very positive ways. The Convent of Frankfurt had asked him to write this Confession. Theologians in Zurich scrutinized his work, especially with respect to the formulations of the secret of the Eucharist. In Geneva, theologians also kept a close eye on the results. Beza and Bullinger did not come to any agreement as to how to formulate the secret of the Eucharist. These and other tensions had their repercussions on Zanchi’s work and its progress. When it was nearly finished, it became clear that in Geneva, theo- logians, together with French colleagues and with the approval of theologians in Zurich, had started a different project, which would result not in one Con- fession, to be supported by the whole of Reformed Europe, but a collection of diverse Reformed Confessions, arranged according to various dogmatic loci, and presented as a reflection of a unity underlying the diversity of the great number of Reformed churches: the Harmonia Confessionum.Zanchiheardof this project only when the Harmonia was almost finished, through a letter of Danaeus. Danaeus assured Zanchi that his work was appreciated, and he should not think that people did not value what he had done. Zanchi was too
© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, DOI: 10.1163/18712428-09220030 Book Reviews / CHRC () – gentle to show his disappointment, and more than disappointment. But in the edition which he published as a personal Confession,headdedsomecomments that clearly reflect his feelings. The text of Zanchi’s Confession is presented with great care in this modern edition, and with the explanatory notes this is a very valuable work. It provides insight in the theology of one of the greatest Reformed theologians of the period, who is often mentioned in one breath together with Ursinus, Beza, Calvin, Bullinger, and others, who paved the way from the Reformation to Dordt. In his Confession one can easily find the core of Zanchi’s theology, even when its special purpose has left its traces. Lutheran theologians tried to translate their position into politics. This gives a special colour to the reaction of the Reformed parties. Further research should enable us to see to what extent this contemporary context has defined the work. The doctrine of the Eucharist, Christology, predestination, and ecclesiology, have been accentuated in ways which, in a different time, might have been less obvious. The two volumes contain enough material to enable such further research. Apart from the Latin text, a contemporary English translation is presented, which may further facilitate a comparison and an answer to the question how certain concepts functioned at the time. Two brief remarks: . On p. , n. , the editors have been led by the annotation in the edition of the correspondence of Beza (Corr. de Th. De Bèze, T. XVIII, p. , n. ) at a letter by Ursinus to Beza, which made them conclude that the well-known Convent of Frankfurt took place not in Frankfurt, but in Neustadt. The relevant note does indeed suggest some questions, but there is no doubt where the Reformed meeting took place. D. Gerdes, in his Scrinium antiquarium (Groningen-Bremen, Tom. I, Pars , pp. –), copied much of the minutes which Datheen had made of this meeting, which he had received twenty years before from Thysius. These were the report of someone who had been present at the meeting and taken minutes, in Frankfurt. See also D. Gerdes, Scrinium antiquarium, Tom. VIII, Pars , pp. –: ‘Analecta quaedam De Conventu Reformatarum Ecclesiarum Francfortano. A. .’ Also following R. Hospinianus, in his Concordia Discors (Zurich , Geneva ), chapter XVI, there is no doubt that the Convent was indeed held in Frankfurt. . Zanchi quoted in his Observationes in a marginal note a statement by Bucer (p. ), saying that the doctrine of salvation and its teaching are very difficult matters: “quia nimirum tradi debet scientia omnium ut divinissima, ita et difficillima, vivendi deum, cum sis homo.” Zanchi commented on this in