IN THIS ISSUE Newsletter Introduction (Dr. Hetty Lalleman) . 1 The Reformation and Leadership in the Church (Rev. Dr. Paul Bernhard Rothen) . 2 October 2017 The Reformation in Hungary and its relevance for today (Prof. Dr. Ferenc Szűcs) . 10 The Reformation in Scandinavia In the park where I usually walk my dog, a young man from and its relevance for today an Asian country started talking to me. After some questions (Rev. Dr. Rune Imberg) . 14 and comments about my dog, he asked: ‘Are you religious?’ The Reformation in the Czech Lands I answered: ‘Yes, I am a Christian.’ He said: ‘This is the first of Bohemia and Moravia time I meet a white person here in London who is a Christian. (Rev. Dr. Pavel Černý) . 21 Most of them say they are atheists.’ His words at first shocked me, but I also realised this is increasingly The Current Issue of the European my own experience as well when I talk to ‘white’, in particular Journal of Theology . 28 young, people. Most of them say: ‘I am not religious.’ Information and invitation: For many people in Europe, ‘religion’ and Christianity seem FEET Conference 2018 irrelevant to their daily life. I talk to people who have a good Christian Identity and Mission job, a house and young children, so why would they need in a Divided Europe . 29 God? And then there is the violence related to some forms of ‘religion’, which makes people think that ‘religion causes New Book – The Reformation: violence’, so it is better not to be religious at all. Its Roots and Its Legacy . 30 On the other hand, I also meet many people from African, Caribbean and Latin American countries who have a strong belief in Jesus Christ and a vivid prayer life. And thanks to them, churches in London grow. Mission reversed… How do we reach out to all those young people and adults who know hardly anything about God and seem to be indifferent? I think there are still exciting and challenging opportunities to live out the Good News of Jesus Christ. On the one hand the ‘non-religious’ people need to ‘see’ what it means that we are Christians in our daily lives. On the other hand, we need to pray, and pray, and pray… for all those ‘lost’ people, who desperately need to be reconnected with their Creator to find life’s real destiny. And we need to ask for opportunities, through our teaching, writing and speaking, to tell God’s Good News, the best news in the world. Behind the unsettling daily news of wars and threats of wars, there is the God who is the King who rules. In his service we work, teach, write and witness. Dr. Hetty Lalleman Dr. Hetty Lalleman, London 1 The Reformation and Leadership in the Church Rev. Dr. Paul Bernhard Rothen, Switzerland The primum principium of all sober theological thinking themselves, when they have the impression that God is the presupposition that Scripture is given by God, is not doing what should be done. The temptation to therefore clear, and thus an actively radiating light on develop human thoughts and actions in order to force our path (Ps 119:105).1 This light refreshes our thoughts God to do what we think is good has follo wed the people and prevents us from being ‚shaped by false standards of God ever since Abraham listened to Sara who ‚gave and deceived by false narratives‘.2 This perspective him Hagar as a wife‘ (Gen 16:1–6) and Aaron complied enables us to explain why it is misleading to talk about with the request of those who wanted him to give them ‚leadership‘ in the church. The concept of ‚leadership‘, a god they could see and feel (Ex 32:1–6). with its essentially horizontal emphasis, leads us into the In the year 1530, the emperor Karl invited all the temptation of adopting a rationalistic way of thinking. princes and nobles in Germany to Augsburg.3 He ex­ Steering us away from the legacy of Christ, it invites us pected them to help unite the church. There was an to embrace the promises of the modern Masterminds. urgent need as the Empire was under the threat of the Turks and sultan Süleyman was preparing a second siege 1. An Unbiblical Term of Vienna. It was therefore the duty of every Christian to reach a consensus on the questions of faith. But was it The reformers Luther, Melanchthon, Zwingli, Calvin, really? Would not an agreement reached by betraying the Bullinger and Bucer did not speak of leadership in the Gospel bring God’s wrath on Europe? Luther was banned church, because the Holy Scriptures do not speak in and could not be part of the Wittenberg delegation, such terms. One does find the term in modern English so Melanchthon had to bear the main responsibility. translations of the Bible, however. For example, Melanchthon was greatly distressed, feeling that this in the New International Version of Numbers 33:1, was too much for him. The only thing Luther could it says that the Israelites were ‚under the leadership do was to write to him to comfort him. And so he did, of Moses and Aaron‘. The King James Version and the constantly warning his friend not to take on tasks that American Standard Version say that Israel was ‚under God wanted to keep in his own hands. Luther wrote: the hand of Moses and Aaron‘, which is a more literal But I write this in vain, for in terms of your philo- rendering of the Hebrew text. In Romans 12:8 the New sophy you continue to govern these things by International Version reads: ‚If it is leadership, let him reason, that is, as the writer put it, to rave with govern diligently,‘ while the King James and American reason, and you plague yourself to death and simply Standard read: ‚He that ruleth, with diligence,‘ which do not see that the matter lies beyond your hands is more faithful to the Greek text. Careful study shows and counsel and seeks a decision without your pains. that the original text of the Bible does not legitimize the Christ forbid that it should fall to your counsel or idea of leadership in the church as it is developed in the hands, as you nevertheless so pertinaciously wish! modern patterns of understanding human life. Then indeed we should publicly and splendidly and suddenly perish. But it says: ‚Seek not things too 2. Against the Desire of Deity high for you‘ [Eccl 3:22], and: ‚He who examines majesty will be crushed by glory,‘ or, as the Hebrew Looking back to the time of Reformation, we can learn text has it: ‚He who examines things too weighty will much from the experiences of Luther and his colleagues be overburdened‘ [Prov 25:27]. This applies to you. as they struggled with some of these fun da mental ques­ The Lord Jesus preserve you, that your faith fail not, tions. At all times the believers are tempted to resort to but grow and win the day, Amen.4 1 Paper presented at the FEET conference in Wittenberg, Germany, August 2016. 2 Paul Bernhard Rothen, Die Klarheit der Schrift. 2 Volumes (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1990–1992) 83–95, cf. 222. 3 Martin Brecht,Martin Luther Band 2: Ordnung und Abgrenzung der Reformation: 1521–1532 (Stuttgart: Calwer Verlag, 1986) 356–376. 4 Luther, WA, Briefe 5, 412. The translations of the texts of Luther are by the late James W. Leitch. 2 Luther writes gently, fraternally and mildly to his friend Melanchthon, but against Müntzer his thunder is loud and unrestrained. He condemns the leader of the peasants because he ‚allowed himself to fancy that the church could not exist without him, that he must uphold and rule it‘.5 Yet the reproach is the same in both cases: human reason, with its attempts at conceptual mediation and its overwhelming prophetic force, threatens God‘s sovereignty in the church. Self­ appointed leaders want to co-operate with God and help him, but God repeatedly takes his cause out of their hands. He has no wish to work through their diplomacy or their personal influence. He governs through the Word which he upholds extra nos. This word is not at the disposal of human purposes, but calls for the response of faith alone. According to Luther it is the Lord, Jesus Christ himself, who rules the church. He alone knows the goal, the Rev. Dr. Paul Bernhard Rothen eternal goal, the house with the many mansions, where he is preparing a place for his followers. He not only knows the way, he is the way (John 14:1–4). He alone is able to avoid the present dangers, to define the necessary is worried because Melanchthon softens the sola fide. measures to keep believers from evil, and to ensure the Melanchthon desires experience to be the ground of life of his church. To simply maintain the true preaching faith, or at least a means to strengthen his faith. Therefore, and teaching of the Word is hard enough. No human Luther adds, Melanchthon should constantly be urged beings should take upon themselves the task of leading not to become God, but to combat the desire for the church safely through changing times. Seeking to set deity that is inborn in us and was implanted into us Melanchthon free from this temptation, Luther writes to by the devil in paradise, for it is not good for us. It him regarding his responsibility in the church: drove Adam out of paradise, and is the one and only God has set it in a certain public place that you do thing that casts us out too and forces us away from not find in your rhetoric or your philosophy: this peace.