Classical Theism, Philosophy, and Religion Forum / Protestantism and reason

**Posted by Etzelnik** 10/27/2015 6:20 am

I understand that this is not exactly the most sympathetic place for Protestants, but I have this question.

Are there (or were there) any substantive denominations of Protestantism which did not repudiate reason like Luther and Calvin, just rejected certain Catholic doctrines such as Papal authority or the sacrament of the eucharist?

**Posted by DanielCC** 10/27/2015 7:16 am

Anglicanism for one not that it didn't soon develop its own very pressing problems. To do the early Protestants justice neither Calvinist nor Lutheran civilisations rejected the use of reason in theological matters - Reformed Scholasticism, as it has been retrospectively dubbed, continued as the main byline in universities for some time.

(Its decline was part of the greater conflict between 'professional theologians, and lay intellectuals, both Protestant and Catholic, over the value of Scholasticism as a whole)

This might be of interest to you:

http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Reformed-Scholasticism-Historical-Theological-Studies/dp/1601781210

**Posted by iwpoe** 10/28/2015 8:51 pm

Since you seem to know about the topic some, do you happen to know what the theological curriculum would have looked like at the Tübinger Stift 'round 1795 or so? It did start as an Augustinian monastery, but I assumed that the Lutherans messed things up.

**Posted by Shade Tree Philosopher** 11/02/2015 1:53 pm

Lutheran*ism* didn't reject reason, and Lutherans traditionally founded schools along with their churches. There however have been historical strands of anti-intellectualism. One thinks of pietism, and the general 'enthusiasm' in the technical sense of the 19th century.

'Course, there's a difference between a general rejection of rationcination or knowledge of the natural world, and rejecting such knowledge as useful in religion.

C Kirk

Last edited by Shade Tree Philosopher (11/02/2015 1:55 pm)

**Posted by iwpoe** 11/02/2015 3:53 pm

Shade Tree Philosopher wrote:
One thinks of pietism, and the general 'enthusiasm' in the technical sense of the 19th century.

But that "technical" sense is a mere slur, as 'faith' today is often simply defined as "belief without (legitimate) evidence".

**Posted by iwpoe** 11/05/2015 4:39 am

Hey, guy, we asked you to stop posting in the boldface.

**Posted by Etzelnik** 11/05/2015 8:30 am

And with all those colors too.

**Posted by seigneur** 11/07/2015 2:14 am

In what sense did Luther and Calvin repudiate reason? In all sorts of Christianity, rationality is in a complicated perspective, because Scripture itself repudiates both empiricism and intellectualism, and it emphasises that thing called faith (which has its own pitfalls, if not defined carefully).

If you are looking for Protestant denominations that differ from Catholicism as little as possible, then Anglicanism is your best chance. Some pre-Lutheran figures, such as Jan Hus and William Tyndale, may also be interesting. But in my view none of these can be called properly Protestant. Anglicanism is simply Catholicism minus the Pope due to political reasons, not theological, whereas in Protestantism proper, the Pope was originally identified as the Anti-Christ and some substantial doctrines used to revolve around this, still seen in fundamentalist Protestantism.

**Posted by Etzelnik** 11/07/2015 12:48 pm

seigneur wrote:
In what sense did Luther and Calvin repudiate reason? In all sorts of Christianity, rationality is in a complicated perspective, because Scripture itself repudiates both empiricism and intellectualism, and it emphasises that thing called faith (which has its own pitfalls, if not defined carefully).

Would you care to elaborate? Perhaps in the Christian half of Scripture, but I am not familiar with any fideist necessity from scripture.

**Posted by Etzelnik** 11/07/2015 4:17 pm

Why can't faith be conviction born of reason? That's how I always understood "The righteous shall live by his faith".