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The Nature of Protestantism1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2009

Wilhelm Pauck
Affiliation:
The Chicago Theological Seminary

Extract

In dealing with a subject of such a general character, I am well aware of the limitations of the undertaking. It is not possible to define the nature of Protestantism in such a manner as to establish certain principles to which all its historical expressions must or do conform. I accept the statement of Wilhelm Dilthey which reads as follows:

The religions which appear within a developed civilization have common features. They lift the human consciousness to a point at which, by its connection with divinity and the invisible, it renders itself independent from the world. Hence it is the aim of these religions to overcome the contradictions and repressions of life (Hemmungen) by an inner connection with God. Beatitude signifies the developing total state of mind in which all single emotions arising from participation in the world are resolved. Hence religion is neither a cult nor a dogma nor a mode of action but the total life context of a person in which this aim has been attained. From this there result significant consequences for the historian. No religion or communion can be represented by a principle from which cult, dogma, and morality can be derived. The endless theological debates about a principle of Christianity, of Reformed religiousness, of the Lutheran or Reformed church, are without object. This life context cannot even be wholly analysed. As in every form of life, there remains something unanalysable also in every form of religiousness. Just therein religion is, like art; superior to scientific knowledge. One cannot state in one sentence the essence of Christianity. Every attempt of such a sort is historical metaphysics. Knowledge of Christianity is the analysis of the Christian religiousness in individual Christians and in society.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Church History 1937

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References

2 Gesammelte Schriften, Leipzig, 1914, II, p. 203.Google Scholar

3 Cf. Kűhn, Johannes, Die Geschichte des Speyrer Reichstags, 1529 (Schriften des Vereins fűr Reformationsgeschichte, No. 146.) Leipzig, 1929, pp. 257 ft.Google Scholar

4 The purpose of the present discussion is again to call attention to his work and to point out that his conclusions were very largely correct. I refer particularly to his contribution to the Geschichte der Christlichen Religion (Die Kultur der Gegenwart, ed. by Hinneberg, P., Part I, Section IV, 1, 2nd ed., Leipzig, 1922, pages 431992)Google Scholar which bears the title: Protestantisches Christentum und Kirche in der Neuzeit. Cf. also Die Bedeutung des Protestantismus fűr die moderne Welt, 3rd ed. Műnchen, 1924Google Scholar (Engl. translation: Protestantism and Progress, New York, 1912)Google Scholar and various essays in Aufsätze zur Geistesgeschichte und Religionssozialogie (Gesammelte Schriften, vol. IV, Tűbingen, 1925).Google Scholar Interesting discussions of his point of view are to be found in Stephan, Horst, Die heutigen Auffassungen vom Neuprotestantismus, Giessen, 1911Google Scholar; Hoffman, Heinrich, Der neuere Protestantismus und die Reformation, Giessen, 1919Google Scholar; Grűtzmacher, R. H., Alt- und Neuprotestantismus, Leipzig, 1920.Google Scholar

5 Der Historismus und seine Probleme (Gesammelte Schriften, vol. III), Tűbingen, 1922, pp. 764 f.Google Scholar

6 WA., I, pp. 557 f.Google Scholar (Resolutiones disputationum de indulgentiarum virtute, 1518). The passage which is hiere translated follows upon a reference to Tauler's description of the tortures (peonae) of despair in his German sermons.

7 W A., XVIII, p. 633.Google Scholar

8 WA., VIII, p. 379.Google Scholar Written at Wartburg castle in 1521!

9 Otto, R., Visnu Narayana. Texte sur indischen Gottesmystik, Jena, 1917, p. 123.Google Scholar Also: India's Religion of Grace and Christianity Compared and Contrasted, London, 1930, p. 56.Google Scholar

10 Cf. Frick, Heinrich, Der kathoilsch protestantische Zwiespalt als religionsgeschichtliches Phänomen (in Kairos, ed. by Darmstadt, Tillich, 1926, p. 355).Google Scholar See also Otto, R., India's Religion of Grace etc., pp. 18 ff.Google Scholar

11 See the interesting symposium edited by Tillich, Paul under the title Protestantismus als Kritik und Gestaltung, Darmstadt, 1929Google Scholar; therein especially Tillich's article on “Der Protestantismus als kritisches und gestaltendes Prinzip.” In this connection, I should like to refer also to Tillich, 's book, Religiöse Verwirklichung, Berlin, 1930Google Scholar, especially the chapter on “Protestantische Gestaltung.”

12 The new Luther biography by Thiel, Rudolph (2 vols., 2nd ed., Berlin 1936)Google Scholar, which depicts the Reformer as a theonomous prophet, makes much of these difficulties.

13 See for example: Maritain, Jacques, Trois reformateurs (Luther, Descartes, Rousseau), Paris, 1925Google Scholar; (critically reviewed by Holl, Karl in Revue Ae Theol. et Philos., XV, 1927, pp. 260–70).Google ScholarKatzer, E., Luther und Kant, Leipzig, 1910Google Scholar; Ostertag, H., “Luther und Kant,” Neue Kirchliche Zeitschrift, XXXVI, 1925, pp. 765807.Google Scholar

14 Stephan, Horst, Luther in den Wandlungen seiner Kirche, Giessen, 1807.Google Scholar See also the discriminating discussion of the problem by von Harnack, Adolf, Dogmengeschichte, 4th ed., Tűbingen, 1909, III, pp. 808 ff.Google Scholar

15 “Beantwortung der Frage: was ist Aufklärung?” in Berlinische Monatsschrift, III, 1784, pp. 481–94.Google Scholar

16 Schleiermacher, F., The Christian Faith. English translation by Mackintosh, H. R. and Stewart, J. S.. Edinburgh, 1928, I, p. 63.Google Scholar

17 Cf. Troeltsch, Ernst, Protestantisches Christentum und, Kirche, pp. 624 ff.Google Scholar The changes of the Protestant church concept are well described by Damour, Carl, Die Epochen des Protestantismus, Bern, 1935.Google Scholar

18 Works, V, p. 9Google Scholar, quoted by Mecklin, John. M. in his important book, The Story of American, Dissent, New York, 1934, p. 342.Google Scholar