Beschreibung
How did Lutheranism continue to define itself as the
evangelical catholic faith during almost two centuries of
struggle over “ownership” of the fathers? Central to the
discussion is Martin Chemnitz, who grappled with charges of
theological novelty, appealed to a qualified consensus of
the fathers, and responded to Trent’s claim to the ancient
ecumenical consensus. Subsequent responses of Lutheran
Orthodoxy to the Roman Catholic defense of Tridentine dogma
and its particular appeal to the ancient consensus and,
later, to the patristic ecumenism of Georg Calixt are also
explored.
Quentin D. Stewart is professor of historical
theology at the Freie Theologische Hochschule in Gießen,
Germany.
