Calvin's Theology of the Psalms (Texts and Studies in Reformation and Post-Reformation Thought)

J. Selderhuis Herman

Description

In this intriguing book, Herman Selderhuis argues that John Calvin's biblical interpretation of the Psalms is fundamentally shaped by his doctrine of God. Selderhuis minimizes references to other Calvin studies and other works by Calvin, thus allowing Calvin's theology on the Psalms to speak for itself. The book is organized thematically according to divine attributes. Reformation and Calvin scholars as well as interested Reformed readers will value this resource.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Christian theology

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 01 avril 2007
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441237194
• Langue: English

Extrait

Texts and Studies in Reformation and Post-Reformation Thought

General Editor
Prof. Richard A. Muller, Calvin Theological Seminary
Editorial Board
Prof. Irena Backus, University of Geneva
Prof. Susan M. Felch, Calvin College
Prof. A. N. S. Lane, London School of Theology
Prof. Susan E. Schreiner, University of Chicago
Prof. David C. Steinmetz, Duke University
Prof. John L. Thompson, Fuller Theological Seminary
Prof. Willem J. van Asselt, University of Utrecht
Prof. Timothy J. Wengert, The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
Prof. Henry Zwaanstra, Calvin Theological Seminary
Books in the Series
Caspar Olevianus, A Firm Foundation: An Aid to Interpreting the Heidelberg Catechism , translated and edited by Lyle D. Bierma
John Calvin, The Bondage and Liberation of the Will: A Defence of the Orthodox Doctrine of Human Choice against Pighius , edited by A. N. S. Lane, translated by G. I. Davies
Law and Gospel: Philip Melanchthon’s Debate with John Agricola of Eisleben over Poenitentia, by Timothy J. Wengert
Martin Luther as Prophet, Teacher, and Hero: Images of the Reformer, 1520–1620 , by Robert Kolb
Melanchthon in Europe: His Work and Influence beyond Wittenberg, edited by Karin Maag
Reformation and Scholasticism: An Ecumenical Enterprise , edited by Willem J. van Asselt and Eef Dekker
The Binding of God: Calvin’s Role in the Development of Covenant Theology , by Peter A. Lillback
Divine Discourse: The Theological Methodology of John Owen , by Sebastian Rehnman
Heinrich Bullinger and the Doctrine of Predestination: Author of “the Other Reformed Tradition”? by Cornelis P. Venema
Architect of Reformation: An Introduction to Heinrich Bullinger, 1504–1575 , edited by Bruce Gordon and Emidio Campi
An Introduction to the Heidelberg Catechism: Sources, History, and Theology , by Lyle D. Bierma with Charles D. Gunnoe Jr., Karin Y. Maag, and Paul W. Fields
Calvin’s Theology of the Psalms , by Herman J. Selderhuis
Sweet Communion: Trajectories of Spirituality from the Middle Ages through the Further Reformation , by Arie de Reuver, translated by James A. De Jong

© 2007 by Herman J. Selderhuis
Published by Baker Academic a division of Baker Publishing Group P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287 www.bakeracademic.com
Ebook edition created 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means for example, electronic, photocopy, recording without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
ISBN 978-1-4412-3719-4
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Funding for translation costs associated with producing this book was provided by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)
Contents
Cover
Editor
Books in the Series
Title Page
Copyright Page
Series Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 Calvin and the Psalms
2 God the Triune
3 God the Creator
4 God the Caring
5 God the Speaking
6 God the King
7 God the Judge
8 God the Hidden
9 God the Holy One
10 God the God of the Covenant
11 God the Father
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
Notes
Back Cover
Series Preface
The heritage of the Reformation is of profound importance to our society, our culture, and the church in the present day. Yet there remain many significant gaps in our knowledge of the intellectual development of Protestantism both during and after the Reformation, and there are not a few myths about the theology of the orthodox or scholastic Protestant writers of the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. These gaps and myths frequently caused by ignorance of the scope of a particular thinker’s work, by negative theological judgments passed by later generations on the theology of the Reformers and their successors, or by an intellectual imperialism of the present that singles out some thinkers and ignores others regardless of their relative significance to their own times stand in the way of a substantive encounter with this important period in our history. Understanding, assessment, and appropriation of that heritage can only occur through the publication of significant works (monographs, essays, and sound, scholarly translations) that present the breadth and detail of the thought of the Reformers and their successors.
Texts and Studies in Reformation and Post-Reformation Thought makes available (1) translations of important documents like Caspar Olevian’s A Firm Foundation and John Calvin’s Bondage and Liberation of the Will , (2) significant monographs on individual thinkers or on aspects of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Protestant thought, and (3) multiauthored symposia that bring together groups of scholars in an effort to present the state of scholarship on a particular issue, all under the guidance of an editorial board of recognized scholars in the field.
The series, moreover, is intended to address two groups: an academic and a confessional or churchly audience. The series recognizes the need for careful, scholarly treatment of the Reformation and of the era of Protestant orthodoxy, given the continuing presence of misunderstandings, particularly of the latter era, in both the scholarly and the popular literature and also given the rise of a more recent scholarship devoted to reappraising both the Reformation and the era of orthodoxy. The series highlights revised understandings regarding the relationship of the Reformation and orthodoxy to their medieval background and of the thought of both eras to their historical, social, political, and cultural contexts. Such scholarship will not only advance the academic discussion, it will also provide a churchly audience with a clearer and broader access to its own traditions. In sum, the series intends to present the varied and current approaches to the rich heritage of Protestantism and to stimulate interest in the roots of the Protestant tradition.
Richard A. Muller
Acknowledgments
Now that the publication of the English edition of God in het midden: Calvijns theologie van de Psalmen is a fact, I would like to express my gratitude to those who have made it possible. First, I want to thank Victor d’Assonville and David Holmlund for having worked so diligently on the translation. A generous grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) was the sine qua non for making a translation possible. I want to thank Richard A. Muller for his willingness to take this book into his series and Brian Bolger of Baker Academic for the pleasant communication we had on this project. I hope every reader enjoys reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Herman J. Selderhuis
Introduction
Here I must relate a memorable story. While we were supping in a certain inn and speaking of the hope of the heavenly life, a profane despiser of God happening to be present treated our discourse with derision and now and then mockingly exclaimed, “The heaven of heavens is the Lord’s.” Instantly afterwards he was seized with dreadful pain and began to vociferate, “O God! O God!” and, having a powerful voice, he filled the whole apartment with his cries. Then I, who had felt indignant at his conduct, proceeded in my own way to tell him irritated [1] that now at least he perceived that they who mock God are not permitted to escape with impunity. One of the guests, an honest and pious man and withal facetious (as a matter of fact he is still alive), exploited the opportunity thus, “Do you invoke God? Have you forgotten your philosophy? Why do you not permit God to remain in peace in heaven?” And as often as the one bawled out, “O God!” the other, mocking him, retorted, “Where is now thy Coelum coeli Domino ?” Eventually his pain was indeed mitigated; nevertheless, the remainder of his life was spent in sinful contempt of God. [2]
Calvin calls it a memorable occasion ( memorabilem historiam ) and that “memorable” does not concern him only but also them who keep busy in researching Calvin. This incident tells something about Calvin’s self knowledge when he acknowledges himself to be quite irritable and short-tempered. Precisely because of this, the story also tells us something about his adoration for this “honest and pious man” who knew how to tackle this problem more effectively than Calvin himself. Yet, in even greater significance, this story tells us something about Calvin’s view of God as the one who does not spend his time resting in heaven, secluded from the turbulent events of the world, but rather as a God who is undeniably present in the reality of daily existence and who acts in this world in a dynamic way.
1. Theology of the Psalms
The search which has now been carried out for many years to find the central dogma in Calvin’s theology still has not produced anything. The reason for that simply could be that Calvin’s theology is nothing else than theo -logy; by this I mean to say that the whole of his theology as well as all of its parts constantly deal with God. All themes in Calvin’s thought are discussed with God as both the point of departure and the unifying interest. On the one hand this impedes finding an organizing theme in Calvin’s theology, but on the other hand this makes his theology so captivating. The complexity and liveliness of Calvin’s theology is especially manifested in his commentary on the Psalms.
Three facts are brought forward by Erwin Mülhaupt in his argument to explain Calvin’s affection for this Bible book. [3] First of all the Psalms were of special significance to Calvin personally. He recognized much of himself in David and in difficult times he found comfort and strength in this book of the Bible. Secondly the Psalms are the only book from the Old Testament from which Calvin preached on Sundays. Thus the Psalms were the only exception to his