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Melanchthon and Bucer
This carefully translated and edited volume in the Library of Christian Classics contains Philip Melanchthon's famous Loci Communes and Martin Bucer's De Rengo Christi . Long recognized for the quality of its translations, introductions, explanatory notes, and indexes, the Library of Christian Classics provides scholars and students with modern English translations of some of the most significant Christian theological texts in history. Through these works--each written prior to the end of the sixteenth century--contemporary readers are able to engage the ideas that have shaped Christian theology and the church through the centuries.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1969
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 6, 2021
This volume contains (1) Loci Communes, the first Protestant systematic theology written in 1521 by 24-year-old Philip Melanchthon, and (2) De Regno Christi, a book written about the Kingdom of Christ by Martin Bucer in 1550, a year before his death. Bucer wrote his book to King Edward VI, explaining what the Kingdom of Christ is, why it is important, and how the king (and everyone) was to work towards restoring and promoting it in his realm. While I don't necessarily agree with everything in these books, they are very useful and insightful, both for understanding the Reformation and also for understanding Christian doctrine and the kingdom of Christ (especially Bucer’s book).
"Accordingly, faith is nothing else than trust in the divine mercy promised in Christ, and it makes no difference with what sign it has been promised. This trust in the goodwill or mercy of God first calms our hearts and then inflames us to give thanks to God for his mercy so that we keep the law gladly and willingly."
-Philip Melanchthon, Loci Communes
"Sixth: it is the proper duty of the citizens of the Kingdom of Christ that they restore all the old ruins that have lain waste for many ages, i.e., that they lead many peoples who for generations have been deprived of any knowledge and love of God to faith in Christ and the development of righteousness."
- Martin Bucer, De Regno Christi, commenting on Isaiah 61:1-6.
"Accordingly, faith is nothing else than trust in the divine mercy promised in Christ, and it makes no difference with what sign it has been promised. This trust in the goodwill or mercy of God first calms our hearts and then inflames us to give thanks to God for his mercy so that we keep the law gladly and willingly."
-Philip Melanchthon, Loci Communes
"Sixth: it is the proper duty of the citizens of the Kingdom of Christ that they restore all the old ruins that have lain waste for many ages, i.e., that they lead many peoples who for generations have been deprived of any knowledge and love of God to faith in Christ and the development of righteousness."
- Martin Bucer, De Regno Christi, commenting on Isaiah 61:1-6.
May 10, 2021
*ONLY READ LOCI COMMUNES*
Philip Melanchthon was a a theologian par excellence. In this 152 page systematic theology, he rightly divides law and gospel, provides a stout apology for sola fide, and calls out the excesses of late medieval (and let’s face it, modern) Roman Catholicism. This beautiful book is an important addition to the Reformation canon and, according to Luther, should be read alongside Scripture. I think it’s safe to agree.
If I had one complaint, it would be that Melanchthon can get a bit dry at times. That said, I have heard that this first iteration of the Loci is by far it’s best as he later in life slipped back into free will theology.
Philip Melanchthon was a a theologian par excellence. In this 152 page systematic theology, he rightly divides law and gospel, provides a stout apology for sola fide, and calls out the excesses of late medieval (and let’s face it, modern) Roman Catholicism. This beautiful book is an important addition to the Reformation canon and, according to Luther, should be read alongside Scripture. I think it’s safe to agree.
If I had one complaint, it would be that Melanchthon can get a bit dry at times. That said, I have heard that this first iteration of the Loci is by far it’s best as he later in life slipped back into free will theology.
October 27, 2013
One must keep in mind that Melanchton's *Loci* went through many revisions. This selection represents Melancthon's earlier thoughts. He does a fine job responding to the pelagianism of late Medieval nominalism (and anticipates and effectively rebuts the "Reformation = nominalism" line today). While his exegesis is not as precise as later Reformers, he effectively captures the essence of New Testament freedom in the Spirit (and gives a devastating critique of monastic vows). His use of the Law of God in the Christian's life, while occasionally sloppy at times, is very interesting.
This selection of Bucer's *De Regno Christi* is useful, if incomplete. It omits most of his exposition of the 7th Commandment. I understand why, for space reasons. The drawback is that the reader is not engaged with Bucer's groundbreaking work on divorce and remarriage. While such a view was originally aimed at Roman Catholicism, it would be very useful reading today as some in the "Young, Restless, and Reformed Camp" are advocating a similar Romanist view (John Piper, for one). Bucer's discussion of the Kingdom of Christ is not as polished as later discsussions. His advocating of something similar to a theonomic socialism (yes, I said those two words!) should provide interesting discussions for social reform.
This selection of Bucer's *De Regno Christi* is useful, if incomplete. It omits most of his exposition of the 7th Commandment. I understand why, for space reasons. The drawback is that the reader is not engaged with Bucer's groundbreaking work on divorce and remarriage. While such a view was originally aimed at Roman Catholicism, it would be very useful reading today as some in the "Young, Restless, and Reformed Camp" are advocating a similar Romanist view (John Piper, for one). Bucer's discussion of the Kingdom of Christ is not as polished as later discsussions. His advocating of something similar to a theonomic socialism (yes, I said those two words!) should provide interesting discussions for social reform.
October 14, 2020
This series continues to be a solid, digestible overview of the development/history of theology and which doctrines took center stage along the course of Church history. The introductions and backgrounds continue to excel, and for this volume especially, the series did a wonderful job of selecting a single titular work from each author and allowing the reader to work through a full discourse instead of a snippet (with the exception of Bucer’s pet topic on divorce, which again, good editorial decision). Going to be coming back to reference both of these.
September 10, 2024
Loci Communes was surprisingly concise, very clear, and helpfully devotional! I really appreciated Melanchthon’s insistence on laying hold of the promises of the gospel by faith, and to explore the Scriptures rather than live in his commentary.
May 10, 2021
*Only read Melanchthon*
Want to Read
November 8, 2011Can't wait to tear through 'De Regno Christi'
March 17, 2022
I got this collection in order to have access to Martin Bucer's De Regno Christi as it is a considered a major work within Reformed theology. So I spent more time skimming the contribution by Melanchthon so I don't have much to say on that. In general this volume is a good one within the Library of Christian Classics series. I found both translations to be very readable along with the helpful footnotes that cited sources or gave helpful contextual clues to the historical situation at the time.
As I said I got this book for the purpose of Bucer's De Regno Christi which was a work written for Henry VIII near the end of Bucer's life in order to persuade him to put into practice some Reformation ideals into the established law of the Kingdom of England. Historically, this is important because it represents the first major work that attempts to bind the laws of the land to the principals of Reformed theology. It is interesting and important for that reason, especially because of the influence it would have over people that followed. In general, Bucer's heart is in the right place but this is neither a thrilling nor applicable read.
To Bucer's credit he died before he could refine this work so all we have is what was left. He repeats himself quite a bit throughout and you can tell that some of his ideas would probably have been left on the cutting room floor if he could have had another read through the work. He suggests all sorts of things that would be mandated, like the separation of boys and girls during dances, which are so fanciful and inapplicable on a national level that it a laughable fantasy. Now for every one of those bad ideas, Bucer has ideas that were way ahead of its time. For exampple, when it came to the state taking an active role in caring for the poor (something that was seen only within in the domain of the church before the Reformation), or having a system whereby only honest and scrupulous merchants would be allowed to trade (you could see this as a forerunner of stuff like the FDA).
Bucer proves that one can indeed legislate morality, in fact this is what all laws are whether we recognize it or not, but perhaps because he was a pastor and professor and not a government official fails to recognize that not all moral stances can be legislated with any effectiveness and one must accept the push and pull of life and the working of the human heart.
Overall, for people interested in the history of Reformed theology I believe it is worth reading, but certainly not a powerhouse work like others.
As I said I got this book for the purpose of Bucer's De Regno Christi which was a work written for Henry VIII near the end of Bucer's life in order to persuade him to put into practice some Reformation ideals into the established law of the Kingdom of England. Historically, this is important because it represents the first major work that attempts to bind the laws of the land to the principals of Reformed theology. It is interesting and important for that reason, especially because of the influence it would have over people that followed. In general, Bucer's heart is in the right place but this is neither a thrilling nor applicable read.
To Bucer's credit he died before he could refine this work so all we have is what was left. He repeats himself quite a bit throughout and you can tell that some of his ideas would probably have been left on the cutting room floor if he could have had another read through the work. He suggests all sorts of things that would be mandated, like the separation of boys and girls during dances, which are so fanciful and inapplicable on a national level that it a laughable fantasy. Now for every one of those bad ideas, Bucer has ideas that were way ahead of its time. For exampple, when it came to the state taking an active role in caring for the poor (something that was seen only within in the domain of the church before the Reformation), or having a system whereby only honest and scrupulous merchants would be allowed to trade (you could see this as a forerunner of stuff like the FDA).
Bucer proves that one can indeed legislate morality, in fact this is what all laws are whether we recognize it or not, but perhaps because he was a pastor and professor and not a government official fails to recognize that not all moral stances can be legislated with any effectiveness and one must accept the push and pull of life and the working of the human heart.
Overall, for people interested in the history of Reformed theology I believe it is worth reading, but certainly not a powerhouse work like others.
August 8, 2024
Bucer only in this review/rating.
Interesting. This was assigned reading for Christian History (the Bucer section- which is all I read)
In parts it was difficult for me to not argue with the author from my modern, American, evangelical perspective. I tried not to let myself get in the way. I agreed with a lot of the principles while disagreeing with some of the theology and proposed application of the principles here. The section on marriage was mostly missing from this version of the text, so someday I will read the part I missed. Worth the read to compare to other reformed eauthors of/around his time. I appreciated the section in book 2 on caring for the poor.
Interesting. This was assigned reading for Christian History (the Bucer section- which is all I read)
In parts it was difficult for me to not argue with the author from my modern, American, evangelical perspective. I tried not to let myself get in the way. I agreed with a lot of the principles while disagreeing with some of the theology and proposed application of the principles here. The section on marriage was mostly missing from this version of the text, so someday I will read the part I missed. Worth the read to compare to other reformed eauthors of/around his time. I appreciated the section in book 2 on caring for the poor.
November 29, 2017
Contains Melanchthon's common topics and Bucer's instructions to Edward IV on how to run his kingdom.
August 31, 2024
I read De Regno Christi by Martin Bucer from this collection.
August 15, 2016
I have rarely read a book where I sympathized more with the ideas and ideals of the writer while at the same time being so entirely opposed to the practices he argues for. Bucer (whose translated prose is much livelier than Melanchthon's in the same volume) writes his De Regno Christi to the young Edward VI, explaining how an energetic Christian king can create a government which will work together with the Church to produce-- I think the claim is nothing less than this-- the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
It's an intense book: it's beguilingly optimistic, pious, sincere. It provides arguments against those who would say that the aims Bucer suggests are Utopian or un-Biblical. It is written with real concern for the real temporal, as well as eternal, welfare of the real people Bucer knew and observed during the end of his life in England. And yet. It is basically the how-to manual for a fully functional Theocracy which is as suspicious as its flock and of the ruling machinery both as twentieth century totalitarian states. It also, one has to think, simply wouldn't work, and that on several levels, most of them involving a lack of people as simple-heartedly good as Bucer himself seems to have been for the just running of the state.
Just to be clear, I have no sympathy for the death penalty (or indeed any penalty) being given to heretics and open atheists, which Bucer maintains, with the Old Testament, is necessary for the peace and purity of a country. But many of his other ideas do sound really good, at least until you consider that you'd need to find people to put them into action, and that people are often corrupt and unkind generally.
A weirdly happy book which screams Dystopia, it is charming in its way because, written as it was in 1550, Bucer doesn't have the benefit of an additional 500 years of history to look back on. It's like reading a journal entry at middle age that you wrote at seventeen.
It's an intense book: it's beguilingly optimistic, pious, sincere. It provides arguments against those who would say that the aims Bucer suggests are Utopian or un-Biblical. It is written with real concern for the real temporal, as well as eternal, welfare of the real people Bucer knew and observed during the end of his life in England. And yet. It is basically the how-to manual for a fully functional Theocracy which is as suspicious as its flock and of the ruling machinery both as twentieth century totalitarian states. It also, one has to think, simply wouldn't work, and that on several levels, most of them involving a lack of people as simple-heartedly good as Bucer himself seems to have been for the just running of the state.
Just to be clear, I have no sympathy for the death penalty (or indeed any penalty) being given to heretics and open atheists, which Bucer maintains, with the Old Testament, is necessary for the peace and purity of a country. But many of his other ideas do sound really good, at least until you consider that you'd need to find people to put them into action, and that people are often corrupt and unkind generally.
A weirdly happy book which screams Dystopia, it is charming in its way because, written as it was in 1550, Bucer doesn't have the benefit of an additional 500 years of history to look back on. It's like reading a journal entry at middle age that you wrote at seventeen.
February 15, 2010
(I didn't read the Melancthon part--roughly the first 40%--but the Bucer part, which is his De Regno Christi (Of the Kingdom of Christ).
It was thoroughly enjoyable, even if he never did resolve the fundamental question that his work invites us to raise at the beginning--is the Church itself the Kingdom, or are Church and State together (with the State firmly on top) the Kingdom? He starts out strongly implying the former, but by the end, the Church has almost disappeared. Add to that his Erastianism and his remarkably totalitarian ideas for the State, and you have a recipe for something I'd hate.
But, for whatever reason, I really don't hate it. I quite like it, actually (unlike Bucer's pal Vermigli, who just grates on me nonstop, even when he says less objectionable things). Bucer writes in a very human tone, and has a very human vision (inspiring and occasionally incoherent). He has a much better understanding of what politics is about than most American Christian conservatives, and he has an exceptionally good treatment of care for the poor...even if I'm not sure if I'm happy with all of it, it's still a must-read. And, when he says ridiculous things, you can't help but laugh, rather than getting annoyed (for example, when he talks about the kind of pious and edifying tragedies and comedies the king should commission to have written, and goes into considerable detail about the various salutary elements of a prospective play on the dispute between Abraham and Lot's shepherds!).
So, go read this book, and scribble all over the margins, like I did.
It was thoroughly enjoyable, even if he never did resolve the fundamental question that his work invites us to raise at the beginning--is the Church itself the Kingdom, or are Church and State together (with the State firmly on top) the Kingdom? He starts out strongly implying the former, but by the end, the Church has almost disappeared. Add to that his Erastianism and his remarkably totalitarian ideas for the State, and you have a recipe for something I'd hate.
But, for whatever reason, I really don't hate it. I quite like it, actually (unlike Bucer's pal Vermigli, who just grates on me nonstop, even when he says less objectionable things). Bucer writes in a very human tone, and has a very human vision (inspiring and occasionally incoherent). He has a much better understanding of what politics is about than most American Christian conservatives, and he has an exceptionally good treatment of care for the poor...even if I'm not sure if I'm happy with all of it, it's still a must-read. And, when he says ridiculous things, you can't help but laugh, rather than getting annoyed (for example, when he talks about the kind of pious and edifying tragedies and comedies the king should commission to have written, and goes into considerable detail about the various salutary elements of a prospective play on the dispute between Abraham and Lot's shepherds!).
So, go read this book, and scribble all over the margins, like I did.
April 7, 2010
I read portions of this book for a baptism paper in seminary. This was written at the very end of Bucer's life and dedicated to Edward VI. Here are his mature thoughts on the sacraments, but what I'm even more interested in reading is his description of the "kingdom of Christ" and how it relates to, interacts with, and differs from the "kingdoms of this world." This is Bucer's work of political theology.
January 19, 2013
I only read Melanchthon's loci
March 15, 2015
Read Melanchthon's section on magistrates, the editor's introduction to Bucer, and chapters 1-8 and 56-60 (and the final chapter) in De Regno Christi.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews