History

Nov 3, 2017 - Drs. David Thomas and Henry Allen presented papers in academic forums in early November 2017. Both papers focused on history and religion.

On November 2, Dr. Thomas spoke to some 35 people at the Fall Colloquium of Union’s School of Theology and Missions. He talked about “Holiness Holds Forth in Time: Theology and the Past,” contending that one’s full profession of Christian discipleship richly enhances one’s historical understanding. He defined discipleship as a general commitment to following Christ, not in the specific sense associated with pietism, but as an embracement of theology. While stating that the teaching of American history is important in the formation of responsible citizens, Thomas argued that this was less critical for Christian historians than the goal of forming disciples. He added: “When Christians reflect on the past, we ought to be engaging with theological anthropology, the nature of evidence and interpretation, and purpose, among other things that emerge from consideration of our theological commitments to creation, fall, incarnation, and the Eschaton.” Emphasizing the relevance of theology in linking a Christian historian’s faithfulness to Biblical authority with his/her commitment to the historical discipline, Professor Thomas concluded by saying: “Recognizing the Lordship of Christ affirms creational goodness, human culture, and redemptive hope, all of which are essential to a full expression of historical understanding.”

Dr. Allen delivered a paper titled “The Arts and Traditional Lutheranism: A Protestant Outlier Tradition” on November 3 at an academic conference at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. He wrote his paper as a way of recognizing the five-hundredth anniversary of Martin Luther’s nailing of his 95 Theses to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany, in 1517. Dr. Allen presented Luther as an ironic outlier to the general Protestant tradition that he is often viewed as having begun in the sixteenth century. Unlike virtually all other subsequent Protestant churches, Luther preserved, maintained, and promoted a majority of the worship, artistic, and overall theological emphases of patristic and medieval Catholic Christianity. Though refocusing the medieval theological tradition owing to his insights regarding the free gift of salvation through Christ by grace alone through faith alone, Luther still preserved the basic form of the Mass in worship (even retaining the name “mass” for worship services). The main thrust of Dr. Allen’s paper was Luther’s view of the arts, with a focus on his retention of the Catholic artistic and visual tradition in worship (e.g., retaining crucifixes, religious statues, frescoes, and icons). Dr. Allen also discussed Luther’s great love of sacred music (himself being a gifted musician and composer) and how Luther retained much of the Catholic tradition of sacred music, but with the addition of hymns for congregational singing as well as grand chorales and organ works for worship services. Luther’s musical passion paved the way for later sacred composers and musicians, such as the devout Lutheran Johann Sebastian Bach. Other early Protestant reformers either rejected the Catholic artistic and worship tradition entirely (e.g., Zwingli) or were highly suspicious of and sparing in their retention of such “popish” elements.