The Regensburg Forum is an online public forum that exists to promote informed and scholarly dialogue between the Roman Catholic and Reformed Protestant traditions. Recognizing that online forums – especially blogs and social media – have become one of the most effective mediums for ongoing, thoughtful discussion, The Regensburg Forum exists to encourage conversations between Catholic and Reformed Christians on theological, philosophical, and historical issues of fundamental importance.
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Does Original Sin Really Explain Infant Baptism? An Old Debate - by Joshua Shaw A debate raged in the last century between two (Protestant and) German scholars by the names Kurt Aland and Joachim Jeremias.[i] There has since been at least one colossal undertaking on the evidence regarding baptism from 2nd Temple Judaism to the 4th and 5th centuries of the church.[ii] The contention was whether… Read More Does Original Sin Really Explain Infant Baptism? An Old Debate
D. A. Schlatter (1852-1938) on Catholics and Protestants - by Joshua Shaw D. A. Schlatter is, to my mind, the most underrated Protestant theologian of the last century. I am tempted to compare him to other great Protestant figures of the 19th and 20th century, but he would rebuke me. We introduced him and a characteristic element of his theology and thinking in a… Read More D. A. Schlatter (1852-1938) on Catholics and Protestants
Luther and Predestination – Genesis Lectures (part 2): “Predestination will shine” from “the wounds of Christ” - Here is the rest of Martin Luther’s discussion on predestination in his lecture on Genesis 26:9 (Concordia ed., vol. 5, pp. 46-50) (continued from here): But you will say: “I cannot believe.” Thus many are troubled by this trial, and I recall that at Torgau a little woman came to me and complained with tears… Read More Luther and Predestination – Genesis Lectures (part 2): “Predestination will shine” from “the wounds of Christ”
Luther and Predestination – Genesis Lectures (part 1) - I’m thankful for the engagement on the previous post. Calvinists and Lutherans argued for decades – perhaps centuries – about whether De servo arbitrio or On the Bondage of the Will (1525) supported their side of the debate over predestination for decades. Here are a couple of a major Reformed figures in Reformed orthodoxy (p.… Read More Luther and Predestination – Genesis Lectures (part 1)
“Not many were powerful” (1 Cor. 1:26) - In light of the reflections of religious persecution last week, I had a rich discussion today about our confidence in the power of the proclamation of the Gospel. This confidence in preaching also came to mind because today is 793rd anniversary of the death of the famous Franciscan preacher, Anthony of Padua (or Lisbon). Moreover,… Read More “Not many were powerful” (1 Cor. 1:26)
Religious Freedom in the Early Modern Period (part 1) - by Matthew Gaetano TRF hosted some interesting debates about religious freedom, the Second Vatican Council, and the development of doctrine back in 2017. For the last several years, there has been quite a lot of debate about Integralism, Christian nationalism, and other post-liberal (or often pre-liberal!) approaches to state and society. Back in 2019, Pater… Read More Religious Freedom in the Early Modern Period (part 1)
Luther and Predestination - Quite a topic for a Friday in June! I was digging around for something in Martin Luther’s Table Talk – informal remarks of the reformer to his students, friends, etc. – and stumbled upon this passage from Spring 1533 (vol. 54 of Concordia Edition, p. 87, no. 502): Concerning the statement, “It depends not upon… Read More Luther and Predestination
“All things laugh”: Martin Luther and Christmas - by Matthew Gaetano The appreciation of the celebration of Christmas varied among the early Reformers. Bruce Gordon touches on some of that history here, though see R. Scott Clark’s account here as well. Martin Luther’s love of the festival was particularly strong, as can be seen in his Christmastide sermons of 1544. Within a couple… Read More “All things laugh”: Martin Luther and Christmas
“The Apostle Philosophizes”: Luther and the Critique of Metaphysics in 1515-1516 - by Matthew Gaetano TRF has discussed the Protestant engagement with ancient philosophy and scholasticism quite a number of times (here, here, here, here). But we have not directly discussed Martin Luther’s engagement with the question of philosophy and its study by Christians. Luther’s famous contempt for Aristotle, especially early in his reforming career, is on… Read More “The Apostle Philosophizes”: Luther and the Critique of Metaphysics in 1515-1516
Philo and Genesis Rabba on Serpents - by Andrew Kuiper One of the questions that naturally arises when reading Philo’s writings (see here) is how his works compare with rabbinic midrash. Since Philo is one of the earliest, and certainly most comprehensive, examples of exegesis within the milieu of Hellenistic Judaism (or Jewish Hellenism as some have proposed calling it), it is… Read More Philo and Genesis Rabba on Serpents
Philo and the Good Shepherd - by Matthew Gaetano Previous posts, especially those by Joshua Shaw, have touched on the major first-century Jewish thinker, Philo of Alexandria (here, here, here, and here). As we deal here with the long Augustinian tradition, it is fitting that we remember Augustine’s debts not only to Platonism, but also to those who, centuries before Augustine,… Read More Philo and the Good Shepherd
Philadelphia and the Apocalypse - by Matthew Gaetano The post that follows is a bit unusual. I’m following the thread of different meanings of the word Philadelphia, but the path is rather circuitous. I hope that some of the elements of the exploration here turn out to be interesting. I was recently reading about medieval accounts of the book of… Read More Philadelphia and the Apocalypse