Author: Matthew Gaetano

“We need … no other goods except wine and flour for the holy sacrament”: Christian Kongo and Slavery

by Matthew Gaetano TRF has addressed Christian confrontations with slavery in the past (here, here, here). Kidnapping of West Africans or other raiding expeditions during the transatlantic slave trade of 12.5 million human beings did occur (and here). It is also true that the Portuguese and others purchased human beings already in some form of… Read More “We need … no other goods except wine and flour for the holy sacrament”: Christian Kongo and Slavery

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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”

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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)

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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)

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“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

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“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

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