Flesh of the Word: The extra Calvinisticum from Zwingli to Early Orthodoxy

During the Reformation, the extra Calvinisticum, which holds that the eternal Son continues to exist beyond the flesh both during his earthly ministry and eternally, divided the Lutheran and Reformed traditions. This book explores the emergence and development of the extra Calvinisticum in the Reformed tradition by tracing its first exposition from Ulrich Zwingli to early Reformed orthodoxy. Reformed theologians maintained this doctrine to preserve the integrity of Christ's divine and human natures as the mediator between God and humanity.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 328 pages
\n Publication date: 11 August 2021
\n Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc
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The extra Calvinisticum, a doctrine that asserts the eternal Son's continued existence beyond the flesh during his earthly ministry and perpetually, played a significant role in dividing the Lutheran and Reformed traditions during the Reformation. This book delves into the emergence and development of the extra Calvinisticum within the Reformed tradition, tracing its initial exposition from Ulrich Zwingli to early Reformed orthodoxy. Rather than being a mere ancillary issue, the questions surrounding the extra Calvinisticum were crucial in differentiating Magisterial Protestantism into rival confessions. Reformed theologians upheld this doctrine to preserve the integrity of Christ's divine and human natures as the mediator between God and humanity. This rationale remained consistent throughout this period, with increasing elaboration and sophistication to address the challenges posed by Lutheran polemics.

The study begins with Zwingli's early use of the extra Calvinisticum in the Eucharistic controversy with Martin Luther, particularly as an alternative to Luther's doctrine of the ubiquity of Christ's human body. Over time, Reformed theologians, including Peter Martyr Vermigli and Antione de Chandieu, articulated the extra Calvinisticum with increasing rigor by incorporating conciliar Christology, the church fathers, and scholastic methodology to address the polemical needs of engagement with Lutheranism.

The Flesh of the Word serves as a valuable illustration of the development of christological doctrine by Reformed theologians, offering a coherent historical narrative of Reformed christology from its emergence into the period of confessionalization. The extra Calvinisticum was intricately interconnected to broader concerns affecting concepts of the union of Christ's natures, the communicatio idiomatum, and the relationship between the divine and human wills in the person of Christ.

By examining the extra Calvinisticum, this book sheds light on the complex theological debates and developments that characterized the Reformation era, contributing to a deeper understanding of the Reformed tradition and its distinctives.

\n Weight: 642g\n
Dimension: 166 x 243 x 31 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780197567944\n \n