R. Zachman new book seems to make the case against Calvin

[SolaGratia]

Here are a few excerpts from the introduction chapter of this new book title, John Calvin and Roman Catholism edited by Randall C. Zachman, professor of Reformation Studies at the University of Our Lady (Notre Dame):

Over against Calvin, Tavard argues that these former associates of Calvin were not "Nicodemites," but instead were sincere reforming Catholics who thought that their adherence to justification by grace through faith did not entail a break with the episcopacy, as Calvin came to claim.

Calvin's friend du Tillet claimed that Calvin "had entered into an illegitimate form of ministry" and that this claimed was shared by:

Roussel, Marguerite d'Angouleme, and Stapulensis; in Italy by Ochino, Contarini, and Colonna; and in Spain by Valdes and Gonzaga, among others.

Also, according to this book:

The Catholics also made much better preachers and debaters, appealing effectively to the emotions of the audience, over against the intellectual and doctrinal orientation of the Reformed pastors, who preferred the written text to live debate.

Plus

"The opening of two seminaries in the Dutch Republic placed the reforms of ministry at Trent and in the Jesuit order at the foundation of priestly formation, far advance of others locales in Europe. The priest were trained in apologetics to try to convert the Reformed to Catholicism, and used catechesis and other devotional literature to ground the laity in the Catholic faith so that they would not succumb to Protestant attacks."


Final quote, I have is:

Zachman explores whether Calvin actually revised his position on baptism, the holy Supper of the Lord, the laying on of hands, and the order of the church; he examines this possibilty in light of Calvin's participation in the dialogues between the evangelicals and the Roman Catholics between 1539 and 1541, with particular attention to the 1543 edition of Calvin Institutes.

I have not finish reading the book, but so far I think it is a must read for a more sound understanding of why we are Reformed and not Papist, thanks to Calvin.

 

[Davidius]

Fascinating! I'm visting Notre Dame next week; maybe I'll get a chance to meet Professor Zachman. It's a shame that I didn't know about this book sooner, but maybe if I decide to go to school there I can read it over the summer.

By the way, what's a "Nicodemite"?

-----Added 3/13/2009 at 01:41:31 EST-----

By the way, are you sure he's out to make a case against Calvin? Almost all of his research is about Calvin, and most of it (from the titles, at least) seems quite positive.

 

[SolaGratia]

Here is a sample of the book:

http://www.bakeracademic.com/Media/MediaManager/Excerpt_9780801035975.pdf

-----Added 3/13/2009 at 01:50:31 EST-----

The "Nicodemites" were Protestants in France during the Reformation who participated in Roman Catholic worship, not because they believed Roman Catholic doctrine or regarded Roman Catholic worship as pure, but because of various pressures on them to conform. These pressures included the threat of persecution, their own desire to maintain their social standing in the community, and the influence of Roman Catholic family members and friends. The Nicodemites deliberately dissembled. Outwardly they performed all the rites of Roman Catholic worship, including the celebration of the Mass. Inwardly, they said, they rejected Roman Catholic worship as false and worshiped God according to the Reformed faith.

Since they justified this behavior by an appeal to Nicodemus, who came to Jesus secretly at night while retaining his position on the Sanhedrin, Calvin called these people "Nicodemites." Later, he would call them "pseudo-Nicodemites."

Come Out From Among Them contains most of Calvin's writings against the Nicodemite error, including "A Letter to Some Friends," "A Short Treatise Setting Forth What the Faithful Man Must Do When He is Among Papists and He Knows the Truth of the Gospel," "Answer of John Calvin to the Nicodemite Gentlemen Concerning Their Complaint That He is Too Severe," "Four Sermons from John Calvin Treating Matters Which Are Very Useful for Our Times with a Brief Exposition of Psalm 87," and "A Response to a Certain Dutchman Who, Under Pretence of Making Christians Really Spiritual, Suffers Them to Defile Their Bodies in All Sorts of Idolatries." Most of these, if not all of them, are now translated into English for the first time.

Standard Bearer-V.78-I.1-Book Reviews- by Various Authors

 

[DTK]

The Catholics also made much better preachers and debaters, appealing effectively to the emotions of the audience, over against the intellectual and doctrinal orientation of the Reformed pastors, who preferred the written text to live debate.

Simply put, I do not believe Zachman's assertion. I think that the Romanists were out-classed on both fronts. Of course, I'm not privy to any argumentation on Zachman's part. But if Calvin's example at Lausanne in October of 1536 is any indication generally on the debate front, then the Romanists were made to look silly on that particular occasion. Moreover in his work, The Necessity of Reforming the Church, Calvin's complaint against them was...

And, first, the pastoral office itself, as instituted by Christ, has long been in desuetude. His object in appointing Bishops and Pastors, or whatever the name be by which they are called, certainly was, as Paul declares, that they might edify the Church with sound doctrine. According to this view, no man is a true pastor of the Church who does not perform the office of teaching. But, in the present day, almost all those who have the name of pastors have left that work to others. Scarcely one in a hundred of the Bishops will be found who ever mounts the pulpit in order to teach. And no wonder; for bishoprics have degenerated into secular principalities. Pastors of inferior rank, again, either think that they fulfill their office by frivolous performances altogether alien from the command of Christ, or, after the example of the Bishops, throw even this part of the duty on the shoulders of others.

If Calvin's language is an accurate description of the state of affairs in his day, the Romanists had for all practical purposes abandoned the practice of preaching, let alone out-classed the Reformers in their appeals to their audiences through this particular medium.

Does Zachman offer any meaningful proof for his assertion as such?

Thanks for posting the notice for this book,
DTK

 

[SolaGratia]

There is a free sample of the book that will help one see from where Zachman, as editor, is coming from. The book is composed of scholars contributing a chapter each relating to Calvin or Calvinist, the Papist, and the Nicodemites.

http://www.bakeracademic.com/Media/MediaManager/Excerpt_9780801035975.pdf


Chapter 4 (not available for viewing on-line) title, Rules of Engagement, Catholics and Protestants in the Diocese of Geneva, 1580-1633, by Jill Fehleison, goes on to mention how the Reformed and the Papist meet for disputations, how Francis de Sales wanted to win back the Reformed backed to the faith of the Pope and how each different group had their manner of approach to confront each other.