This thesis examines John Calvin's concept of the Kingdom of God. There are four basic terms for this concept: regnum Dei, regnum Christi, regnum caelorum and regnum caeleste. All of these terms are more or less interchangeable. With the Christian church Calvin recognizes that one aspect of the Kingdom of God is its transcendent, heavenly, eternal dimension. This is the unique meaning of regnum caeleste. Yet most of Calvin's discourse on the Kingdom refers to the presence of God's Kingdom or rule on earth. The term regnum can mean either kingdom or reign. Regnum Dei therefore refers to God's reign or his Kingdom, or in many cases both aspects together. There are two dimensions to his reign: the general rule over the world and the special redemptive rule through his Word and Spirit. In the broader sense, the regnum Dei is basically equivalent to God's providence. The special, redemptive dimension of God's reign is the Kingdom of Christ or the regnum Christi. The regnum Christi is the rule of Christ from the time of his ascension up to the time of the Last Judgement, at which time Christ will hand back the reign to the Father. The product of Christ's reign is the church, which is Christ's Kingdom. Calvin uses the concept of the regnum Christi to interpret some important prophetic passages in the Old Testament. Many Old Testament prophecies are seen by Calvin to point forward to the New Testament age when Christ will rule. There is also an individual dimension to the Kingdom of God in Calvin's theology. The Kingdom of God is often the life of sanctification which is found in the individual believer. But collectively, as we have seen, the Kingdom of God on earth often refers to the church. Although Calvin urges princes and rulers to submit to the rule of Christ, it is perhaps inconsistent when he does not include 'lq Christian political institutions in his concept of the Kingdom of God. Thus in respect to the city of Geneva, over which he exerted so much influence, Calvin sees the church in that city as a part of Christ's Kingdom, but the city as a whole is not considered to be Christ's Kingdom.

The main purpose of this study is to show that any disconnect between the doctrines of revelation and redemption is unwarranted. Divine communicative action is to enable personal knowledge of God, and this has not only epistemological but also soteriological implications. A survey of Calvin‘s understanding concerning the activity of speech, both human and divine, is undertaken first. The role of Scripture in conveying divine speech is discussed and Calvin‘s concept of accommodation is reviewed. As communication can only function in particular contexts, it is argued that an appropriate context for divine-human communication is provided in the doctrine of the imago Dei. The main contemporary views are considered and a recent major statement of the functional view is summarised and an initial critique offered. Further objections are then raised to the primacy (or exclusivity) of the consensus view. Also the imago is located in the wider framework of biblical theology and Calvin‘s concept of the imago is also examined. The identity of the covenant-making God is considered and this is done with particular reference to the experience and testimony of Israel. The significance of the notions ‗experience‘ and ‗testimony‘ are examined especially in their relation to knowledge. The Exodus texts concerning the ―revelation of the divine name‖ are then analysed, which opens up questions about the identity of YHWH, his action and the links with his speech. Some contemporary thinking on the Epistle to the Hebrews is surveyed and this leads to the conclusion that to ignore the speech of YHWH is to render both his identity and action opaque at the very least. In the context of God‘s ―design plan‖, human beings are made for relationship with him and divine communicative action is necessary to effect that relationship – bringing both revelation and redemption together.

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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / Historically, mystical experiences have been interpreted variously within psychology and theology. This dissertation explores theological and psychological interpretations of these experiences among professionals in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), putting their interpretations in conversation with the theologies of John Calvin, North American Calvinist traditions, and a range of psychological theories. The purpose is to draw theoretical and practical constructs from this research to guide pastors and counselors in responding to persons who report intense religious experiences, such as hearing the voice of God and seeing a vision of Christ. Some psychologists interpret such experiences as pathological, some as psychologically beneficial. Calvinists, focusing on the intellectual dimension of religion, have traditionally been wary of mystical experience. A more thorough reading of Calvin's theology shows his affirmation of mystica unio . In 18th century colonial America, Jonathan Edwards also accepted mystical experiences, but subjected their authenticity and meaning to rational, religious scrutiny. To explore understandings of mystical religious experience in the current Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), twenty structured interviews were conducted with pastors and pastoral counselors in the Boston Presbytery. Results show that sources common to theologically trained professionals can be useful in distinguishing mystical religious experience from psychotic episodes. Using Scripture, Presbyterian beliefs, personal experience, and awareness of cultural religious differences, 70% of participants distinguished experiences such as hearing God's voice and seeing visions of Christ from mental illness, and 90% distinguished experiences such as sensing God's inner presence during prayer from mental illness. Using the same sources, participants identified some experiences with religious language and symbols as symptoms of mental illness rather than mystical religious experience. Presbyterian pastors and counselors concurred that many religious experiences can be interpreted within Reformed theology. The study revealed the need for more thorough education of pastors and counselors in the psychology of religious experience and theological interpretations of such experiences. / 2042-07-17

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:48:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jamili Paulo Kury dos Reis.pdf: 988490 bytes, checksum: f48397a282d1886197e174b343ba3a9f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-15 / Fundo Mackenzie de Pesquisa / This research project turns about the executive secretary s professional ethics and its relationship with John Calvin s ethical perspective. The executive secretariat is a profession regulated in Brazil and is governed by the Code of Ethics, that was elaborated in July of 1973 by the Association of the Secretaries of Brazil (ASB). Ever since, the National Federation of the Secretaries guide the professionals to understand the Code of Ethics as basic instrument of professional guidance. Due to the importance of that document and the ethical nuances that it defends, this project search to do an approach with the Christian ethics of the French reformer John Calvin. / Este projeto de pesquisa versa sobre a ética profissional do secretário executivo e sua relação com a perspectiva ética de João Calvino. O secretariado executivo é uma profissão regulamentada no Brasil e procura se reger pelo conhecido Código de Ética, o qual foi elaborado em julho de 1973 pela Associação das Secretárias do Brasil (ASB). Desde então, a Federação Nacional das Secretárias e Secretários orienta os profissionais a entenderem o Código de Ética, como instrumento básico de direcionamento profissional. Dadas a importância desse documento e as nuances éticas que ele defende, este projeto procura fazer uma aproximação com a ética cristã do reformador francês João Calvino.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:48:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Adelson Luiz Garcia.pdf: 658491 bytes, checksum: ae7c0ee4d67eda1cf8152604e8bf0257 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-08-12 / Igreja Presbiteriana do Brasil / It deals of a work that finds to show the contribution of the social thought of John Calvin to the formation of the citizen. Thinking about this topic, we study that in the end of the Middle Age there was a great migration of the population to the cities. Before it a well-known picture was of the peasant and now it goes by to be the picture of the townsman. Naturally this transformation there would be to change the focus of the communal life and consequently the life in society. It increases the intensity of the social ties and thereafter more social problems. The society in transformation will need solid and balanced structure to develop and maintain itself through the laws and citizens that will regulate these laws. During the Middle Age, there was little assistance to the small existing society. With the Renaissance and the Religious Reform of the Sixteenth Century new contours of social and assistance thoughts go by to be applied in the society in this time. In this yeast of social transformation arises the picture of the reformer John Calvin, that, grounded in the Bible Scriptures of Ancient and New Testament, brought to the society of his age, over his thoughts and ideas, new directions to the citizen and his army of citizenship. John Calvin, in spite of not to be a sociologist, and to be a theologian person, brought social ideas of living together and citizenship through of his works and of the example-model too, that was left in the city of Geneva, where he could apply all of his concepts related to the society. Therefore, aspect such as: politic-administrative, educational and assistance were punctual and outstanding in help that John Calvin gave to the government of the city of Geneva. His performance was so special that many others inhabitants from other regions of Europe came to Geneva to learn his model and they will take to his lands. The processes that involve the study of citizen and the exercise of citizenship are always discussed, since the society lives in constant transformations. However, the citizen must prioritize principles that must be applied in any kind of transformation that the society may have. The citizen is involved intrinsically with the society. He is an integral part of its. Thus, he needs of high level formation that takes to be a contribute agent of the society, aiming to the common good of the same. The citizen must act in the society to participate so good of his government, practicing justice, how as governed, obeying the laws and serving to the Magistrates and Governments. John Calvin took his teachings to the citizens for that they were good examples of the citizenship to the society. / Trata-se de um trabalho que procura mostrar a contribuição do pensamento social de João Calvino para a formação do cidadão. Ao valer-nos deste tema, estudamos que em fins da Idade Média houve uma grande migração da população para as cidades. Antes uma figura muito conhecida era do camponês e agora passa a ser a figura do citadino. Naturalmente que essa transformação haveria de mudar o foco da vida comunitária e consequentemente a vida em sociedade. Aumentam a intensidade dos laços sociais e consequentemente mais problemas sociais. A sociedade em transformação precisará de estrutura sólida e equilibrada para se desenvolver e se manter através de leis e cidadãos que irão regular essas leis. Durante a Idade Média, houve pouca assistência à pequena sociedade existente. Com o Renascimento e Reforma Religiosa do Século XVI novos contornos de pensamento social e assistência passaram a ser aplicados na sociedade de então. Nesse fermento de transformações sociais surge a figura do Reformador João Calvino, que, fundamentado nas Escrituras do Antigo e Novo Testamentos, trouxe para a sociedade de sua época, através de seus pensamentos e idéias, novos rumos para o cidadão e seu exercício da cidadania. João Calvino, embora não fora um sociólogo, e sim teólogo, trouxe idéias sociais de convivência e cidadania através de suas obras e também do modelo-exemplo, deixado na cidade de Genebra, onde pôde aplicar todos os seus conceitos relativos à sociedade. Assim, aspectos como: político-administrativo, educacional e assistencial foram pontuais e marcantes na ajuda que João Calvino deu para o governo da cidade de Genebra. Sua atuação foi tão especial que muitos outros habitantes de outras regiões da Europa vieram até Genebra para aprenderem seu modelo e levarem para as suas terras. Os processos que envolvem o estudo do cidadão e exercício da cidadania são sempre discutidos, uma vez que a sociedade vive em constantes transformações. No entanto, o cidadão deve priorizar princípios que possam ser aplicados em qualquer tipo de transformação que a sociedade possa ter. O cidadão está intrinsecamente envolvido com a sociedade. É parte integrante dela. Sendo assim, necessita de uma formação de alto nível que o leve a ser agente contributivo da sociedade, visando ao bem comum da mesma. O cidadão deve atuar na sociedade de forma a participar tão bem de seu governo, exercendo justiça, quanto como governado, obedecendo as leis e servindo aos magistrados e governos. João Calvino levou os seus ensinos aos cidadãos para que fossem bons exemplos de cidadania para a sociedade.

This dissertation is presented in two parts. It first identifies the shape and content of an ancient system of Christian thought predicated on the theology of the cross of Jesus Christ, and proposes the marks typifying its theologians. Over against the ensuing hermeneutic it next finds the project of twentieth century Swiss theologian Karl Barth to exhibit many of the defining characteristics of this system, and Barth himself to be fairly deemed a modern theologian of the cross. He crucially recovers, reshapes and reasserts the classical theologia crucis as a modern theological instrument, one answering enlightened theology’s self-glorifying accommodation to modernity with the living Word of the cross. The crucicentric system itself is found to comprise two major theological dimensions, epistemological and soteriological. Each of these comprises dialectically corresponding aspects connected with false and true creaturely glory. The cruciform Word (or theology) speaking through this system likewise moves in two directions. It declares negatively that any attempt by the creature to circumvent the cross so as to know about God directly, or to condition God's electing decision, is necessarily the attempt to know and act as God alone may know and act - an attempt therefore on the glory of God. It declares positively that in the crucified Christ God formally discloses the knowledge of God, and determines the creature for God. This knowledge and election are appropriated to the creature as, drawn into the cruciform environment, its attempt to glorify itself is negated and Christ's exalted humanity received in exchange. Thence it is lifted to participate in Christ's mind and in his glory, a process guided by the Holy Spirit and completed eschatologically. The database for this research includes selected primary materials in the Apostle Paul, Athanasius, a group of medieval mystical theologians, the reformer Martin Luther - particularly here his Heidelberg Disputation, and Karl Barth. It also pays attention to the recent secondary literature peripherally or more concertedly connecting itself to the theology of the cross, of whatever period. In this literature numerous suggestions for the content of the theology of the cross exist, a major methodological task in the current research being to bring these together systematically. To the extent that the inner structure of the system carrying the cruciform Word has not previously been made explicit, and Barth's crucicentric status not finally determined, in moving towards these achievements this dissertation breaks fresh ground. In the process a new test by which to decide the crucicentric status of any theological project is developed, and a further and crucicentric way of reading Barth proposed. / This dissertation identifies the shape, content, and marks of the theology of the cross, an ancient and still extant epistemological and soteriological system of Christian thought. Applying the resulting hermeneutic it then shows this system to be present with renewed vitality and future significance in the modern project of seminal Swiss theologian Karl Barth (1886-1968).

This dissertation is presented in two parts. It first identifies the shape and content of an ancient system of Christian thought predicated on the theology of the cross of Jesus Christ, and proposes the marks typifying its theologians. Over against the ensuing hermeneutic it next finds the project of twentieth century Swiss theologian Karl Barth to exhibit many of the defining characteristics of this system, and Barth himself to be fairly deemed a modern theologian of the cross. He crucially recovers, reshapes and reasserts the classical theologia crucis as a modern theological instrument, one answering enlightened theology���s self-glorifying accommodation to modernity with the living Word of the cross. The crucicentric system itself is found to comprise two major theological dimensions, epistemological and soteriological. Each of these comprises dialectically corresponding aspects connected with false and true creaturely glory. The cruciform Word (or theology) speaking through this system likewise moves in two directions. It declares negatively that any attempt by the creature to circumvent the cross so as to know about God directly, or to condition God's electing decision, is necessarily the attempt to know and act as God alone may know and act - an attempt therefore on the glory of God. It declares positively that in the crucified Christ God formally discloses the knowledge of God, and determines the creature for God. This knowledge and election are appropriated to the creature as, drawn into the cruciform environment, its attempt to glorify itself is negated and Christ's exalted humanity received in exchange. Thence it is lifted to participate in Christ's mind and in his glory, a process guided by the Holy Spirit and completed eschatologically. The database for this research includes selected primary materials in the Apostle Paul, Athanasius, a group of medieval mystical theologians, the reformer Martin Luther - particularly here his Heidelberg Disputation, and Karl Barth. It also pays attention to the recent secondary literature peripherally or more concertedly connecting itself to the theology of the cross, of whatever period. In this literature numerous suggestions for the content of the theology of the cross exist, a major methodological task in the current research being to bring these together systematically. To the extent that the inner structure of the system carrying the cruciform Word has not previously been made explicit, and Barth's crucicentric status not finally determined, in moving towards these achievements this dissertation breaks fresh ground. In the process a new test by which to decide the crucicentric status of any theological project is developed, and a further and crucicentric way of reading Barth proposed.

This dissertation is presented in two parts. It first identifies the shape and content of an ancient system of Christian thought predicated on the theology of the cross of Jesus Christ, and proposes the marks typifying its theologians. Over against the ensuing hermeneutic it next finds the project of twentieth century Swiss theologian Karl Barth to exhibit many of the defining characteristics of this system, and Barth himself to be fairly deemed a modern theologian of the cross. He crucially recovers, reshapes and reasserts the classical theologia crucis as a modern theological instrument, one answering enlightened theology’s self-glorifying accommodation to modernity with the living Word of the cross. The crucicentric system itself is found to comprise two major theological dimensions, epistemological and soteriological. Each of these comprises dialectically corresponding aspects connected with false and true creaturely glory. The cruciform Word (or theology) speaking through this system likewise moves in two directions. It declares negatively that any attempt by the creature to circumvent the cross so as to know about God directly, or to condition God's electing decision, is necessarily the attempt to know and act as God alone may know and act - an attempt therefore on the glory of God. It declares positively that in the crucified Christ God formally discloses the knowledge of God, and determines the creature for God. This knowledge and election are appropriated to the creature as, drawn into the cruciform environment, its attempt to glorify itself is negated and Christ's exalted humanity received in exchange. Thence it is lifted to participate in Christ's mind and in his glory, a process guided by the Holy Spirit and completed eschatologically. The database for this research includes selected primary materials in the Apostle Paul, Athanasius, a group of medieval mystical theologians, the reformer Martin Luther - particularly here his Heidelberg Disputation, and Karl Barth. It also pays attention to the recent secondary literature peripherally or more concertedly connecting itself to the theology of the cross, of whatever period. In this literature numerous suggestions for the content of the theology of the cross exist, a major methodological task in the current research being to bring these together systematically. To the extent that the inner structure of the system carrying the cruciform Word has not previously been made explicit, and Barth's crucicentric status not finally determined, in moving towards these achievements this dissertation breaks fresh ground. In the process a new test by which to decide the crucicentric status of any theological project is developed, and a further and crucicentric way of reading Barth proposed. / This dissertation identifies the shape, content, and marks of the theology of the cross, an ancient and still extant epistemological and soteriological system of Christian thought. Applying the resulting hermeneutic it then shows this system to be present with renewed vitality and future significance in the modern project of seminal Swiss theologian Karl Barth (1886-1968).

This dissertation is presented in two parts. It first identifies the shape and content of an ancient system of Christian thought predicated on the theology of the cross of Jesus Christ, and proposes the marks typifying its theologians. Over against the ensuing hermeneutic it next finds the project of twentieth century Swiss theologian Karl Barth to exhibit many of the defining characteristics of this system, and Barth himself to be fairly deemed a modern theologian of the cross. He crucially recovers, reshapes and reasserts the classical theologia crucis as a modern theological instrument, one answering enlightened theology’s self-glorifying accommodation to modernity with the living Word of the cross. The crucicentric system itself is found to comprise two major theological dimensions, epistemological and soteriological. Each of these comprises dialectically corresponding aspects connected with false and true creaturely glory. The cruciform Word (or theology) speaking through this system likewise moves in two directions. It declares negatively that any attempt by the creature to circumvent the cross so as to know about God directly, or to condition God's electing decision, is necessarily the attempt to know and act as God alone may know and act - an attempt therefore on the glory of God. It declares positively that in the crucified Christ God formally discloses the knowledge of God, and determines the creature for God. This knowledge and election are appropriated to the creature as, drawn into the cruciform environment, its attempt to glorify itself is negated and Christ's exalted humanity received in exchange. Thence it is lifted to participate in Christ's mind and in his glory, a process guided by the Holy Spirit and completed eschatologically. The database for this research includes selected primary materials in the Apostle Paul, Athanasius, a group of medieval mystical theologians, the reformer Martin Luther - particularly here his Heidelberg Disputation, and Karl Barth. It also pays attention to the recent secondary literature peripherally or more concertedly connecting itself to the theology of the cross, of whatever period. In this literature numerous suggestions for the content of the theology of the cross exist, a major methodological task in the current research being to bring these together systematically. To the extent that the inner structure of the system carrying the cruciform Word has not previously been made explicit, and Barth's crucicentric status not finally determined, in moving towards these achievements this dissertation breaks fresh ground. In the process a new test by which to decide the crucicentric status of any theological project is developed, and a further and crucicentric way of reading Barth proposed. / This dissertation identifies the shape, content, and marks of the theology of the cross, an ancient and still extant epistemological and soteriological system of Christian thought. Applying the resulting hermeneutic it then shows this system to be present with renewed vitality and future significance in the modern project of seminal Swiss theologian Karl Barth (1886-1968).