Church in China: Faith, Ethics, Structure: The Heritage of the Reformation for the Future of the Church in China 9783035103182, 9783039118144, 3035103186

Table of contents :
Table of Contents Overview
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments 19
Preface 23
1 Introduction 27
1.1 The Basic Question of the Research 27
1.2 The Reference from Max Weber’s Theory of the Ideal Type 32
1.3 The Methodology 38
1.3.1 The Position of Departure is about the Structure of Protestantism 40
1.3.1.1 The Three Dimensions of the Structure of the Faith of Protestantism 40
1.3.1.2 The Church Order of Protestantism 43
1.3.2 Martin Luther, the Ideal Type I: Protestant Ethics is Ecclesial Ethics 46
1.3.2.1 The Fundamental Elements of Ecclesial Ethics from the Bible 46
1.3.2.2 The Ecclesial Ethics and the Initiatives of the Protestant Tradition 48
1.3.3 John Calvin, the Ideal Type II: the Ethical Principles as the Ecclesial Pillars of Church 49
1.3.3.1 Calvin’s Heritage has Great and Wide Influence under the Name of Calvinism 50
1.3.3.2 The Significance of the Ideal Type II Lies in the Institutional Ethical Norms of the Church 51
1.3.4 Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Karl Barth, Ideal Type III, as the Modern References of the Reformation in the Time of the Crisis 53
1.3.4.1 The Ethical Difficulties of Protestantism in Modern Times of the West 53
1.3.4.2 “The Communion of the Saints”: the Ecclesial Ethics of Dietrich Bonhoeffer 54
1.3.4.3 Karl Barth and His Ecclesial Concerns 55
1.3.5 The Hermeneutical Approach to Construct the Ecclesial Ethics in China 58
1.4 Conclusion 61
2 Faith and Church of Protestantism 67
2.1 Introduction 67
2.2 The Theological Dimension of Faith 70
2.2.1 The Morphological Scriptural Elements of the Faith 72
2.2.1.1 The Place of the Bible in the Faith of the Protestant Church 73
2.2.1.1.1 Martin Luther and the Principle of the Bible 73
2.2.1.1.2 John Calvin and the Principle of the Bible 79
2.2.1.2 The Significance of the Creeds for the Protestant Faith 85
2.2.1.2.1 The Creeds as the Rule of the Faith 86
2.2.1.2.2 The Confessions of Faith as the Ecclesiastical Reconfirmation of the Creeds 89
2.2.1.2.3 The Word of God and the Words of the Churches 91
2.2.1.3 Conclusion 92
2.2.2 The Political Elements of the Faith of Protestantism 96
2.2.2.1 The State-Church Relationship and Its Origin from the Prophetic Epoque 97
2.2.2.2 The New Testament as the Basic Texts for the Political Function of the Church 100
2.2.2.3 The Theological Political Issues of the Protestant Church 102
2.2.2.4 Conclusion 103
2.2.3 The Moral Elements of the Protestant Faith 105
2.2.3.1 Faith and Ethics 105
2.2.3.2 The Moral Rules and the Protestant Life 107
2.2.3.2.1 The Moral Teachings of Jesus 109
2.2.3.2.2 The Apostles’ Moral Testimonies 110
2.2.3.2.3 The Ethical System of the Christian Faith 111
2.2.4 Conclusion 114
2.3 The Institutional Dimension of Protestantism: the Church Order of Protestantism, the Origin and the Initiatives 117
2.3.1 Introduction 117
2.3.2 The Dogmatic Definition of the Church and Its Comprehension 119
2.3.2.1 The “Church” in the New Testament 119
2.3.2.1.1 The Church around the Event of the Cross 123
2.3.2.1.2 The Church before the Event of Pentecost (Acts 2) 123
2.3.2.1.3 The Church since the Event of Pentecost 124
2.3.2.1.4 The Fourth Form of the Church: the Church since the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) towards the World Mission 125
2.3.2.2 The Patristic Tradition and the Ecclesiastical Creation 127
2.3.2.2.1 The Doctrinal Nature of the Church 130
2.3.2.2.2 The Church Order at the Medieval Catholic Polity Designation 132
2.3.2.2.3 The System of the Council or Synodal System 134
2.3.2.2.4 The Crisis of the Roman Catholic Church, the Problem of the Church Order 137
2.3.2.3 Conclusion 143
2.3.3 The Church Order and Ecclesiastical Forms of the Protestant Church 145
2.3.3.1 The Doctrinal Interpretations of the Church 147
2.3.3.2 The Fundamental Factors of the Church: the Proclamation, the Sacraments, the Ministers and the Disciplines 153
2.3.3.3 The Ecclesiastical Polity or Church Governance 164
2.3.3.3.1 The Episcopal Form of Church Government 165
2.3.3.3.2 Presbyterian Form of Church Government 167
2.3.3.3.3 Congregational Form of Church Government 169
2.3.4 Conclusion: the Focus of the Research of the Church Polity 170
2.4 The Ethical Dimension of Protestantism: Church and Ethics 172
2.4.1 Introduction 172
2.4.2 The Biblical Basis and the Initiatives of the Ecclesial Ethics of Luther and Calvin 173
2.4.2.1 From the Decalogue to the Reformation 173
2.4.2.2 The Prophetic Theme: the Communion of the Selected People 177
2.4.2.3 Brief Conclusion 179
2.4.3 The Original Source of the Church Ethics in the New Testament 179
2.4.3.1 Jesus Christ and the Moral Teachings as Ethical Basis of the Church 180
2.4.3.2 The Apostolic Foundation of the Ecclesial Ethics 185
2.4.3.3 Brief Conclusion 191
2.4.4 The Fundamental Propositions of the Ecclesial Ethics of Protestantism 192
2.4.4.1 The Relationship between the Church and the State 194
2.4.4.2 The Relationship between the Bible and Tradition 196
2.4.4.3 The Relationship between the Law and the Gospel 199
2.4.4.4 The Relationship between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of the World 202
2.4.4.5 The Relationship between Freedom and Slavery 203
2.4.4.6 The Relationship between the Visible and the Invisible Church 204
2.4.5 Conclusion 208
3 The Ideal Type I: The Ecclesial Ethics of Martin Luther 211
3.1 Introduction 211
3.2 The Fundamental Theological Principles of the Ecclesial Ethics Linked with the Reformation and the Theological Initiatives 213
3.2.1 The Survey of His Pioneering of the Reformation 214
3.2.2 The Fundamental Theological Principles of the Ethical Thought 221
3.2.2.1 The Three Sola as the Three Pillars of the Ethical System of Luther for the Protestant Church 221
3.2.2.2 The Three Turning Points as the Ethical Orientation of the Protestant Church from Luther 225
3.3 The Ecclesial Propositions as the Basic Ethical Principles 227
3.3.1 The Ethical Principle of Responsibility 228
3.3.2 The Ethical Principle of the Law-Gospel 229
3.3.3 The Ethical Principle of the Two-Kingdoms 232
3.3.4 The Ethical Principle of the Christian Freedom 235
3.3.5 The Ethical Principle of the Calling 240
3.3.6 The Ethical Principle of the Christian Life on the Trinity 243
3.3.7 Conclusion 246
3.4 Church Order: the Ecclesiastical Polity and Ordonnances 247
3.4.1 Introduction of the Lutheran Church Order 247
3.4.2 The Lutheran Church Polity 249
3.4.3 The Lutheran Church Orders 251
3.4.3.1 The Documental Survey 251
3.4.3.2 The Ordination and Office of Ministry or the Ministerial Order 252
3.4.3.2.1 The Bishop’s Office 255
3.4.3.2.2 The Pastor’s Duty 256
3.4.3.3 The Sacraments 258
3.4.3.4 The Liturgical Order 264
3.4.3.5 The Synodal Model of the Church Government 267
3.4.4 Conclusion 269
3.5 The Ethical Analysis of the Initiatives of Church Order 271
3.5.1 Introduction 271
3.5.2 The Ethical Principles as the Structural Elements of the Church 275
3.5.2.1 The Doctrine of Law-Gospel as the Ethical Structural Element of Church-State Relationship 275
3.5.2.2 The Ethical Structural Principle of the Universal Priesthood (Priesthood of All Believers) 281
3.5.2.3 The Ethical Structural Principle of the Adiaphora 285
3.5.2.4 The Ethical Structural Principle of the Bondage of the Will behind the Synodal System of Church Government 291
3.5.3 Conclusion 299
4 The Ideal Type II: The Ecclesial Ethics of John Calvin 303
4.1 Introduction 303
4.2 Calvin’s Constitutional Initiative of the Protestant Tradition 306
4.2.1 A Brief Survey of the Career of Calvin 306
4.2.2 A Brief Introduction of His Theological Thoughts 308
4.2.2.1 Theological Thoughts from the Institutes of the Christian Religion 309
4.2.2.2 The Theological Correlation and Affiliation between Calvin and Luther 314
4.2.2.3 Conclusion 322
4.2.3 Interpretations and the Controversies 323
4.2.3.1 The Doctrine of Predestination 324
4.2.3.2 The Controversy about Arminianism: the Appearance of Calvinism 330
4.2.3.3 Calvinism: the Historical Influences of John Calvin 332
4.2.3.3.1 The Fundamental Background 332
4.2.3.3.2 Faith and Order 334
4.2.3.3.3 The Five Doctrinal Points of Calvinism by the TULIP 336
4.2.3.4 Puritanism and the Historical Foundation of Modern Protestantism 338
4.2.3.4.1 Brief Introduction 338
4.2.3.4.2 The Basic Theological Doctrines 341
4.2.4 Conclusion 343
4.3 The Ethical Principles of Calvin’s Institutes of Christian Religion 344
4.3.1 The Principle of the Authority 345
4.3.2 The Principle of the Election 350
4.3.3 The Third Use of the Law (tertius usus) 356
4.3.3.1 The First Use of the Law as the Theological Use (usus theologicus) 359
4.3.3.2 The Second Use of the Law as the Civic Use (usus civilis) 359
4.3.3.3 The Third Use of the Law as the Ethical Use (usus didacticus/tertius usus) 361
4.3.4 The Ethical Principle of Sanctification 364
4.3.5 The Ethical Principle of Conscience and the Right of Resistance 368
4.3.6 Conclusion 371
4.4 The Ethical Structures of the Reformed Church in Geneva 372
4.4.1 The Urgent Actuality for the Reformation 373
4.4.1.1 The Counter-Reformation and the Revival of the Monasticism 373
4.4.1.2 The Challenges from the Radicalism of the Reformation 376
4.4.1.3 The Legacy from Zwingli 378
4.4.1.4 Conclusion 381
4.4.2 The Ecclesial Achievements of the Ethical Principles 382
4.4.2.1 The Ethical Principle of Authority and the Church-State Relationship 385
4.4.2.2 The Ethical Principle of Election and the Ministerial Order 390
4.4.2.3 The Ethical Principle of Third Use of Law and the Synodic Polity 397
4.4.2.3.1 The Republic Regime of the State in Geneva 398
4.4.2.3.2 The Institutional Structures for Restraining the Authority of Church Government 400
4.4.2.3.3 Conclusion 406
4.4.2.4 The Ethical Principle of Sanctification and the Church Disciplines 407
4.4.2.4.1 The Ethical Urgency of the Church 407
4.4.2.4.2 The Ecclesiastical Disciplines in the Institutional Order 410
4.4.2.4.3 Conclusion 413
4.4.2.5 The Ethical Principle of Conscience and the Designs of the Institutional Order 415
4.4.2.5.1 To Restrain the Individual Powers in the Church through the Institutional Ways 417
4.4.2.5.2 To Set up the Order of the Surveillance on the Legal Frame 418
4.4.2.5.3 The Doctrine of the Christian Right of the Resistance and the Supreme Authority of the Scripture 419
4.4.2.6 The Conclusion: toward the Ecclesial Ethics 421
5 The Ideal Type III: The Ethical Role of the Church in the Time of the Crisis: Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer 425
5.1 Introduction: the Ethical Paradoxes of Church in Modern World 425
5.2 Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Ethics of Communion of the Saints 429
5.2.1 Introduction 429
5.2.2 The Church and the Faith: the Fundamental Theological Position 430
5.2.2.1 The Essence of the Church in the Crisis of the Time 430
5.2.2.2 The Ecclesiology with the Special Ethical Concerns 432
5.2.2.3 “Cheap Grace”: to Reinterpret the Sola gratia 434
5.2.2.4 Conclusion 437
5.2.3 The Ecclesiastical Ethical Principles 438
5.2.3.1 “Christ is Church” 438
5.2.3.2 “Communion of the Saints” 439
5.2.3.3 The “Four Mandates” from the Word of God 441
5.2.4 Conclusion: Understanding and Interpretation 443
5.3 Karl Barth and the Ethics of the Divine Command 447
5.3.1 Introduction 447
5.3.2 The Basic Ecclesial Ethical Insights 450
5.3.2.1 The Identity in the Relationships 452
5.3.2.1.1 The Relationship between the Ethics and the Dogmatic 452
5.3.2.1.2 The Relationship between the Theological Ethics and the Philosophic Ethics 452
5.3.2.1.3 Conclusion 453
5.3.2.2 The Approach of the Theological Ethics: Three Doctrines as the Ethical Principles 454
5.3.2.2.1 The Ethics of the Creation 455
5.3.2.2.2 The Ethics of the Reconciliation 457
5.3.2.2.3 The Ethics of the Redemption 459
5.3.2.3 Conclusion 460
5.3.3 To Understand Barth’s Ethical Thoughts 461
5.3.3.1 The Principles of Reformation inside Barth’s Ethical Thoughts 461
5.3.3.2 The Ekklesia of Barth’s Theological Ethics 463
5.3.3.3 The Ethics of Divine Command 466
5.3.4 Brief Conclusion 469
5.4 Conclusion: the Ethical Responsibility of the Theologians 470
6 The Ecclesial Ethics of the Church in China 473
6.1 Introduction 473
6.2 Historical Perspectives of the Church in China 479
6.2.1 The Cultural Encounters with China’s Civilization: the Failure of the Church in China during Three Occasions 479
6.2.1.1 Nestorian Mission of the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD) 479
6.2.1.2 The Catholic Mission in Yuan Dynasty 481
6.2.1.3 The Jesuit Mission in Ming Dynasty 482
6.2.1.4 Conclusion: the Historical Teachings 484
6.2.2 The Political Encounter with China in Modern Time 487
6.2.2.1 The Historical Crisis Mistook the Image of the Church in China 487
6.2.2.1.1 The Denominational Missionary Churches: the Main Diverse Forms of Protestantism in China 488
6.2.2.1.2 The Unequal Treaties of the War 489
6.2.2.1.3 The Theological Research about the Basic Doctrines of the Church: Rare in Missionary Works 489
6.2.2.1.4 The Free Churches Movements 490
6.2.2.1.5 The Great Contribution in the Area of Higher Education 490
6.2.2.1.6 Some Historic Dates 491
6.2.2.2 The Historical Reflection of the Missionaries and the Time of Communism 493
6.2.2.3 Conclusion 495
6.2.3 The Ethical Encounter in Contemporary China: the Epoque of the Cross 498
6.2.3.1 The Legacy of the Missionaries in terms of the Ethical Meanings 498
6.2.3.2 The Cross and the Communist Revolution of China in Transition 500
6.2.4 Conclusion 503
6.3 The Ethics and Church Order in China 505
6.3.1 Introduction 505
6.3.1.1 The Basic Problems: Authority of the Political Ethics as the Central Theme of the Ecclesial Ethics 506
6.3.1.2 The Incarnation: the Way toward Reconciliation 510
6.3.1.3 Conclusion 511
6.3.2 The Tao and the Ecclesial Order: through the Hermeneutic Approach of Confucianism 511
6.3.2.1 The Tao in the Chinese Minds 513
6.3.2.2 The Faith of Church 518
6.3.2.3 The Ethical Principles of the Reformation: Ideal Type I, Legacy of Luther 524
6.3.2.3.1 The Ethical Norms of the Three Sola will Set up the Common Basis of the Protestants of the Three Types in China 526
6.3.2.3.2 The Doctrine of the Law-Gospel will Underlie the Position of the Church Regarding the Relationship with the State no matter if It is Atheist or Democratic in the Future 528
6.3.2.3.3 The Ethical Principle of the Doctrine of the Two-Kingdoms is Evident to the Church in Today’s Context in China 530
6.3.2.3.4 The Ethical Meaning of Christian Freedom to the Church in China will Decide the Autonomy of the Christian Conscience as a General Principle of Faith 531
6.3.3 The Ethical Order of the Church 535
6.3.3.1 The Ethical Role of the Church in Society 536
6.3.3.2 The Order of Confucianism, Li 542
6.3.3.3 The Institutional Order of Church: Ideal Type II, Legacy of Calvin 547
6.3.3.3.1 The Ethical Principle of “the Rule of Law” 550
6.3.3.3.2 To Restrain the Individual Power of the Leadership through the Ecclesiastical Institutions 553
6.3.3.3.3 To Shape the Powerful Sense of the Ecclesiastical Discipline in the Church 554
6.4 Conclusion: the Challenges toward the Future 557
6.4.1 The Theological Level: to Avoid the Two Extreme Tendencies 560
6.4.2 The Political Level: the Equilibrium between the Right and Duty Based on the Ethical Principle of the Law-Gospel 564
6.4.3 The Ethical Level: the Civil Religion and Radical Nationalism will Be Very Dangerous for the Church in China 566
Bibliography 571
A. Major Primary Sources 571
B. Select Bibliography 571

Polecaj historie

The Church in the Long Eighteenth Century: The I.B.Tauris History of the Christian Church 9780755692576, 9781845114404

David Hempton's history of the vibrant period between 1650 and 1832 engages with a truly global story: that of Chri

336 136 3MB Read more

The First Unified Church in the Heart of Europe: The Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren

132 26 8MB Read more

Celibacy in the Church

717 80 7MB Read more

The Church in the Modern Age: The I.B.Tauris History of the Christian Church 9780755624737, 9781845113179

Given the diversity and complexity of developments in the twentieth century, a history of the Christian Church in the mo

319 78 2MB Read more

The Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire (Oxford History of the Christian Church) 0198264569, 9780198264569

This book describes the role of the medieval Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire (c.600-c.1453). As an integral part

186 20 3MB Read more

The Christian Faith: In The Doctrinal Documents of the Catholic Church [Revised ed.] 0818904534

This classic compendium of the documents which define the Christian faith as understood by Catholics includes the creeds

1,836 105 25MB Read more

The Church in the Nineteenth Century: The I.B.Tauris History of the Christian Church 9780755626373, 9781850438991

The nineteenth century was one of the most fascinating and volatile periods in Christian history. It was during this tim

313 76 2MB Read more

The Primitive Church: The Church in the Days of the Apostles [Paperback ed.] 9780895551344

How the Catholic Church got started. Covers Sts. Peter and Paul; first Popes; the written and unwritten word; Council of

438 110 297KB Read more

The Church in the Early Middle Ages: The I.B.Tauris History of the Christian Church 9780755624645, 9781845111502

The creation of a new history of the Church at the beginning of the third millennium is an ambitious but necessary proje

370 110 3MB Read more

THE CHURCH IN CHECK

Traditional methods of studying the past have always given greater importance to nationalist, religious and moral intere

186 94 304KB Read more