Church Matters: Retrieving the Great Tradition

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Chur ch Mat ter s : Ret r i ev i ng the Great Trad i t i on

What You Should Know about Christian History: AD 1500-1609, continued

7. Martin Bucer (1491-1551): German reformer. Tried to find a middle ground between Luther’s and Zwingli’s teachings about the Lord’s Supper. 8. John Calvin (1509-1564): The systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation. 9. Heinrich Bullinger (1504-1575): Swiss reformer. Author of the Second Helvetic Confession, an important Calvinist statement of faith. Influenced the final form of the Heidelberg Catechism. 10. Theodore Beza (1519-1605): Succeeded Calvin as leader of the Genevan church. Five Terms You Should Know 1. Sola gratia, sola fide, sola scriptura : Latin for “grace alone, faith alone, Scripture alone.” These words sum up the Protestant belief that justification is received by grace alone through faith alone and that the Bible should be the church’s only authority. 2. Reformed Churches : Protestant churches, such as the Presbyterians, that were strongly influenced by Calvin and Knox. 3. Consubstantiation : Luther’s belief that, after the prayer of consecration during communion, the body and blood of Christ coexist with the Lord’s Supper elements. 4. Heidelberg Catechism : Reformed statement of faith, compiled in 1562. Widely used by Protestants for centuries. 5. Uniats : Christians in traditionally Orthodox areas who united with the Roman Catholic Church under the terms of the Union of Brest-Litovsk.