Timothy George about the magisterial Reformers
The magisterial Reformers* both taught the faith and preached it.
Exactly. There was a symbiotic relationship between what they preached and what they wrote in their commentaries. The Reformation was a preaching movement. They did what they did to advance the proclamation of the Word of God.
–––––––––-
The Magisterial Reformation is a phrase that „draws attention to the manner in which the Lutheran and Calvinist reformers related to secular authorities, such as princes, magistrates, or city councils”, i.e. „the magistracy”.[1] While the Radical Reformation rejected any secular authority over the Church, the Magisterial Reformation argued for the interdependence of the church and secular authorities, i.e. „The magistrate had a right to authority within the church, just as the church could rely on the authority of the magistrate to enforce discipline, suppress heresy, or maintain order.”[1]
In addition, the term magister relates to the emphasis on authoritative teachers. Often this is seen in the names of theological schools descending from magisterial reformers (I.E. Lutheran, Calvinist, Zwinglian, etc.)[2]
The magisterial reformation stands in contrast to the radical reformation, which denied that civil authorities had any place or authority within the Church.[3]
References
- ^ a b McGrath, Alister (1998), Historical Theology, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, p. 159, ISBN 0631208437
- ^ Gstohl, Mark (2004), The Magisterial Reformation, retrieved 2012-11-17
- ^ Saint-Clair, Geoffrey (2001), Who’s Who in the Reformation, The Radical Reformation, retrieved 2012-11-17











