Overview Counter-Reformation

Comment

Spring 2021

Created: 2021-01-23 Sat 11:02

Church developments
Council of Trent
Jesuits and mystics

Church developments

Council of Trent

(Luther)	Council of Trent
Scripture Alone	Scripture & tradition equally
Luther had said original sin destroyed will,	will works with grace
Luther thought justification "instantaneous"	Trent understood Justification as a "process"

Trent set forth doctrinal statements on

Scripture and tradition,
original sin,
justification, and the
sacraments that have provided the basis of Catholic theology ever since,"

Sacraments and reform:

7 sacraments, transubstantiation, sacrifice on altar repeated, purgatory and indulgences (but warned re. abuse)
p. 173 notion of "justification" which many thought as a kind of property people have or don't,
Luther "no righteousness of our own but only share in Christ's righteousness"

Jesuits and mystics

Society of Jesus (Jesuits) sent missionaries world wide, adapting to customs of people they met
Carmelites (John of the Cross and Teresa Avila) – reformers and mystics
Jesuits at center of response to Protestantism
"Aquinas had taught that we talk about God"analogically" (a comparison of two otherwise unlike things based on resemblance of a particular aspect)
Fenelon, "Quietism", & Mme. Guyon = claiming that usual rules don't apply because of special relationship with God

Blaise Pascal

"Genius of the age"

Pascal: genius of age … conversion "Fire, God of Abraham …" trust in grace while being well trained in reason as mathematician
was one of the most important scholars of the 17th century.
He was a great scientist, mathematician, and inventor, famous for many key breakthroughs.
He was also a devoted Catholic and wrote what is considered to be one of the best apologetic works of his time – Pensees
Port Royal Jansenists – rigorous piety and trust in grace as opposed to Jesuits whom they saw as "Pelagian"
Pascal defense of Christianity, but ultimately Pope ruled against Jansenist radical trust in grace (not own will)

Fire

::: {.NOTES} But he wasn't always a believer. After spending most of his life only nominally interested in religion, he had a dramatic conversion – and it was due to an incredible and dramatic mystical experience. https://churchpop.com/2016/04/19/night-fire-blaise-pascals/ - It was November 23rd, 1654 and Pascal was at home alone. The sun was set and all was dark. He was most likely preparing for bed when, suddenly, at around 10:30pm, something supernatural happened. It's not clear exactly what he saw, but the amazing mystical experience lasted for a full two hours. As soon as it was over, he grabbed a pen and paper and wrote down what was swirling through his head.

Here's what he wrote: The year of grace 1654,

Monday, 23 November, feast of St. Clement, pope and martyr, and others in the martyrology. Vigil of St. Chrysogonus, martyr, and others. From about half past ten at night until about half past midnight,

FIRE.

GOD of Abraham, GOD of Isaac, GOD of Jacob not of the philosophers and of the learned. Certitude. Certitude. Feeling. Joy. Peace. GOD of Jesus Christ. My God and your God. Your GOD will be my God. Forgetfulness of the world and of everything, except GOD. He is only found by the ways taught in the Gospel. Grandeur of the human soul. Righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you. Joy, joy, joy, tears of joy. I have departed from him: They have forsaken me, the fount of living water. My God, will you leave me? Let me not be separated from him forever. This is eternal life, that they know you, the one true God, and the one that you sent, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. I left him; I fled him, renounced, crucified. Let me never be separated from him. He is only kept securely by the ways taught in the Gospel: Renunciation, total and sweet. Complete submission to Jesus Christ and to my director. Eternally in joy for a day's exercise on the earth. May I not forget your words. Amen.

Wow! Whatever he saw, it sounds amazing.

He then took the piece of paper with the story and carefully sewed it into the inside of his jacket, which he kept with him the rest of his life. This was not discovered until after his death.

see e.g.

Closing

When we read the Reformers from the perspective of Protestantism, it seems relatively straightforward.
In the context of all that was going on including the Catholic perspective it is a lot less clear
Keep in mind that we don't even consider here the Orthodox view. which is older than Catholicism.