Author Archives: mchackel@uoregon.edu

Team 3, Question 1

Posted on by under global christianity

The beginnings of Christianity were rooted in violence and later turned to liberation. The Colonial Era centered around the spread of Christianity to the New World and it was facilitated through European military personnel and was enforced by the new government that took over Latin America. Political rule and religious beliefs worked together to spread Christianity at all costs. Practices began to turn violent as terrorism was thought to be acceptable if it meant spreading the word of God. Jacobsen says, “The monarchs of Spain and Portugal viewed their action in the region as a religious crusade, and the endeavor had papal approval. In 1455, Pope Nicholas V issues a document called Romans pontifex that gave Catholic rulers permission to seize the land of the “pagans” and to enslave local inhabitants as long as the ultimate goal was conversion. In this violent style of evangelism, savagery and sacred theology went hand in hand. Using rhetoric that most Christians today find disturbing, the sixteenth-century Spanish theologian Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda explained that “terror” could sometimes be a very useful tool in spreading “the light of truth and scatter[ing] the darkness of error” (Jacobsen, pg. 154). Violence and other drastic measures were taken and accepted in the name of God. The lack of separation between religion and politics allowed for this extreme approach to spreading Christianity to Latin America. For example, a special agreement known as patronato real gave the Spanish and Portuguese monarchs almost complete control over the Catholic Church in their newly conquered lands. Doctrine and few other things remained in the control of the Pope, all other matters relating to Christianity were controlled by political authorities. “Colonial Latin America was divided into two Spanish viceroyalities (further subdivided into a variety of audencias) and one Portuguese royal colony called Brazil” (Jacobsen, pg. 155). Christianity also divided power and status by race and implemented these unjust racial hierarchy systems that were seen throughout the church and political system in Latin America at this time.

There was a “movement across Latin America that became known as liberation theology. Its proponents pledged to work for the poor against what they saw as an oppressive ruling class. It was inspired by the Second Vatican Council, the historic gathering called in 1962 by Pope John XXIII to bring the Church closer to the faithful. Among Vatican II’s most symbolic changes: priests who historically faced the altar began facing the congregation. And the liturgy, celebrated for centuries in Latin, was simplified. It’s now conducted in the local language…Father Miguel D’Escoto Brockmann, a priest from the Maryknoll Order, brought his belief in liberation theology to the context of Nicaragua’s politics and its civil war. He joined the leftist Sandinista government that overthrew the right-wing dictatorship in 1979. He became Nicaragua’s foreign minister” (pbs video). The liberation theory was said to have had a basis in Maarxism. It was also said to have focused less on individual relationships with God and more on bridging religion and politics in order to solve and take stances on socio-political problems that often were ruled by the opinions of the Church. Liberation theology was held together by the conviction that Christian theological reflection and social action needed to be combined in self-conscious service to the poor. This new relationship between theory and action was called praxis. Liberation theology combined doctrine and activism in a new way, enlarging the work of Catholic Action and seeking to involve everyone, not just professionals, in the work of transforming society. Most notably, liberation theologians encouraged the poor to speak and advocate for themselves.

The regions new social dynamics have opened space for Pentecostalism to grow and flourish and have forced Catholics to confront the need for choice in matters of faith. The rise of Pentecostalism and religious choice have spurred a revival of sorts within the Catholic Church itself.

The Western ways of Christianity can learn from Latin American Christianity by refocusing its efforts on the poor. Latin American Christianity post-colonialism focused heavily on assisting the poor and focusing on personal relationships in order to help their individual communities. Also, Western Christianity can learn to break down the status hierarchy that is sometimes still seen in Christianity through the attendance of masses and other factors. Western Christianity can learn to focus on personal relationships with God and helping each other reach those personal goals toward their relationship with God, instead of attending mass and not being as present as Latin American culture often is. Western Christianity can learn from Latin American Christianity by living out Christian values in our daily lives and throughout our communities.

Team 3, Question 2

Posted on by under deism

In Jefferson’s only full-length book, Notes on Virginia, he states his true beliefs about societal issues. Jefferson states that both the mind and body are subject to the coercion of laws. Jefferson continues about the power of government, saying, “But our rulers can have authority over such natural rights only as we have submitted them. The rights of conscience we never submitted, we could not submit. We are answerable for them to our God. The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it dies me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no god” (page 160). Jefferson talks about the government’s role in the church and the injustices that often occur. Jefferson said, “If it be said, his testimony in a court of justice cannot be relied on, reject it then, and be the stigma on him. Constraint may make him worse by making him a hypocrite, but it will never make him a truer man. It may fix him obstinately in his errors, but will not cure them. Reason and free enquiry are the only effectual agents against error” (page 160). Jefferson goes into further depth about the corruption of leadership. He says, “Had not the Roman government permitted free enquiry, Christianity could never have been introduced. Had not free enquiry been indulged, at the aera of the reformation, the corruptions of Christianity could not have been purged away. If it be restrained now, the present corruptions will be protected, and new ones encouraged” (page 161). Jefferson explains the government as containing “fallible men; men governed by bad passions, by private as well as public reasons” (page 161). He explains the reasoning for the error-filled society that the government has built, saying, “And why subject it to coercion? To produce uniformity. But is uniformity of opinion desirable? No more than of face and stature” (page 161). Many people have suffered in the journey of Christianity trying to reach pure uniformity, and yet it is unknown if reaching that potential is even possible.

Jefferson futher explains his beliefs in detail in a letter to Benjamin Rush. Jefferson says, “To the corruptions of Christianity I am, indeed, opposed; but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian in the only sense he wished any one to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines, in preference to all others; ascribing to himself every human excellence; and believing he never claimed any other” (page 163). Philosophers did a good job in creating precepts that relate to the people and the governments. They “embraced, indeed, the circles of kindred and friends, and inculcated patriotism…as a primary obligation…” (page 164). However, they lacked in creating “peace, charity and love to our fellow men, or embraced with benevolence the whole family of mankind” (page 164). Jews believed in one God, Deism. “But their ideas of him and of his attributes were degrading and injurious” (page 164). Jefferson believed they needed reformation. Jesus is described of being of poor condition and his education mull. He is also described as being meek, patient, firm, disinterested, and benevolent. He lived his life correct and innocent. Jesus wrote nothing himself and the recordings of his works are only from memory, and after much time after the event, recorded by the “ignorant men” who heard him preaching or saw his kindness. Jefferson claims that Jesus fell victim to jealousy of the altar and the throne. Jefferson believes the doctrine to be “defective as a whole, and fragments only of what he did deliver have come to us mutilated, misstated, and often unintelligible” (page 165). Jefferson says that Jesus created a system of morals that “would be the most perfect and sublime that has ever been taught by man” (page 165). Jefferson praises these morals. Jefferson states with approval of these four works of Jesus: 1. He corrected the Deism of the Jews, confirming them in their belief of one God, and giving them juster notions of his attributes and government. 2. His moral doctrines, relating to kindred and friends, were more pure and perfect than those of the Jews; and they went far beyond both in inculcating universal philanthropy, not only to kindred and friends, neighbors and countrymen, but to all mankind, gathering all into one family, under the bonds of love, charity, peace, common wants and common aids. A development of this head will envince the peculiar superiority of the system of Jesus over all others. 3. The precepts of philosophy, and of the Hebrew code, laid hold of actions only. He pushed his scrutinies into the heart of man; erected his tribunal in the region of his thoughts, and purified the waters at the fountain head. 4. He taught, emphatically, the doctrines of a future state, which was either doubted, or disbelieved by the Jews; and wielded it with efficacy, as an important incentive, supplementary to the other motives to moral conduct.

Jefferson’s view of Christianity is parallel to those that are Enlightenment-influenced because his viewpoint is founded on the belief of liberty and equality. Jefferson criticizes the government and seeks out for a change, including a lack of corruption and an acceptance of all religions and beliefs. Jefferson says in his Notes on Virginia, “Let us reflect that it is inhabited by a thousand millions of people. That these profess probably a thousand different systems of religion. That ours is but one of that thousand. That if there be but one right, and ours that one, we should wish to see the 999 wandering sects gathered into the fold of truth. But against such a majority we cannot effect this by force. Reason and persuasion are the only practicable instruments. To make way for these, free enquiry must be indulged; and how can we wish others to indulge it while we refuse it ourselves” (page 162). Jefferson reiterates his belief in the separation between church and state. He gives examples and explains that both Pennsylvania and New York are not tied down with a religious establishment and have still been very successful. They are deemed successful in the eyes of Jefferson because they have sustained peace and order. He goes on, saying, “They have made the happy discovery, that the way to silence religious disputes, is to take no notice of them. Let us too give this experiment fair play, and get rid, while we may, of those tyrannical laws. It is true, we are as yet secured against them by the spirit of the times” (page 162). Along with these beliefs, Jefferson also felt strongly about the blasphemy of superstition.

Team 3, Question 2

Posted on by under reformation

Through Martin Luthers’ attacks on the three walls of Romanist Christianity and his Fool’s song, Luther humorously explains the corrupt and false pure inventions and unjust power that the Romanists held over all Christians. The Romanists created three walls in the Christian Church. These walls are used for protection of their beliefs and no one has been able to reform them. “When pressed by the temporal power they have made decrees and declared that the temporal power had no jurisdiction over them, but that, on the contrary, the spiritual power is above the temporal.” “When the attempt is made to reprove them with the Scriptures, they raise the objection that only the pope may interpret the Scriptures.” “If threatened with a council, their story is that no one may summon a council but the pope.” (pages 90-91).

Luther says that they created these walls so that Romanists can practice all of the “wickidness” that we see today. Luther explains that these three walls help to give and keep the power strictly in the hands of the Romans and all that is wrong, blasphemous, and greedy. Luther explains how the Romanists contain all of the power within these three walls saying, “In addition, they have given the pope full authority over all decisions of a council, so that it is all same whether there are many councils or no councils. They only deceive us with puppet shows and sham fights. They fear terribly for their skin in a really free council. They have so intimidated kings and princes with this technique that they believe it would be an offense against God not to be obedient to the Romanists in all their knavish and ghoulish deceits.” (91).

 

Luther states that we should begin by breaking down the first wall. He says that all Christians are of the spiritual estate and that there is no difference between Christians and the popes and priests that claim to be all Christians superiors and deem themselves the spiritual estate. Luther argues that we are all the spiritual estate because there are no boundaries between Christians and God Himself, contrary to what the Romanists have told Christians. Luther refers to Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 and says that “we are all one body, yet every member has its own work by which it serves the others. This is because we all have one baptism, one gospel, one faith, and are all Christians alike; for baptism, gospel, and faith alone make us spiritual and a Christian people.” Luther also references Peter in 1 Peter 2:9, explaining that essentially we are all priests through baptism. He also quotes Revelation (Revelation 5:9-10) saying, “Thou hast made us be priests and kings by blood.” Luther goes on to quote Romans and John scriptures, among others. Luther quotes John 6:45, saying that all Christians are to be taught by God. He interprets this as giving all Christians the right and opportunity to decipher scriptures and their meanings for themselves, as it pertains to their own individual relationship with God. Luther goes on to explain that the Romanists have no reasoning to their beliefs. They claim that priests and the pope were given the right to be the only ones able to read and decode scripture because St. Peter was given the keys. However, Luther says that the keys were not given to Peter alone, but the entire community, making the Romanists’ viewpoint invalid. Lastly, Luther claims that the third wall falls on its own as the previous two have been demolished. Luther quotes Matthew 18:15-17, explaining that the scripture says that if you sin against your brother, you are to go and tell your brother, and your brother alone. If he does not listen to you, take one or two others. If he does not listen to them, tell it to the church. If he does not listen to the church, consider him a heathen. It is clear that all sins should be discussed between sinners and the church, such as the popes and priests, should be the last people you consult. Luther says that the pope is an “offense to Christendom.” It is clear with his references to scriptures that using the ability to read and interpret scripture on his own, which is ironically and humorously what the Romanists fight against, is his favorite tactic when taking down the Romanists’ walls of Christianity.

Luther also breaks down the Romanists walls of Christianity by creating scenarios through storytelling, comparisons, name-calling, and humor. He humorously refers to these Romanist walls as “paper walls.”

Martin Luther uses his humor, sarcasm, wit, and intelligence to mock and correct the corrupt ways of the Romanist church in his fool’s song. Martin Luther introduces his fool’s song, saying, “Now, although I am too insignificant a man to make propositions for the improvement of this dreadful state of affairs, nevertheless I shall sing my fool’s song through to the end and say, so far I am able, what could and should be done, either by the temporal authority or by a general council” (95). His proposals in this fool’s song that I found to be most damaging to the Romanist Christian church are:

(1) Every prince, every noble, every city should henceforth forbid their subjects to pay annates to Rome and should abolish them entirely.

(3) The council of Nicaea should be restored and no bishop’s cloak and no confirmation of any dignity shall be secured from Rome.

(9)The pope should have no authority over the emperor, except the right to anoint and crown him at the altar just as a bishop crowns a king

(17) Certain penalties or punishments of canon law should be abolished, too, especially the interdict

(23) The brotherhoods, and for that matter, the indulgences, letters of indulgence, butter letters, mass letters, dispensations, and everything of that kind, should be snuffed out and brought to an end. There is nothing good about them.

These are the most damaging because they are frequent wrongful actions of the Romanist Christian Church or they are large advances to the ideal Christianity in Martin Luther’s opinion in his educated experience.

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