At present, the historiographic classification of the Protestant reformation is changing from the concept of an epochal turning point towards the notion of a systemic, complex process. The reformer Johannes Bugenhagen, who was a central character in shaping the Protestant church, was also inspired by traditions deeply rooted in the Catholic church. His programmatic 1525 Pastoral Letter to the Hamburgers (Sendbrief an die Hamburger) features mystic images and motifs that can be traced back to Bernard of Clairvaux, the leading figure of Western mysti­cism. This theological setting helps Bugenhagen to develop a succinct alternative vis-à-vis the Erasmian humanism that has not lost its credibility until today. Modern church theories that are no longer characterized by hermetic isolation but oriented towards a systemic integration into the larger social context, are free from any zeitgeist - instead they are based on the core of reformatory ecclesiology.

Enthalten in:
Evangelische Theologie; 2018/6 Zweimonatsschrift (2018)

---

Serie / Reihe: Evangelische Theologie

Personen: Kötter, Ralf

Schlagwörter: Theologie Mystik Reformation Humanismus Bugenhagen, Johannes Kirchentheorie