Re-examination of the Reformation in its context of political and theological struggles

Abstract

With the celebration of the 500 years of Reformation in 2017, unsurprisingly, much has been written about this phenomenon as it unfolded in the 16th-century Europe. Any world-changing event not only deserves the attention of historians and scholars alike, but also merits closer scrutiny, to reveal its important lessons. One of the ways in which to achieve this goal, is the search to understand the event in context. While religious contexts are often discussed within the framework of the 16th-century Reformation, the political contexts have not been sufficiently elucidated to uncover their impact on the theological stances of early reformers. In this study, a re-examination of the early Reformers will reveal that their political contexts greatly affected the outcomes of their theological struggles, mostly causing those Magisterial Reformers who accommodated and collaborated symbiotically with their political partners, to thrive. In short, ideology without ample political muscle has invariably been relegated to the footnotes of history, whereas theology, supported by political patronage, has come to define Reformation historiography. This finding is important in the ongoing ecumenical conversation, as far as all sides have realised that their confessional foundations are perhaps products of their historico-political contexts, thereby removing any entrenched personal grandiosity, to make room for pragmatic humility as part of a constructive dialogue. Through the use of Document Analysis, this study aims to investigate various early Reformers and their political contexts, to determine how the latter swayed the theological leanings of the former. These political contexts include the influence of localised princes, city magistrates, and even peasants, as well as the broader contexts of geopolitical events. A large volume of relevant literature will be used and analysed to ascertain the historical accuracy of accounts surrounding political events, as well as individual Reformers’ theological tenets. Primary sources will be given priority, while secondary sources will be carefully evaluated.

Die vyfhonderdste herdenking van die Reformasie (Hervorming) in 2017 het tot gevolg gehad dat menige outeurs oor die Reformasie van die sestiende-eeuse Europa geskryf het. Enige gebeure wat die gang van sake in die wêreld verander, verdien nie net die aandag van beide historici en geleerdes nie, maar ook ’n noukeurige ondersoek om sodoende belangrike lesse daaruit te verkry. Een manier om hierdie doel te bereik is om die gebeure binne konteks te verstaan. Terwyl die godsdienstige konteks waarbinne die sestiende-eeuse Reformasie afgespeel het, reeds menigmaal bespreek is, is die politieke konteks nie genoegsaam behandel nie, veral ten opsigte van die invloed wat dit op die vroeë Hervormers se teologiese posisies gehad het. In hierdie studie wys die in-diepte ondersoek na die vroeë Hervormers uit dat die politieke kontekste waarbinne hulle opgetree het, hulle toelogiese worsteling grootliks beïnvloed het. Dit het tot gevolg gehad dat die gesaghebbende Hervormers wat met hulle politieke eweknieë saamgewerk het, meestal gedy het. In kort, ’n lewensbekouing sonder genoegsame politieke krag word na die voetnote van die geskiedenis verskuif, terwyl teologie wat deur politieke beskerming ondersteun word, die reformatoriese geskiedskrywing sou definieer. Hierdie bevinding is belangrik binne die raamwerk van die voortgaande ekumeniese gesprek, in sover al die partye besef het dat hulle belydenisgrondslag moontlik die produk was van hulle histories-politiese kontekste. Op hierdie wyse kon hulle enige verskansde selfverheffing verwyder en ruimte maak vir pragmatiese nederigheid binne ’n konstruktiewe dialoog. Deur gebruik te maak van Dokument-analise, het hierdie studie ten doel om navorsing te doen oor verskeie vroeë Hervormers en hulle politieke kontekste, om daarmee aan te toon hoe laasgenoemde die Hervormers se teologiese rigtings beïnvloed het. Hierdie politieke kontekste het prinse, dorpslanddroste, en selfs plattelanders ingesluit, asook uitgebreide kontekste van geopolitiese gebeure. Die navorser het ’n groot aantal relevante bronne gebruik en ontleed om die historiese akkuraatheid van die politieke gebeure te verseker en seker te maak van die teologiese leerstellings van die onderskeie Hervormers. Primêre bronne geniet absolute prioriteit, terwyl sekondêre bronne deeglik geëvalueer word.

Ka ge go be go ketekwa mengwaga ye 500 ya Diphetogo ka 2017, seo se ilego sa se makatse ke gore, tse ntsi di ngwadilwe mabapi le tiragalo ye ge e be e thomiswa ka ngwagakgolo wa bo 16 ka Yuropa. Tiragalo efe goba efe ye e fetosago lefase ga se ya swanelwa fela go hwetsa sedi ya bangwadi ba tsa histori le ya dirutegi, eupsa gape e hloka go lekodisiswa ka tsinkelo, go utolla dithuto tse bohlokwa tseo re di hwetsago go yona. Ye nngwe ya ditsela tseo ka tsona re ka fihlelelago nepo ye, ke go nyaka go kwesisa tiragalo ye ka seemong sa yona. Le ge e le gore maemo a tsa sedumedi gantsi a a ahlaahlwa ka gare ga tlhako ya Diphego tsa ngwagakgolo wa bo 16, maemo a tsa sepolotiki ga se a lekodiswago ka fao go lekanego, ka nepo ya go utolla seabe mabapi le maemo a tsa sedumedi a batlisadiphetogo ba peleng. Ka mo dinyakisisong tse, tekodisisoleswa ya batlisadiphetogo ba peleng e tla utolla gore seemo sa bona sa tsa dipolotiki se amile kudu dipoelo tsa mathata a bona a tsa sedumedi, gomme se sa baka kudu gore batlisadiphetogo bao ba bagolo bao ba amogetsego le go dirisana le badirisani ka bona ba tsa sepolotiki go atlega. Ka boripana: dikgopolo tsa go hloka maatla a o a lekanego a tsa sepolotiki di beetswe kgakala go histori, mola e le gore sedumedi sona, ge se thekgwa ke maatla a sepolotiki, se ile sa hlalosa Diphetogo go ya ka dinyakisiso tsa histori. Kutollo ye e bohlokwa ka dipoledisanong tseo di tswelago pele tsa kwano ya sekhriste, kudukudu ka ge mahlakore ka moka a lemogile gore metheo ya tumelo ya bona mohlomongwe e bakilwe ke seemo sa bona sa histori ya tsa sepolotiki, go realo e le go tlosa maemo a godimo a batho, ka nepo ya go direla boikobobetso sebaka bjalo ka karolo ya dipoledisano tseo di kgwagalago. Ka go somisa mokgwa wa tshekatsheko ya dingwalwa, dinyakisiso tse di ikemiseditse go nyakisisa ka ga batlisadiphetogo ba peleng ba mehutahuta le maemo a bona a tsa sepolotiki, ka nepo ya go tseba ge eba maemo a a sepolotiki a hueditsego dithuto tsa sedumedi tsa batlisadiphetogo. Maemo a a sepolotiki a akaretsa khuetso balaodi ba kgauswi, bomaseterata ba ditoropokgolo, le ge e ka ba badudi ba maemo a fase, gammogo le seemo ka kakaretso sa ditiragalo tsa dipolotiki mafelong a itsego. Bontsi bja dingwalwa tsa maleba bo tla somiswa le go sekasekwa ka nepo ya go tseba nepagalo ya kanegelo ya histori mabapi le ditiragalo tsa sepolotiki, gammogo le maemo a tsa sedumedi a batlisadiphetogo. Dingwalwa tsa motheo di tla somiswa peleng, mola e le gore dingwalwa tsa tlaleletso di tla sekasekwa ka tlhokomelo.