ethics – RCS

«Simul iustus et peccator» — «At once justified and sinner»

Rainer Stahl Retired general secretary of Martin-Luther-Bund (Habichtstrasse 14 A, Erlangen, Germany, D-91056)
rainer.stahl.1@gmx.de

Stahl R. «Simul iustus et peccator», Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2024, vol. 13, pp. 34–47.

doi: 10.24412/2308-0698-2024-13-34-47

Language: Russian

This paper was originally written as a meditation about the text of Exodus 32:7–14 which was the scriptural basis for the sermon on Sunday «Rogate» on May 5th, 2024. During the work two painful challenges came into my view, which the church in Germany affects since years. Firstly, in the Eastern part of Germany, the possible cooperation of church officials with the security of the former German Democratic Republic, with the so called «Staatssicherheit». Secondly, in the last time the important labor about the possible sexual misuse of children and youngsters. It was a deep spiritual insight for me that the critique of God about Israel, which our Bible text shows, may offer help for dealing with these two challenges. The article covern several issues in turn: the textual problems of Exodus 32:7–14, the way of writing of this text in connection with the history of theology in Old Judah, the surface of the Bible text and finally the main themes which could be stressed on the basis of this Bible text. The last include: the question of pictures for God, the image of bull as the wrong possibility, intercession as the correct way dealing with God, the work about the relation to the security of the German Democratic Republic and the confession of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Key words: Martin Luther, Exodus, ethics, old Judah, Germany, ressurection

URL: https://rcs-almanac.ru/stahl-2024-en/

Freedom as concept, and it’s supposed parameters

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Sergei Aleksandrovich Isaev PhD in History, senior scientific researcher, Saint Petersburg Institute of History of Russian Academy of Sciences (Petrozavodskaya str., bld. 7, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 197110)
isayevsviir@yandex.ru

Isaev S. A. Freedom as concept, and it’s supposed parameters, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2024, vol. 13, pp. 62–88.

doi: 10.24412/2308-0698-2024-13-62-88

Language: Russian

Freedom is defined as a situation in which a person ought to choose between options: how to behave, or what to do. If a person doesn’t have grounds for dread to perish or to be punished for choosing certain option, and so he or she can follow the inclinations, so the person has freedom as applied for this situation and for those options. Every genuine freedom is limited, so every freedom can be described according to its intrinsic limi tations. The author considers external, and internal limitations, and self restrictions. Next item is connection between freedom and knowledge: knowledge on every option, and knowledge on impending threat if limits be transgressed. The author agrees with concept of «freedom from», but rejects the concept of «freedom for».

Key words: bondage of will, determinism, ethics, freedom, human rights, Lutheranism, Marxism, responsibility, restrictions of freedom, sin

URL: https://rcs-almanac.ru/isaev-2024-en/

Сriticism of Рossibility of Natural Theology in William Ames’ «Disputatio theologica adversus ethicam» (Preface to the publication)

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Rodion Valentinovich Savinov PhD in Philosophy, associate professor, Saint-Petersburg State Academy of Veterinary Medicine (ulitsa Chernigovskaya, 5, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 196084)
savrodion@yandex.ru

Savinov R.V. Сriticism of Рossibility of Natural Theology in William Ames’ «Disputatio theologica adversus ethicam» (Preface to the publication), Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2019, vol. 8, pp. 394–424.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2020-00020

Language: Russian

The article analyses English Puritan theologian William Ames’«Disputatio theologica adversus ethicam» which contains criticismof Early Modern theology, in particular, the possibility of building ethicsindependent of both biblical Revelation and religious sources. RabbinicalJudaism and Catholicism are considered by William Ames as representativesof the concept of «traditions», socially established forms of religiosity. Amesseeks to show that these forms of worship are untrue, for they supplementthe biblical command with historically emerged customs, thereby violatingthe principle of sola Scriptura. The second mode of non-religious piety isrepresented by philosophical ethics, in particular, the Aristotle’s moraldoctrine, which was the basis of the ethical teachings of the Early ModernTimes, both Catholic and Protestant. The rationalism of Aristotelian ethicsand its immanent point of view to human morality are considered by Ames asa violation of the principle of sola fide, because ethics is based on the independentnature of man, which makes the principles of Revelation unnecessary. Amesconsiders biblical moral theology (the so-called Ethica Christiana) an alternativefor Scholasticism, which, on the one hand, integrates the basic principlesof philosophical ethics (the concept and varieties of virtues), and, on the otherhand, is based on the theological principle of holiness as the goal of human lifein the eyes of God (coram Deo). Thus, the theology of William Ames became analternative to the scholastic understanding of ethics and theology, and served asthe basis for new forms of describing religious experience in Puritanism of the17th century

Key words: Reformation, Ethics, Theology, Puritanism, William Ames, Early Modern

URL: //rcs-almanac.ru/savinov-2020-en/

Godliness with сontentment: The significance of сontentment for Martin Luther’s understanding of society

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Robert Kolb,professor emeritus, Concordia seminary in St. Louis (Seminary Place, 801, Saint Louis, USA, MO 63105)

kolbr@csl.edu

Kolb R. Godliness with Contentment: The Significance of Contentment for Martin Luther’s Understanding of Society, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2017, vol. 6, pp. 168–181.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2017-00009

Language: English

The article explores the Luther’s understanding of human life and his social ethics. The author concludes that in Luther’s very personal world contentment, as an expression of faith, made it possible for believers to risk what God gives them to serve others and create an orderly society. Contentment is the enemy of social unrest as well as personal dissatisfaction and unsettledness. Mutual service eliminates the need for rebellion and mutual love eliminates the desire for personal security or gain by exploiting others. Luther’s insistence on fulfilling the assignments God has called individuals to perform prevented social quietism and encouraged active participation in all aspects of life in the home, the workplace, society, and the congregation of Christ’s people.

Key words: callings, Ockham, sermons, human life, society, ethics

URL: //rcs-almanac.ru/kolb-2017-en/