Saturday, October 27, 2007

Fan Club Testimonials

The fans speak on my research into the Reformers Mariology:

"Oh don't worry, James Swan knows exactely how to minimize this and cover it up as if Luther had said nothing at all. Just wait and see-- he will be on here talking about how you have somehow taken Luther out of context, how you have misrepresented his views, how there is a 'fundamental misapprehension and misapplication' of the views of Luther among Catholics, and how Luther never had devotion to Mary, about how all of what you said is most likely an interpolation by a later Catholic trying to make Luther look bad, or in the end, if he cannot minimize Luther they way he does Calvin, he will basically just say "So what? Luther is not my pope. He can believe what he wants." or whatever he might like to say. Whatever he says, I am sure it will be interesting."

2 comments:

pilgrim said...

The quoted section shows that when discussing Mary we bring presuppositions about her to the discussion-and also that we bring other presuppositions as well.

The approach of the argument places more importance on what Luther siad than a Protestant should use--and that many would not use.

Personally, while it is interesting and can be instructive to see what Lutehr or anybody else said about Mary, and while we ought not to ignore what people in Church history said about Mary, what is more important is what the Bible said. So even if Luther did continue some level of MArian devotion after Protestantism started is not the main point.

Luther could be, and was in some things wrong. Calvin said. the best theologians are only right 75% of the time. The average RC mindset doesn't think that way. And the quote shows the author doesn't think that way, but is treating Luther as if he were the Protestant magesterium.

That may not be the writer's intent, but that is how it comes across. Because if Luther practiced Marian devotion, then why don't we?

To a solas scriptura mindset, this doesn't follow.

We need to realize that those we disagree with are probably operating with different presuppositions than we are--and some of them are afraid of the idea of presuppositions as well.

James Swan said...

If you have a context for the Calvin quote, or a reference, I'd like to have it.