History of Rationalism Embracing a Survey of the Present State of Protestant TheologyHurst, J. F. (John Fletcher)
History
History of Rationalism Embracing a Survey of the Present State of Protestant Theology
Hurst, J. F. (John Fletcher)
Protestantism; Rationalism -- History
resurrection from the dead, and his continuation of life in the glory of
the Father. But he holds that Christ lives in his community, in which
are his home and temple. The living Christ is the spirit of his
community.
After the position of Schenkel's work had been fairly decided, numerous
remonstrances appeared against it from the orthodox theologians. One
hundred and eighteen clergymen sent in a formal protest to the
consistory for his removal from his important office as director of the
seminary. But the ecclesiastical council decided in favor of his
continuance in discharge of his functions. They extenuated themselves by
saying that the free examination of the Scriptures is the privilege of
Protestant Christians. The Rationalists claim the result as one of the
most signal of their recent victories.
Hengstenberg, the strongest and most heroic of the later opponents of
Rationalism, commenced very early in life as both author and professor.
It is now more than thirty years since he was elected professor of Old
Testament exegesis at Berlin. He was chosen to that important position
with a view to counteract the prevailing Rationalism, and, if possible,
to raise up a new school of earnest evangelical men. He has not been
without success. Having never swerved from his first avowed position,
his antipathy to all kinds of skepticism is so sincere and active that
he combats it without any regard to moderation or consequences.
Of all the members of the Evangelical school he takes the highest rank
as controversialist, and defender of the Old Testament. He saw that it
was the Old Testament which the Rationalists had assailed most
vigorously, and that unless they were met upon their own ground they
would claim the mastery of the field. Hence, he made the Pentateuch,
Daniel, and the second part of the prophecy of Isaiah the theme of his
defence[79]--for it was these that the Rationalists had long claimed as
their collateral evidence. At that very time there was almost no
orthodox theologian in Germany who had confidence enough to contend for
them. But the greatest apologetic achievement of Hengstenberg was his
christological work.[80] Here he develops his theory that the Messianic
prophecies extend through the entire Old Testament; that they can be
traced in Genesis; that they increase in clearness as the scriptural
history advances; that they become perfectly lucid in the later
prophets; and that they are finally fulfilled in the Messiah himself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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