Page 170 - Vinkler, Jonatan. 2021. »Češka gos«, Božji bojevniki, obstranci: češka »reformacija pred reformacijo« in njeni evropski ter slovenski konteksti, ideariji in imaginariji. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut
P. 170
»češka gos«, božji bojevniki, obstranci
Church and its structure, indulgences and papal power signalizes the repro
ductive reception of Wycliffism and thus through the semantic and operative
fields of resistance against the supreme au- thority of the papal throne reveals
the intellectual historical link between Wycliffe, Hus and his Bohemian and
German historical successors – the Lutheran Reformation of the 16th century.
Like Hus in his treatise De Ecclesia, Martin Luther in his Resolutiones disputa-
tionum de indulgentiarum virtute (1518), in comparable historical conditions,
also primarily based his intellectual arguments on the discussion concern
ing indulgences and on criticism of the shameless brokering with the power of
the keys. For like Václav Tiem and his commissioners with the indulgences of
Pope John XXIII, a hundred years later Tetzel and the Fuggers right at the be
ginning gave the indulgences of Pope Leon X (or rather Archbishop Albrecht
of Brandenburg) a bad reputation – and gave Luther grounds for thinking
not only about indulgences but also such fundamental matters as the “ex
treme conditions” for God’s grace and salvation (by faith alone).
Czech Brethren as outsiders:
Between the commitment of the Hussite break with Rome
and the challenge of the German Reformation
The Unity of the Brethren (Unitas Fratrum/Jednota bratská/the Czech/
Czech Brethren) can be considered in their activity as well as their theology
as an original European Reformation preceding Martin Luther. The referen
tial framework for the birth of the Czech Brethren, historically and in terms
of church organization, differed considerably from the origin and establish
ment of the Lutheran Reformation in Germany. The basic difference, apart
from the noticeably greater age of the Czech religious reform, is that in
the lands of St Václav (Wenceslaus) the concept of church reform is closely
linked with the pre-Reformation striving for a good spiritual pastor and the
idea that church reform is primarily a matter of practical everyday morality,
and not (necessarily) of theology. The call for church reform means primari
ly the correction of the individual and that applies first of all to the head of
medieval society, i.e. the preacher or priest. The Czech Reformation (the
Utraquist Church and after that the Czech Brethren) was above all a broad
folk movement “from the bottom up”, which gains through its own develop
ment a theological articulation and reflection, while with Luther it was first
of all an intellectual current “from the top down”, a dissemination of the in
sights and reflections (including intuitive ones) of a highly educated pro
fessor, a member of a learned culture, which at a certain moment – on the
170
Church and its structure, indulgences and papal power signalizes the repro
ductive reception of Wycliffism and thus through the semantic and operative
fields of resistance against the supreme au- thority of the papal throne reveals
the intellectual historical link between Wycliffe, Hus and his Bohemian and
German historical successors – the Lutheran Reformation of the 16th century.
Like Hus in his treatise De Ecclesia, Martin Luther in his Resolutiones disputa-
tionum de indulgentiarum virtute (1518), in comparable historical conditions,
also primarily based his intellectual arguments on the discussion concern
ing indulgences and on criticism of the shameless brokering with the power of
the keys. For like Václav Tiem and his commissioners with the indulgences of
Pope John XXIII, a hundred years later Tetzel and the Fuggers right at the be
ginning gave the indulgences of Pope Leon X (or rather Archbishop Albrecht
of Brandenburg) a bad reputation – and gave Luther grounds for thinking
not only about indulgences but also such fundamental matters as the “ex
treme conditions” for God’s grace and salvation (by faith alone).
Czech Brethren as outsiders:
Between the commitment of the Hussite break with Rome
and the challenge of the German Reformation
The Unity of the Brethren (Unitas Fratrum/Jednota bratská/the Czech/
Czech Brethren) can be considered in their activity as well as their theology
as an original European Reformation preceding Martin Luther. The referen
tial framework for the birth of the Czech Brethren, historically and in terms
of church organization, differed considerably from the origin and establish
ment of the Lutheran Reformation in Germany. The basic difference, apart
from the noticeably greater age of the Czech religious reform, is that in
the lands of St Václav (Wenceslaus) the concept of church reform is closely
linked with the pre-Reformation striving for a good spiritual pastor and the
idea that church reform is primarily a matter of practical everyday morality,
and not (necessarily) of theology. The call for church reform means primari
ly the correction of the individual and that applies first of all to the head of
medieval society, i.e. the preacher or priest. The Czech Reformation (the
Utraquist Church and after that the Czech Brethren) was above all a broad
folk movement “from the bottom up”, which gains through its own develop
ment a theological articulation and reflection, while with Luther it was first
of all an intellectual current “from the top down”, a dissemination of the in
sights and reflections (including intuitive ones) of a highly educated pro
fessor, a member of a learned culture, which at a certain moment – on the
170
