反分離的分離者──加爾文論教會/蘇遠泰

撮要

本論文探討加爾文的教會觀,主要從兩方面討論:第一,他如何反對重洗派的分離主義,並指出凡是有聖道的宣講和聖禮的執行的,已經是真教會了。第二,加爾文如何支持宗教改革者脫離羅馬大公教會,並指出因大公教會的偶像崇拜,使她失去了成為基督教會的資格。本論文除了揭示加爾文的反分離的分離者立場外,還嘗試指出他的教會觀如何融通反分離和分離的立場,達到一種辯證的關係。又從加爾文的教會觀出發,淺評今天的文化基督徒現象,和羅馬天主教與德國信義宗合一的理據。

 

ABSTRACT

This paper attempts to re-construct the ecclesiology of John Calvin. It emphasizes on two aspects. Firstly, how Calvin objected to the separatism of Anabaptists and why he defined the real church as an institute proclaiming God’s Word and administering the Sacraments. Secondly, why and how Calvin supported the position of the Reformers to escape from the Roman Catholic Church, which according to Calvin was a place full of idolatrous worship, and hence had lost the criterion to be the Church of Christ. This paper tries to harmonize the anti-schismatic and schismatic position. Finally, Calvin’s ecclesiology is used as a tool to evaluate the present phenomenon of “Cultural Christian” in mainland China, as well as to criticize the ecumenical movement between Roman Catholic and German Lutheran.

原載於《建道學刊》22期(2004年1月),頁159-184。