Abstract » Koryl
Cracow 2009
Educational Reform, Philosophy, and Irenicism
Jakub KORYL
The Irenic Ecclesiology of Johannes a Lasco: Origins and Legacy
The aim of this paper is to examine the philosophical foundations of Johannes a Lasco’s reformation achievement. This prominent Polish nobleman tends to be thought of as a church reformer, diplomat, famous organizer, and superintendent of churches in East Frisia, England, and Germany rather than a profound thinker of humanistic origin and orientation. Relatively little is known about his contribution in this field, while his vision of church was deeply inspired by certain anthropology closely connected with erasmian irenicism, ecclesiology and, in a broader sense, with a wide tradition of Christian humanism. For that reason, considering his ecclesiology, which Johannes a Lasco often summed up in the phrase una - sancta - catholica to describe perfect church, this paper tries to make references to a variety of texts by Lasco concerning the real meaning and nature of church. It will also pass over his widely and often discussed at length in the literature of subject share in formulating measurable grounds for reformed church. A complex, multi-layer structure of meanings, in the philological, historical and theological sense, merging, combining and critically interpreting ideas of Erasmus, Melanchton and Calvin, leads to the conclusion, which portrays Lasco’s achievement in a new context and reveals new perspective of interpretations of his role in the history of early-modern Christianity.
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