Abstract
Friedrich Schleiermacher’s (1768–1834) theological essay on the doctrine of election – in which he claims to stand squarely within the Reformed tradition – was an attempt to aid church unification in the 19th century Prussian church of which he was a member and a minister. In this essay Schleiermacher resists a narrow focus on individual election and particularly on how election was worked out in the direction of double predestination. The gift of God’s electing grace is worked out historically and is therefore Christological and communal. He argues that God’s will is neither twofold nor divisible – into two parts, concerning the elect and the reprobate – but one, indivisible, unconditional decree governed by the logic of electing grace. This article explores Schleiermacher’s doctrine of election as part of a 250th commemoration of Schleiermacher’s birth, and suggests how Schleiermacher’s essay on election may contribute to theological interpretations and portrayals of the doctrine of election today.
Highlights
How is any assurance of salvation possible if God’s eternal decree allots blessedness (Seligkeit) to some and damnation (Verdammniß) to others?. The dilemma that he has to deal with is the relationship between Reformed and Lutheran views of grace (Schleiermacher 2012:25–27); and the soteriological trajectory of election, and – quite practically, http://www.hts.org.za even ethically – what this implies for the future of this newly unified church that he is so concerned about (Gockel 2006:16–18)
Dealt with one of Schleiermacher’s very first serious publications in dogmatic theology, as it was first published as an academic essay and later embedded in his dogmatics (Gockel 2006:16)
The introductory remarks of the translators of Schleiermacher’s essay on election are a fitting summary of Schleiermacher’s (2012) view: Unlike many heirs of modernity Schleiermacher refuses to think of the individual in abstraction from humanity
Summary
It is a strange and tragic thing when the very mention of Friedrich Schleiermacher’s name opens up a pandora’s box of theological accusations: at the very least the lingering suspicion that the offending party harbours any kind of sympathy for liberal theology (or worse!, may be a closet liberal theologian themselves); that the Bible is neither respected nor regarded as God’s Word; that key Christological doctrines – such as the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ – are compromised theologically by non-literal interpretations; and that Schleiermacher – the Judas of Christian theology and betrayer of the Reformed tradition (Nicol & Jorgensen 2012:1) – may be read and appreciated by theologians today. American Schleiermacher scholars – including Tice (2012:ix; who was deeply involved in the new recent English translation of The Christian Faith) and Vander Schel (2015:334) – have pointed out the importance of taking Schleiermacher’s rhetorical and pastoral intentions into account when interpreting this essay on election in particular. The dilemma that he has to deal with is the relationship between Reformed and Lutheran views of grace (and his very second section, of this essay, appeals to Luther and Lutheranism) (Schleiermacher 2012:25–27); and the soteriological trajectory of election, and – quite practically, http://www.hts.org.za even ethically – what this implies for the future of this newly unified church that he is so concerned about (Gockel 2006:16–18). Disputable and contested. It is neither a fact nor a necessary conclusion to which the Synod of Dordrecht comes, he argues, and he denunciates the conclusions that Dord comes up with in no uncertain terms (Thorsell 2016:155). It is only in the assurance of our blessedness that our understanding of election ‘finds rest’ (Schleiermacher 2012:78)
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