Abstract
Language and church unity: Calvin’s 1545 Catechism in Latin In 1545 Calvin wrote a catechism. He defended the fact that he had done it in Latin, saying: “I judge it useful that there should be public testimonies, whereby churches which, though widely separated by space, agree in the doctrine of Christ, may mutually recognize each other.” Although he was constantly being accused by the Roman Catholic Church of being a schismatic, Calvin’s ecumenical intentions were above re-proach. At every opportunity he stressed the sinfulness of schism from a church that bears the marks of the true church. By the time of the Reformation Latin wasn’t regarded any more as a “holy” language, but as a role model for other languages. Although the reformers increasingly propagated the use of the vernacular in religious service, they still maintained cor-respondence with each other in Latin and wrote many of their treatises in this language. The art of printing presented the same phenomenon: both vernacular and Latin (especially academic works), were produced and distributed. Calvin’s “Catechism” of 1545, written in Latin, was soon translated into many languages, even into Greek and Hebrew. Thereby Calvin reached his goal of promoting unity of faith between the different reformation churches. The fact that the catechism was written in Latin gave it a special status as church-historical document: a symbol of Calvin’s hope for church unity.
Highlights
In 1545 het Calvyn ’n kategismus geskryf
Dit word ook weerspieël in die boekdrukkuns: werke in die verskeie moedertale én in Latyn is gedruk en versprei
Beza noem hierdie kategismus “’n verbasende werk”, 2 juis omdat dit spoedig nie alleen in Duits, 1 Primum in hoc confuso dissipatoque christiani nominis statu, utile esse iudicio, exstare publica testimonia, quibus ecclesiae, quae longis alioqui locorum spatiis dissitae consentiem habent in Christo doctrinam, se mutuo agnoscant. (CO 6,67.)
Summary
Calvyn verdedig in die inleiding van sy Kategismus van 1545 die feit dat hy dit in Latyn skryf. Soos Luther het Calvyn ook op twee aspekte van die kerk gewys: die sigbare en die onsigbare, geestelike. Kerkeenheid was vir Calvyn egter ook gegrond op unitas fidei 3 (eenheid van geloof), consensus fidei (eenstemmigheid in die geloof; CO 6,6-7) en die unitas veritatis 4 (eenheid in waarheid). Deur die verspreiding van die Kategismus was dit sy wens dat hierdie eenheid bevorder sou word. Die doel van hierdie artikel is om te bepaal wat die besondere status van die Kategismus van 1545 as kerkhistoriese dokument gehad het. Dit word gedoen deur eers te bepaal wat kerkeenheid vir Calvyn ingehou het en tweedens watter kommunikatiewe rol Latyn tydens die Reformasie gespeel het
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