Restoring Christ's Church: John a Lasco and the Forma ac ratio / Edition 1

by Michael S. Springer

Overview

This book examines the struggle for Protestant consensus and unity through the work of John a Lasco (1499-1560). It is only in recent years that scholars have begun to recognize the importance of Lasco as one of the leading figures of the European Reformation, and a pivotal figure between Lutheran and Reformed theologians. The Polish reformer was among the most dynamic church organizers of the sixteenth century, dedicated to healing the divisions among evangelicals and searching for the key to Protestant unity in the example of the Apostolic Church. It was to this end that he published the Forma ac ratio in 1555, a work that recorded the rites and practices of the London Strangers' Church (of which he had been the first superintendent) and to provide a model for uniting the disparate Protestant communities on the Continent. Although some recent works have focused on aspects of Lasco's early career in Germany and England, this is the first book to provide a comprehensive analysis of the Forma ac ratio, and the reformer's reasons for writing it. This study also puts Lasco's distinct model for Protestant churches into the wider European context and assesses his impact on the struggle for unity through an examination of his correspondence, the reaction to his writings, and his influence on Protestant congregations across Europe.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780754656012
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	03/28/2007
Series:	St Andrews Studies in Reformation History Series
Pages:	198
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Michael S. Springer is from the Department of History and Geography at the University of Central Oklahoma, USA.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction; Chapter 2 Christ’s True Church: The Protestant Search for Unity; Chapter 3 John a Lasco and the London Strangers’ Church: The Origins and Development of the Forma ac ratio; Chapter 4 Ecclesiastical Administration and the London Strangers’ Church; Chapter 5 John a Lasco’s Public Ministry; Chapter 6 Ecclesiastical Discipline in the Forma ac ratio; Chapter 7 The Forma ac ratio in Europe; Chapter 8 Conclusion: Lasco’s Legacy;

Editorial Reviews

’Springer is to be thanked for recovering from the dusty shelves of evangelical theology such an important and influential work. Those seeking to understand early Protestant worship, church order, or even pastoral care will find much of value in his study.’ Renaissance Quarterly ’Upper-level undergraduates, graduates and scholars with interests in confessional identity-building will benefit greatly from this carefully-researched and well-written book.’ Ecclesiastical History ’By providing such a close and coherent examination of such an important church order in a lucid and accessible manner, the author has demonstrated clearly the different theological strands that shaped and defined religious practices in the Reformed tradition.’ Journal of British Studies

From the Publisher