Open AccessThomas Erastus oor die struktuur van die gemeenskap
Author(s) -
A.D. Pont
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
hts teologiese studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.282
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 2072-8050
pISSN - 0259-9422
DOI - 10.4102/hts.v41i3.2155
Subject(s) - covenant , plea , theology , popularity , philosophy , law , sociology , political science
Thomas Erastus on the church, the rulers and the community In this, largely descriptive paper, the views of Thomas Erastus (1520-1583) of Heidelberg, are discussed. Erastus' views on the church, the rulers and the community are put forward in his Treatise Explicatio gravissimae of 1568-69, published in 1589. It is clear that Erastus depends on the Zurich covenant-theology in his view that the community is essentially a Christian community ruled by the pius magistratus. In this community the church does not appear as a separate coetus or societas, but is ruled by the godly prince who rules according to God's law. Erastus' view gained popularity in the ecclesia AngUcam and was, to a certain extent, also a plea for the divine rights of kings