The School of God: Pedagogy and Rhetoric in Calvin’s Interpretation of Deuteronomy

310 Pages·2006·3.704 MB·English

by  Raymond A. Blacketer (auth.)

S T U D I E S I N E A R L Y M O D E R N
R E L I G I O U S R E F O R M S
The School of God
Pedagogy and Rhetoric in Calvin's
Interpretation of Deuteronomy
Raymond A. Blacketer
THE SCHOOLOF GOD
STUDIES IN EARLYMODERN RELIGIOUS REFORMS
VOLUME 3
Editor
Irena Backus, University of Geneva
Board of Consulting Editors
Michael J.B. Allen, University of California at Los Angeles
Guy Bedouelle, Université de Fribourg
Emidio Campi, University of Zürich
Bernard Cottret, Université de Paris-Versailles
Denis Crouzet, Université de Paris IV-Sorbonne
Luc Deitz, Bibliothèque nationale de Luxembourg
Paul Grendler, (Emeritus) University of Toronto
Susan C. Karant-Nunn, University of Arizona, Tucson
Ralph Keen, University of Iowa
Maria-Cristina Pitassi, University of Geneva
Herman J. Selderhuis, Theological University Apeldoorn
David Steinmetz, Duke University, Durham, NC
Christoph Strohm, Ruhr Universität Bochum
John L. Thompson, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena
Mark Vessey, The University of British Columbia
Lee Palmer Wandel, University of Wisconsin-Madison
David F. Wright, The University of Edinburgh
THE SCHOOL OF GOD
PEDAGOGYAND RHETORIC IN CALVIN'S
INTERPRETATION OF DEUTERONOMY
by
RAYMOND A. BLACKETER
AC.I.P. Catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN-10 1-4020-3912-3 (HB)
ISBN-13 978-1-4020-3912-6 (HB)
ISBN-10 1-4020-3913-1 (e-book)
ISBN-13 978-1-4020-3913-3 (e-book)
Published by Springer,
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© 2006 Springer
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For Sandra
Ryan, Alexandra, and Katelyn
with love
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................xiii
ABBREVIATIONS........................................................................................xvi

INTRODUCTION: Calvin’s Old Testament Exegesis in Context..................1
Calvin in Context..............................................................................1
Problems in the Study of Calvin’s Exegesis......................................3
Confessional Bias...........................................................................3
Calvin as the Forerunner of Modern Exegesis....................................5
Calvin as the Archetype of Modern Theology.....................................6
New Directions in Calvin Scholarship.............................................7
Studies of Calvin’s Old Testament Exegesis..................................10
The Method of the Present Study..................................................18
Calvin’s Sources...........................................................................19
Prospectus of Chapters...................................................................21

CHAPTER 1: L’ÉCOLE DE DIEU. Pedagogy from the Pulpit.....................23
Preaching and Pedagogy in Calvin’s Vision of a Godly Society.....23
Calvin as Pedagogue.....................................................................24
The Curriculum of the School of God.............................................25
Pulpit Pedagogy...........................................................................28
The Congregation as Classroom.....................................................30
Sermonic Sophistication................................................................32
Calvin’s Introductory Sermons.......................................................36
vi i
Calvin’s Academic Metaphors.........................................................37
The School of God in the Tradition................................................37
The School of God in Calvin’s Institutes......................................40
The School of God in Calvin’s Commentaries................................43
The School of God in Calvin’s Sermons.........................................45
The Image of the Alphabet..............................................................52
The ABC’s of Psalm 119.............................................................55
The ABC’s of Isaiah 28:10...........................................................58

CHAPTER 2: AMPLE PREACHING. The Rhetoric of Calvin’s Sermons.....61
Calvin’s Rhetorical Style.................................................................61
Arguments About Eloquence..........................................................61
Prolixity from Calvin’s Pulpit.......................................................63
The Sixteenth Century Rhetorical Context...................................68
Varieties of Eloquent Styles............................................................68
The Problem of Obscurity.............................................................69
Brevitas et Amplificatio.................................................................71
Neurosis or Eloquence?..................................................................72
The Abyss....................................................................................73
The Labyrinth..............................................................................74
The Bridle...................................................................................75
Calvin’s Perspective on Rhetoric....................................................77
Brief Commentary, Ample Sermon...............................................83

CHAPTER 3: CALVIN’S SERMONS ON DEUTERONOMY. A Course in
Remedial Education................................................................................89
Deuteronomy as the Ideal Remedial Curriculum..........................89
Calvin’s Sermonic Argumentum to Deuteronomy...........................90
The Publication of the Law, Second Edition...................................90
History as Life’s Schoolmistress......................................................92
The Shining Face of Moses............................................................93
The Patience of God in Republishing His Law...............................94
Deuteronomy as an Amplified Version of the Law...........................96
Warnings Against Ingratitude and Intractability..............................96
The Scope of Deuteronomy as a Course in Remedial Education........98
Pedagogical Themes in the Deuteronomy Sermons....................100
The Divine Teacher....................................................................100
The Virtue of Docility.................................................................102
Lifelong Learning in the School of God........................................104
God’s Bridle and the Right Path..................................................106
vi ii
Prolixity with a Purpose: Deuteronomy’s Rhetorical Style.........108
The Style of Deuteronomy in the Exegetical Tradition...................108
Calvin’s Apologia for Deuteronomy’s Verbosity...........................110
Moses as a Copious Orator..........................................................113
A Copious Compendium: Implications for Calvin’s Methodology...114
Pulpit Polemics..............................................................................115
Theological Disputations.............................................................116
The Politics of a Godly Society....................................................120
The Genevans as a People in Need of Remedial Education........123

CHAPTER 4: CALVIN’S PEDAGOGICALLY CORRECT COMMENTARY
ON MOSES’ PERFECT HISTORY. Improving on Perfection..............127
An Unprecedented Method?........................................................127
The Medieval Tradition..............................................................128
Early Modern Interpreters............................................................130
The Rabbinic Tradition..............................................................131
Philo of Alexandria.....................................................................134
Philip Melanchthon’s Proverbs Commentary................................137
Calvin’s Gospel Harmony................................................................139
A Traditional Method of Gospel Interpretation..............................139
Four Gospels, One History.........................................................139
Calvin’s Method in the Gospel Harmony..................................140
The Preface to the Mosaic Harmony...............................................142
Problems of Chronological Consistency.........................................142
Apologia for an Innovative Method.............................................142
Improving Moses’ Perfect Pedagogy..............................................143
The Twin Teachers of History and Doctrine.................................145
The Eloquence of History............................................................146
Calvin’s Organization of the Mosaic Harmony...............................146
The Preface to the Law...............................................................147
The Decalogue...........................................................................148
Supplements to the Law..............................................................152
The End and Use of the Law: A Locus Communis...................156
Promises, Threats, and the Via Moderna....................................157
Improving Moses’ Perfect Chronology...........................................158
Calvin’s Revision of the Mosaic Harmony......................................159
Errors of the Editors....................................................................159
Fine Tuning the Seventh Commandment.....................................160
General and Political Appendices.................................................163
ix
Methodological Observations.......................................................166
The Function of Loci Communes in the Mosaic Harmony......166
Deviations from the Principle of Brevitas.....................................167
Ecclesiastical and Theological Character of the Mosaic Harmony..168

CHAPTER 5: CALVIN ON THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.
The Rhetoric of Rest..............................................................................171
A Summary of Calvin’s Sabbath Sentiments................................172
The Sabbath as Allegory................................................................173
The Sabbath Spiritualized in the Tradition..................................173
The Shadow and Substance of the Sabbath...................................175
The Sabbath as Object Lesson.....................................................179
The Sabbath as Synecdoche.........................................................180
Work and Worship.........................................................................181
Rigorous Repose..........................................................................181
Pilgrims Studying Holiness.........................................................183
The Polity of Weekly Worship.....................................................185
Restful Rhetoric and Prayerful Pedagogy.....................................186
A Tower of Reflection..................................................................187
The Passed-Over Prayer.............................................................189
Ethical Implications of the Fourth Commandment....................190
Rest for Beasts and Servants.........................................................191
Worship and Work in a Godly Society.........................................194
The Sabbath Commandment in the Mosaic Harmony..................197
Methodological Observations.......................................................199

CHAPTER 6: CALVIN ON DEUTERONOMY 10:1-2. Smooth Stones,
Teachable Hearts..................................................................................201
The Problem of Calvin’s Use of Allegory....................................202
The Polemical Context of Reform................................................203
Continuity with the Tradition.....................................................204
A Modernized Portrait of Calvin.................................................206
The New Tablets in the Exegetical Tradition..............................209
The Allegories of Augustine..........................................................209
Spiritualized Stones in the Sixteenth Century...............................211
Calvin’s Allegorical Interpretation of the New Tablets...............214
The New Tablets in the Mosaic Harmony......................................217
x