Evening Prayer

McNiell, John Thomas. The History and Character of Calvinism. New York: Oxford University Press, 1962. Dr. McNeil tells of the founding of Geneva Academy with its ground-breaking, funding, and slow building, but also notes the hiring of Beza as Rector in 1559 (193). This includes kindergarten through high school years, including French, Latin and Greek (194). Greg Allison’s “Historical Theology:” Prof. Allison further quotes Anselm on the substitutionary, satisfaction view of the atonement, but brings in the subjectivist, Peter Abelard, on the moral inspiration theory of the atonement (398). Too bad he failed to see the comprehensiveness of the atonement, thinking in terms of “either-or.” As an aside, we’re delighted with Alexander Evan’s brief but capable notes on the atonement in Global Anglican (Spring 2022). Edward Cairns’s “Christianity Through the Centuries:” In discussing the background to the Reformation, one hears of Albert of Mainz, the Fugger bank in Augsburg, the pay-off to Leo X for a dispensation to Albert to hold multiple provinces, big money to Leo, indulgences, purgatory, and the treasury of merits for the living and dead (308). Where did St. Paul and Romans go? Paul’s theology flew off from the Vatican with the pigeons. Count dem’ dollas, Mr. Bishop of Rome. The recovery of Biblical theology will correct the salvation-for-money schemes. Millard Erickson’s “Christian Theology:” Dr. Erickson tries to make a brief start on the Trinity with his usual approaches. We're Reformed hawks with God-given instincts of watching the high grasses. We are definitely not a fan of this ST. Justo Gonzalez’s “History of Christianity: Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation:” 26. The End of an Era. The Western Empire has crumbled and fall by 476 AD. The barbarians are all over the west—Franks, Gauls, Germans, Vandals, Lombards Visigoths and more. Alaric, king of the Goths, sacks Rome in 410, a historic landmark.