The Reformation of Prophecy: Early Modern Interpretations of the Prophet & Old Testament Prophecy

by G. Sujin Pak

Overview

Protestant reformers found the prophet and biblical prophecy to be exceptionally effective for framing their reforming work under the authority of Scripture-for the true prophet speaks the Word of God alone and calls the people, their worship, and their beliefs and practices back to the Word of God. uses the prophet and biblical prophecy as a powerful lens through which to view many aspects of the reformers in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. G. Sujin Pak argues that these prophetic concepts served the substantial purposes of articulating a theology of the priesthood of all believers, a biblical model of the pastoral office, a biblical vision of the reform of worship, and biblical processes for discerning right interpretation of Scripture. Pak demonstrates the ways in which understandings of the prophet and biblical prophecy contributed to the formation of distinct confessional identities. She goes on to demonstrate the waning of explicit prophetic terminology, particularly among the next generation of Protestant leadership. Eventually, she shows, the Protestant reformers concluded that the figure of the prophet carried with it as many problems as it did benefits, though they continued to give much time and attention to the exegesis of biblical prophetic writings.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190866945
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	05/31/2018
Series:	Oxford Studies in Historical Theology
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	464
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

G. Sujin Pak is Assistant Professor of the History of Christianity, Duke Divinity School. She is the author of The Judaizing Calvin (OUP 2009).

Table of Contents

Abbreviations Introduction 1. Prophecy and the Priesthood of All Believers 2. Prophecy and the Radicals: Re-Thinking Prophecy and the Prophet Contra the Radicals 3. Prophecy and the Pastoral Office: Luther and Zwingli 4. Prophecy and the Teaching Office: Bullinger and Calvin 5. The Prophet, Prophecy, and the Pastoral Office in the Next Generation 6. Old Testament Prophecy and Protestant Conceptions of Sacred History 7. Later Lutheran, Swiss Reformed, and Calvinist Readings of Sacred History in the Old Testament Prophets 8. Christological Exegesis and the Interpretation of Metaphors in Old Testament Prophecy Conclusion Select Bibliography Index

Editorial Reviews

"...her study offers an important perspective on the longstanding debate over the pastoral office within Lutheranism" — Richard J. Serina, Jr, Ringwood, New Jersey

"Pak has delivered what her title promises: a compelling analysis of The Reformation of Prophecy...the book is well conceived, well documented, and well written, and it promises positive next steps within Reformation scholarship generally." — Jon Delmas Wood, George Washington University, Journal of Reformed Theology

"By this multi-confessional and multi-generational treatment of prophecy and biblical prophet in the 16th and 17th centuries, Pak's work would greatly contribute to the scholarship of the Reformation, and her work is an exemplary achievement in the study of early modern interpretation of Scripture. I highly recommend it." — Inseo Song, Fuller Theological Seminary, Reading Religion

"The Reformation of Prophecy is an excellent work of scholarship, detailed and thorough, and very useful." — Jonathan Green, University of North Dakota, Church History and Religious Culture

"The Reformation of Prophecy is an insightful and well-researched narrative of a vital aspect of early modern Protestant theology and exegesis...Pak's groundbreaking research provides a coherent narrative of the Reformed development of the prophetic office and the prophetic function of Protestant pastors." — Ryan M. McGraw, Scripture and Interpretation

"Pak's groundbreaking research provides a coherent narrative of the Reformed development of the prophetic office and the prophetic function of Protestant pastors. This work paves the way for further studies ... Pak's book is a good example of solid historical theology that treats a subject that was close to the heart of Reformed theology as a whole." — Ryan M. McGraw, Professor of Systematic Theology, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

"In this insightful study, Sujin Pak deftly traces the Protestant understanding of biblical prophecy and the role of the prophet from the early years of the Reformation through the end of the sixteenth century. The Bible was at the heart of the Reformation, and this book shows how disagreements about its interpretation had broad consequences for defining the ministry, understanding the past, and shaping confessional identity. A masterful achievement!"—Amy Nelson Burnett, Paula and D.B. Varner University Professor of History, University of Lincoln

"Sujin Pak analyzes the theme of prophecy in Protestant theological writing with exemplary thoroughness, deploying meticulous knowledge of the primary sources, and reflecting carefully on the nuances of their meaning. The book is breathtaking in its scope, ranging from Luther and Zwingli, Bullinger and Calvin, into later sixteenth-century theology and historical theory. There is so much that we can learn from this book, even on themes that we thought we already knew something about."—The Reverend Dr. Euan K. Cameron, Henry Luce III Professor of Reformed Church History, Union Theological Seminary

"Sujin Pak has provided the first book-length, multi-confessional treatment of prophecy in the Reformation era. Deeply researched, he Reformation of Prophecy presents a wealth of information about how leading reformers defined the office and function of the prophet along with how they interpreted biblical prophecy. Pak's book offers an especially valuable lens through which to view the character and development of the Protestant Reformation as whole, above all its attempts to solve its own crisis of authority."—Ronald K. Rittgers, Erich Markel Chair in German Reformation Studies, Valparaiso University

"Her study offers an important perspective on the longstanding debate over the pastoral office within Lutheranism." — Richard J. Serina, Jr., Logia

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