The Calvinist International
If you have ever wondered what philosophical work(s) a 16th century Reformed theologian read or would recommend to his readers or students, you will no doubt be interested in the following. Girolamo Zanchi, an exiled Italian Christian and professor of Divinity at the University of Heidelberg in the late 16th century, notes in his influential […]
In this installment of Ficino’s De Christiana Religione we move directly to chapter thirteen while passing over chapters eleven and twelve. In those chapters Ficino treats Christ’s authority in the eyes of Gentiles and Muslims while offering rebuttals to those perspectives with arguments borrowed from church fathers. The following chapter treats the eternal generation of the […]
The tenth chapter of Ficino’s De Christiana Religione is one of the lengthiest. I have skipped over chapter nine, which is entitled, “The authority of Christ is not from the stars but from God.” In that chapter Ficino argues against certain extreme forms of astrology which are not very relevant to the modern reader. In […]
In chapters six and seven of his De Christiana Religione, Ficino continues his argument that Christ’s disciples did not attempt to deceive anyone in their preaching and writings concerning Christ and that they were also not deceived by anyone. Chapter six is mostly made up of quotations from the New Testament writers in which they […]
The Italian Renaissance was spurred on by the arrival of Greek emissaries to the Council of Florence in the late 15th century but, as Allie Terry points out, Florentine dignitaries had been in close contact with their Greek neighbors for many years prior to the council. Apparently, for the Florentines, the humanist desire to return […]
In chapter five of his De Christiana Religione Marsilio Ficino defends the trustworthiness of the disciples’ testimony concerning Christ. It is impossible that the disciples intended to deceive their followers, Ficino argues, because their actions demonstrate that they possessed the highest virtue. The disciples must have truly believed what they preached since they received no […]
In the early 16th century the two administrators of the cappelle pontificie (papal chapel) in Rome had their hands full with the task of ensuring an orderly and timely mass for the pope. Paris de Grassis was the Master of Ceremonies who was in charge of the liturgy for each papal mass. Giovanni Rafanelli the […]
Marsilio Ficino, in chapter 4 of his De Christiana Religione, argues that God does not reject all forms of human worship, even those performed by other religions. Rather, God approves of man’s worship of him and he does not punish every form of false worship equally. Though all forms of religious worship derive, in some […]
In the third chapter of De Christiana Religione Ficino discusses the topic of educating adolescents in religion. Most, if not all, theological manuals of this period are devoid of any treatment of childhood education. Why, then, does Ficino devote a whole chapter to it? At least three possible solutions stand out. Firstly, the fact that […]
In the first chapter of his De Christiana Religione, Ficino uses various arguments to prove that the worship of God is what sets man apart from the other animals. Worth noting here, again, is the fact that Ficino does not appeal to any Medieval authorities to make his claims. Also interesting is Ficino’s appeal to […]