Reformed Historical Theology – serie

Every four years, the International Calvin Congress gathers a wide spectrum of presenters from leading scholars to early-career researchers to learn from each other through several days of plenary lectures, panel sessions, and discussions. This volume of collected essays features current research on John Calvin, with a focus on the impact of the exile experience in early modern Europe. Several contributions explore how exile and return shaped Calvin and Reformed communities more generally, while others shed light on key topics in Calvin research, including explorations of his biblical exegesis, theological insights, and the impact of debates with his contemporaries. This volume brings together both senior scholars and newer voices in Calvin studies.

Amandus Polanus (15611610) has often been described as a highly significant theologian, but also a neglected one. Part of Polanus significance comes from his inclusion of ethics and practical application in his discussion of theology and the way in which his theology mixes Ramist dichotomies and the scholastic distinctions common in Christian Aristotelianism. Stephen B. Tipton shows how Polanus understanding of Gods essence and attributes is built upon the ground of scripture, arranged with the aid of logical arguments and reasoning, and aimed at the worship and glory of the Triune God. Tipton defends this conclusion against previous research which suggests that Polanus theology is grounded in rationalism and subordinates the Trinity beneath an Aristotelian notion of Gods perfect unity. This research not only corrects these previous notions about Polanus, but it also provides greater insight into the early Reformed Orthodox period and the theology that arose from that time.

Nigel Voak examines the genesis and evolution of religious evidentialism in England from 1585 to 1700, a deeply influential epistemology which claims that religious beliefs are only justified to the extent that we have evidence to substantiate them, and that we have an obligation to proportion our assent to the strength of our evidence. Given the propositions of faith lack the evidentness of objects of scientific knowledge, absolutely certain assent to such beliefs is therefore epistemically unjustifiable.This epistemology, which breaks with the previous Christian tradition, is classically formulated in John Locke‘s An Essay concerning Human Understanding (first edition 1690). This study argues that this epistemology of belief can be traced back to the English theologian Richard Hooker (1554–1600), whose thought was then developed over the course of the seventeenth-century Rule of Faith Controversy, which acted as the crucible for these new ideas on faith, evidence and certainty. Voak shows that the key thinkers in this process, including Locke himself, were aware that this epistemology came from Hooker, and used him in formulating their own influential positions.

In this retrieval study David Van Brugge addresses how the current understanding of a homiletical use of imagination for expository preaching might be strengthened. The current need for strengthening becomes apparent when the various understandings of imagination and their implications for practical theology are realized. This is compounded as trends in homiletics seem to minimize the imagination or embrace it in modern or postmodern ways. The original contribution of this study is recognizing that the homiletical use of imagination can be strengthened by retrieving the Puritan baroque characteristics of Jonathan Edwards’ imagination as evidenced in his sermons to the Stockbridge Indians of 1751–1758. Edwards drew on a rich background to display an imagination that synthesized thoughts and ideas, thought beyond the senses, and that, by the grace of God, transformed thought and practice. Through that creative thought, Edwards maintained Biblical exposition and appeal to the affections. Van Brugge further develops and evaluates the idea of Puritan baroque characteristics, concluding that it is a helpful characterization of Edwards’ Stockbridge Indian sermons. In these sermons Edwards imaginatively used imagery, light, space, movement, and glorification for the ultimate goal of directing the affections of his audience towards God. Such a use of imagination for affective purpose becomes a key for the strengthening of a homiletical use of imagination today.

Pieter Veerman in his work explains why the Heidelberg Catechism is a unique teacher of thankfulness in its sixteenth-century context. Veerman provides an in-depth theological analysis of Q&A 115–129. The author compares this teaching with Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed catechetical writings, demonstrating that the Heidelberg Catechism is a synthesis of earlier theological thought. The explanation of the Lord’s Prayer is central, as it is within the broader catechetical tradition. The Heidelberg Catechism’s uniqueness lies in its thoughtful presentation and integration of various elements. By presenting catechetical answers in the form of prayers themselves, this catechism establishes itself as a valuable manual of piety. It differs from contemporaneous Catholic catechisms by emphasizing that true prayer arises from the heart. Its emphasis on the Holy Spirit is a distinctly Reformed feature.

Ivan E. Mesa explores how English Particular Baptists held a unique view of the Jewish people within God’s unfolding redemption. As Dissenters themselves, Baptists empathized with the Jewish plight and connected their philo-Semitism to a larger theological vision that anticipated the Jews’ conversion and eventual return to the land of Israel. English Baptists viewed Jews as the people of God, “beloved for the fathers’ sake” (Rom. 11:28). They believed the nation of Israel would one day experience a transformative conversion, aligning with God’s covenantal promises. Through figures such as Henry Jessey, John Gill, Andrew Fuller, and Charles Spurgeon, the author demonstrates how these Baptists advocated for Jewish readmission to England, prayed for the Jews’ conversion, and engaged in charitable work. This Baptist perspective was distinct and influential, demonstrating a millenarian zeal that connected religious, political, and cultural realms within England, with implications stretching as far as the establishment of the modern state of Israel in 1948.Mesa offers a fresh perspective on Christian-Jewish relations, moving beyond the established narratives of anti-Semitism and toward a more comprehensive understanding of philo-Semitic eschatology.

The fundamentals of every faith are exposed in their conceptualization of death. Recent studies have caricatured Post-Reformation Calvinist theology of death as cold and fatalistic. Jason D. Edwards examines the Reformed English Puritan John Flavel’s (ca. 1627–1691) theology of death through close analysis of his writings on mortality, dying, and eternal destiny. The spine of his doctrine was covenant theology, or how he understood the terms and applications of divine covenants, though this aspect of his theology has been largely neglected. Inquiry into Flavel’s treatment of death demonstrates how the Puritan minister emphasized union to Christ as Mediator as the only grounds for a believer’s hope. Flavel applied his theology to the spiritual needs of those facing death and dying with warmth, clarity, and conviction to anchor all hope in death upon Christ.

In this groundbreaking study, Miller shows how Bénédict Pictet – the heir to Francis Turretin’s chair of theology in Geneva, who ministered in the twilight years of Geneva’s Reformation – sought to press the necessity of good works to its limit without compromising the Reformed doctrine of justification. Miller explores the historical and intellectual roots of this aim by tracing the development of the doctrine of good works in Pictet’s major Genevan predecessors (Calvin, Beza, Diodati, Turretin), considering the rapid social and theological changes occurring in Geneva at the turn of the eighteenth century, and examining evidence for the influence of the Dutch “Further Reformation” on Pictet’s overall theological program. Along the way, Miller identifies and corrects a significant scholarly misreading of Pictet’s corpus – in particular, a misidentification of which was Pictet’s “major theological text”. The result is a sweeping reinterpretation of Pictet’s theology and its place within the early modern Reformed tradition.

Most Christians know that we are called to glorify God, but often forget the other half of our purpose: to enjoy Him. Drawing from classic Reformed voices such as Calvin, Ursinus, Ames, and À Brakel, Zhao reintroduces the vision of covenantal eudaimonism – an approach that unites law, virtue, and happiness. Instead of reducing Christian life to rules or moral demands, it reveals how the commandments are designed to form our character, cultivate virtue, and lead us into deeper communion with God. Far from a burden, God’s law becomes a path toward flourishing, shaping us to reflect His image. In a time when many churches swing between legalism and antinomianism, the author offers a refreshing, grace-driven vision of sanctification. He shows that true obedience is not fear-driven but joy-filled: God’s glory and our happiness are inseparably joined.

Benedict Bird offers a detailed examination of one John Owen’s works which has not so far been the subject of a detailed published analysis. “The Doctrine of the Saints’ Perseverance” (ital.) (1654) was described by Owen’s nineteenth century biographer as “undeniably…the most masterly vindication of the [doctrine] in the English tongue.” One reason why it has not received the attention that it deserved was because it needed to be read in conjunction with the similarly long and difficult work by John Goodwin, “Redemption Redeemed” (ital.) (1651) in reply to which Owen was writing.Owen was writing in reply to an Arminian who argued that either God must compel believers to persevere and in so doing become the author of their sin, or allow them freedom to apostatize. This, says Owen, is a false dichotomy. He brings together his biblical explanation of human free-will, and profound understanding of the inward working of the Spirit, to show how God infallibly keeps them to the end.Bird provides a full length historical and theological examination of both works, in which these major figures go head-to-head over a vital and pastorally important doctrine that is much debated and disputed by Christians whose theologies range from Reformed, to Arminian, to Lutheran, to Roman Catholic.

This study explores the Cocceian-Voetian debate through the eyes of Francis Turretin (1623–1687). There is a dearth of research on Turretin’s take on this debate, the author will parse out how Turretin adheres to the Voetianism of the Utrecht theologian Melchior Leydekker (1642–1721) while remaining conciliatory to the Cocceians. With Leydekker, Turretin argues that Christ’s suretyship in the Old Testament is identical to what it is in the New Testament. As the Father decrees that Christ is the most perfect and certain fulfiller of God’s promise, the ancients benefit from Christ’s sacrifice as much as do the saints in the New. The sins of the elect must be fully forgiven regardless of the progress of redemption in history, for the faithful both in the Old and the New are saved by the same grace of Christ, the expromissor. At the same time, not only does Turretin leave out some of the controversial issues between the two parties, but he also tends to neutralize Leydekker’s acid criticism of the extreme form of Cocceianism. This conciliatory gesture indicates that Turretin does not consider Cocceianism his archenemy. Seen in this light, Turretin can be viewed as a moderate and peaceful Voetian.

Byung Soo Han intends to answer, by investigating the merger of patristic and contemporary sources in the theological method of Amandus Polanus, a significant question concerning the way in which the intellectual and methodological eclecticism of the Reformed was able to establish a coherent “system” of thought capable of defense as not only confessional but also orthodox in its theology and broadly catholic, drawing both on the thought of the Reformers and on the resources of the great tradition of Christian thought that extended back to the church fathers. From a methodological perspective, Polanus’s development from the Ramistically-organized doctrinal framework of the early Partitiones, through the increasingly detailed and specialized efforts of the commentaries, disputations, and Symphonia, indicates a fairly clear, concerted effort to build toward a detailed systematic presentation – and in fact, each of these earlier efforts provided as it were building-blocks that would be incorporated into the Syntagma. This constructive labor itself serves to set aside the claim that Polanus based his theology on a deductive principle. The specific focus of the book is on the place and function of backgrounds and sources, traditional and contemporary, with particular emphasis on the place of the church fathers in Reformed orthodoxy. Polanus’s patristic work, Symphonia, and its eventual impact on his full systematic work, the Syntagma, provides a singular case, within the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, of the reformulation of patristic thought in a fully systematized form, suitable for combination with the results of biblical exegesis and contemporary doctrinal argumentation in the formulation of Reformed orthodox theology. This study attempts to assess the claim of catholicity and orthodoxy by Reformed theology, demonstrating the formative function of patristic thought in Polanus’s theology. Further, the study illustrates the place of this traditionary exercise within the methodologically eclectic approach followed by Polanus and his contemporaries as they created a theology that drew not only on Scripture and contemporary philosophical assumptions but also on patristic, medieval, Reformation-era, traditionary Aristotelian, Platonic, and Ramist sources. This study, therefore, reappraises the development of Reformed orthodoxy. In Polanus’s case, an older scholarship that read his theology as based on central dogmas or as an exercise of rationalism will be set aside in favor of a more nuanced view of his sources and method. Within this larger framework, Polanus’s use of the fathers builds on and confirms the Reformers’s assumption of catholicity in the face of the detailed polemics of Robert Bellarmine as well as confirming the point that his approach to formulation was traditionary and somewhat eclectic. Finally, the book identifies the theological cohesion of the early orthodox Reformed model, as exemplified by Polanus’s thought, especially in its method of drawing together of traditionary materials from varied sources. In short, the book demonstrates the importance of the church fathers to the formulation of a Reformed orthodox and catholic theology in the context of showing, contrary to previous studies of Polanus’s thought and contrary to the older stereotypes of “Calvinist” orthodoxy, that Reformed orthodoxy was neither a rigid monolith nor a matter of philosophical speculation but the product of a carefully conceived exercise in the compilation and assessment of biblical and traditionary materials.

Over the past several centuries, John Owen’s writings on scripture have captured the attention of numerous interpreters across a relatively diverse range of disciplines. His own distinctive contribution to this doctrine was forged with a genuine fear for the on-going pre-eminence of scriptural authority in the English church firmly in view. In the face of various rival perspectives, Owen insists every Christian believer ought to be clear on the reason they believe scripture to be the word of God. Focussing on the treatise Reason of Faith (1677) in conversation with his wider theological corpus, Andrew M. Leslie studies Owen’s approach to scriptural authority and Christian faith. He argues that Owen creatively drew upon an ecumenical dogmatic and metaphysical heritage to restate and refine the traditional Reformed position on scripture’s divine authority, sensitive to developments in his own late seventeenth-century context. In particular, Leslie explores how Owen shares a growing concern to ground Christian faith in objective evidence, all-the-while ensuring that its ultimate foundation lies in the irresistible authority and truthfulness of God, mediated “in and by” the inspired text of scripture. Leslie also draws out the broader significance Owen ascribes to scripture in shaping a believer’s relationship with the Triune God, especially its vital role in their gradual transformation into the likeness or image of Christ.

Carmichael argues that Johannes Cocceius’s theology of the Sabbath serves as a window through which one can view more clearly his federal theology or covenant theology. Covenant theology was the most distinctive feature of his theology. Moreover, Cocceius spent a notable portion of his life engaging in the Leiden Sabbath Controversies from 1655 to 1659, which played a key role in the split of the Reformed Dutch Republic into two socio-political blocs—Cocceians and Voetians. So far scholars have tended to overlook this critical phase in Cocceius’s theological development. Carmichael sheds light on it by looking at the theological texts that Cocceius wrote that absorbed his attention during this significant period. Casey Carmichael examines first the evolution of the problem of the Sabbath in Cocceius’s theological tradition—Reformed Orthodoxy—in Chapters 2–4 and second the development of Cocceius’s doctrine of the Sabbath, structured around the Leiden Sabbath Controversies, in Chapters 5–8.

The doctrine of the pactum salutis (covenant of redemption) offers the idea of a covenant between the very persons of the Trinity for the redemption of humanity. The doctrine received most of its attention in seventeenth-century Reformed theology, and has been criticized and almost totally forgotten in dogmatics since the eighteenth century. Most recent Reformed dogmatics tend to ignore the doctrine or disparage it from biblical, trinitarian, christological, pneumatological, and soteriological perspectives-namely, the doctrine lacks scriptural basis; it is tritheistic; it leads to subordination of the Son; it omits the role of the Holy Spirit; and it applies a deterministic idea for the Christian life. The theologies of Witsius, Owen, Dickson, Goodwin, and Cocceius portray a very robust form of the doctrine. Witsius argues with the help of a peculiar methodology of cross-referencing and collation of related scriptural texts that the doctrine is firmly based on biblical exegesis that was passed on from the patristic era. The doctrine formulated by Owen endorses the doctrines of inseparable operations and terminus operationis so as to give deep insight into the Trinity. In Dickson's doctrine, the Son's voluntary consent and obedience to the will of the Father are highly emphasized. Likewise, Goodwin's depiction of the Holy Spirit secures the divinity of the Spirit as well as his indispensable role for the transaction and accomplishment of the pactum. The doctrine in the theology of Cocceius sheds much light on the vibrant dynamic of the Christian life in accordance with the ordo salutis. The doctrine of the pactum salutis of the five Reformed theologians clearly shows that the doctrine is both promised and promising for theology and the life of faith.

For more than two millennia believers have struggled with the antinomy of God's absolute sovereignty over and man's ultimate responsibility in justification and sanctification. Theologians have used some version of the terms »active justification« and »definitive sanctification« in an attempt to illuminate this mystery. However, in the past decade scholars have begun to criticize these concepts, saying that they are unsupported in Scripture, lead to theological confusion, and are of no practical benefit to believers.Through the work of theologians from the broader Dutch Reformed tradition, especially Herman Bavinck, Alexander Comrie, Herman Witsius, and Abraham Kuyper. Jae-Eun Park demonstrates that the terms »active justification« and »definitive sanctification« are derived from Scripture and serve to clarify, not obscure the doctrines of justification and sanctification. In addition, the book shows that neglect, misuse, or misunderstanding of the terms have resulted in contemporary criticisms that are unconvincing and unfounded.Writings of the aforementioned theologians define and expound four characteristics held in common between active justification and definitive sanctification, i.e., inseparability, objectivity and decisiveness, Christ-centeredness, and God's absolute sovereignty – concepts of the mentioned theologians. All four characteristics of active justification and definitive sanctification emphasize the »God-driven« nature of salvation.Jae-Eun Park explains how – when properly defined and presented – the two terms are important theologically, bringing clarity to the issue of the perfect balance between God's sovereignty and human responsibility in salvation. He also shows how active justification and definitive sanctification offers practical assurance of their perseverance unto glory to true believers, and provides pastors with an invaluable tool for exhorting parishioners who may have lapsed into either triumphalism or defeatism.

This is a study on Reformed theological debates during the »Long Eighteenth Century« in Britain and New England. By »Long« a period that goes beyond 1700–1799 is in view. This examination begins just before the eighteenth century by looking at the Neonomian-Antinomian debate in the 1690s. This is followed by the Marrow Controversy in Scotland in the eighteenth century. After that, the authors address the ecclesiological debates between George Whitefield and the Erskines. The doctrine of free choice concerning Edwards and his departure from classical Reformed orthodoxy is highlighted next, followed by reflections on the Edwardseans and the atonement. Returning to Britain again, the volume provides a study on hyper-Calvinism, and on eschatological differences among key figures in the eighteenth century. More specific debates in particular Baptist circles are noted, including the battle over Sandemandianism and the Trinitarian battles fought by Andrew Fuller and others. Returning to ecclesiology, a discussion on the subscription controversy in Philadelphia in the early eighteenth century and an analysis of the debate about the nature of »revival« in New England close this volume.

The period of Revolution and Toleration in England was filled with rapid change, political uncertainty, and ecclesiastical volatility. Still recovering from the strife of Civil War and a divisive Restoration, the relationship between the Church of England and Nonconformists remained deeply strained. Although Dissenters were granted the right to gather for worship under Toleration, their legitimacy was regularly challenged. Within this context, a variety of significant controversies arose in which James Owen, a Welsh Presbyterian minister, played a prominent role and was a leading voice for moderate Nonconformity.Along with a group of moderate Nonconformist friends like Edmund Calamy, Philip and Matthew Henry, and Francis Tallents, Owen defended a version of Protestant ecumenism. This was a theological conviction that (1) the unity of the Protestant Church was indispensable and (2) this unity was to be found in agreement on essential doctrines, not in sharing ecclesiastical structures. Owen, along with his associates, defended the Dissenters’ separation from the Church of England as biblically sanctioned and at the same time emphasized that such separation was not schismatic.Owen’s clear, biblically articulate, and historically informed writing made his contribution to the period of Toleration significant and influential.

Why can’t Christians agree about communion? Why is it that in some churches all worship services culminate in a holy meal whereas other churches celebrate this “holy supper” only once in a while? Theologian Gregory Soderberg has researched this question, excavating patterns of communion frequency within one of the bigger Christian families: the Reformed tradition. Despite being the sacrament of unity, the eucharist has often been a cause of strife in Christian churches.In his study, Gregory David Soderberg is the first to focus in depth on communion frequency in the Reformed tradition. He concludes that, although the 16th century Reformers desired more frequent communion, this was balanced by their desire to create mature Christian communities. So, preachers and church leaders stressed the priority of moral conduct and the importance of understanding what the eucharist meant for Protestants. The study analyses sources from the very beginnings of this tradition in 16th century Zürich and Geneva, and it follows its trajectories through England and Scotland all the way down to 19th century USA. Ultimately, it is hoped that understanding the polemics of the past will help churches today to celebrate the sacrament of unity more meaningfully.

Suk Yu Chan provides a revisit of John Calvins interpretation of the doctrine of divine providence and builds upon a vast repository of quality research conducted by previous Reformation scholars. The author adopts a historical approach to explore Calvins works from 15341559, and argues that from 15341541, Calvin used the image of the fountain to portray God as the source of everything, who has power to preserve and give life to all creatures on earth. Between the Latin edition of the Institutes in 1539 and the French translation of that work in 1541, Calvin was indecisive about the definition of special providence, articulating a fitful relationship between providence and soteriology in these two texts. In 1552, Calvin gradually ceased using the image of the fountain to portray God as the source of everything, and he also delivered three definitions of divine providence: general providence, special providence, and the very presence of God. Based on the theological understanding of divine providence which he had developed from 15341552, Calvin presented his exegesis on the Book of Job and the Book of Psalms through his sermons and commentaries. Furthermore, Calvin also discussed the importance of the human role in Gods providence. While Calvins theological understanding of Gods providence was inherited by his successor, Theodore Beza, Beza applied it differently in his exegesis on the Book of Job. From 15341559, Calvin formulated his biblical doctrine of divine providence, articulating that divine providence is heavenly providence which is comprised of eternal predestination and divine preservation.

However turbulent and virulent Christian-Muslim Relations may have been throughout the centuries it does not mean that each side did not take the time to evaluate and appreciate each other’s theological dogmas. Felipe Boechat Asseruy Silva shows that although Christians were subjected to constant attacks and invasions by the “Turks” for multiple centuries, they eventually (Early Modern Period) sought to refine their thinking about Islam and evaluate its theological tenets in a semi-dispassionate form and to provide a large-scale reply. In the Medieval period in-depth analysis of Islam, from a purely theological/philosophical point of view, were rare. Most publications frequently resorted to the use of offensive and inaccurate language, which, at times, fomented a disagreement between the parties based not on real theological differences – besides the obvious political differences –, but on imagined ones. This volume shows that Post-Reformation Reformed Orthodox theologians, especially those from the Dutch Republic, after having access to a long legacy of Christian-Muslim written publications collected by Dutch Universities, were able to build much more refined arguments and indeed present well informed apologetical, theological and historical arguments against Islam. The author also shows that the intense commerce between Christian and Islamic nations and the contemporary flourishing of orientalist studies in the Dutch Universities contributed to the formation of an intellectual arena that was willing to overlook past animosities and focus on the theological differences, addressing them as such.

If salvation makes a person to become God, then how do we understand the word 'God'? Audy Santoso assesses Robert Jenson's notion of deification on three main areas: the concept of God, Christ, and self along with their ramifications. In this comparative study, Jenson's revisionary metaphysics in his theology opens up an insightful perspective in reading John Calvin's theology. Discussion on the Supper shows the intricate relation of what these theologians hope for with the practice of our lives in God. The author makes a comparative assessment and integration between the seemingly opposite metaphysics of Jenson and Calvin while keeping the Creator-creature distinction of Reformed theology intact. Jenson says that the end is music, but the author affirms a better way without negating Jenson's.

Dieser Band könnte zu einem Wegweiser für die künftige Richtung der Calvinforschung, sicher aber mitbestimmend für die Reformationsforschung im Allgemeinen werden. Seine Beiträge reflektieren die neuesten Forschungen zu Biographie und Theologie Johannes Calvins (1509–1564). Die Calvinforschung hat in den vergangenen Jahren durch neue Archivfunde, die wiederbelebte Erforschung der Briefe und Kommentare Calvins sowie deren Neueditionen und neue theologische Fragestellungen viele fruchtbare Impulse erhalten. Der vorliegende Band wirft neues Licht auf die Calvin- und Reformationsforschung.

Auch über die 500-Jahr-Feier des Jahres 2009 hinaus haben Calvin und die mit seinem Namen verbundenen Folgen der Reformation nichts von ihrer Faszination verloren. Aktuelle Fragestellungen und Forschungsprojekte drehen sich um Leben, Werk und Gedanken des frühneuzeitlichen Theologen. Das Werk enthält die Vorträge des zehnten Internationalen Kongresses für Calvin-Forschung (Bloemfontein 2010) und repräsentiert den neuesten Stand der Calvinforschung. Der erste Teil besteht aus allen Vorträgen führender Wissenschaftler aus Reformationsgeschichte und Theologie, u.a. Luca Baschera, Tony Lane und Wim Janse. Sie befassen sich mit dem Schwerpunktthema des Kongresses, der Versöhnung. Der thematisch vielfältige zweite Teil enthält Kurzvorträge, wie etwa über Calvins Konzept der Theologie oder das calvinsche Verständnis von Freiheit. Mimako Saito schreibt über Calvins Vermächtnis in Japan. Ebenso wie die Veröffentlichungen früher erschienener Vorträge des Calvin-Kongresses soll auch diese Ausgabe als Quelle und Leitlinie für zukünftige Studien dienen. Die Auswahl des Titels, Calvinus clarissimus theologus, führt die Tradition weiter, jeweils aus einem Briefwechsel an Calvin zu zitieren. Der Titel nimmt die Worte Johannes Sturms auf, der Calvin als »scharfsinnigen und gelehrten Theologen« lobt. Herman J. Selderhuis bringt in Anlehnung an diese Worte das ehrende Gedenken an den Calvin-Experten und langjährigen Sekretär sowie Mitglied des Präsidiums Wilhelm Heinrich Neuser zum Ausdruck, der wenige Wochen vor Beginn des Kongresses starb.