Inventing Authority: The Use of the Church Fathers in Reformation Debates over the Eucharist

1 Colloquy of Marburg (1529), The Fathers as Allies or Liabilities

15 Z Chapter 1 Colloquy of Marburg (1529) The Fathers as Allies or Liabilities The purpose of this chapter is to analyze how patristic references supported or challenged views in early Reformation debates over the Lord’s Supper even while Scripture was repeatedly hailed as the primary authority. From the early writings of Martin Luther, Protestant reformers sought to define their views on the Eucharist. Revisions in sacramental theology and ritual practices sparked heated debates between those who clamored for change and those who resisted it. In particular, the reformers communicated a new sacramental understanding of the Lord’s Supper and composed the first series of polemical treatises criticizing late medieval rituals, such as the practice of withholding the cup from the laity, and the church’s views on transubstantiation and Christ’s repeated sacrifice. In The Babylonian Captivity of the Church (1520), Martin Luther criticized the scholastic thinkers by claiming that the church fathers never spoke of transubstantiation. While the reformers would have been aware of the diversity within the late medieval church, they often criticized these writers collectively, referring to them generally as scholastics. In his earliest writings, Luther appealed to Augustine and Cyprian for support, repudiated Origen, and portrayed Gregory as misappropriated by the late medieval Catholics, such as Johannes Eck.1 As disagreements over the Eucharist arose among the Protestant reformers, however, Luther began to criticize other Protestant reformers who initially saw themselves as followers of his theology. Convinced that to be right about the sacraments was to be right about salvation, various reformers were divided over theological views of the 16 Inventing Authority Eucharist and the implications of these views for Christology. The Protestant reformers disagreed on how to understand the Eucharist as they argued over how the passages of the Bible ought to be understood. In essence, they argued over the authority to determine the “correct” meaning , even though they did not call it a struggle for authority. When they did not agree on the meaning of Scripture, the reformers appealed to various secondary authorities, such as early creeds and the church fathers. Pathway Leading to the Colloquy of Marburg The differences in eucharistic doctrine arose early in Wittenberg. While Luther was in hiding at the Wartburg Castle, a series of events led Melanchthon to urge Luther’s return to Wittenberg. The introduction of changes to the ritual of the Lord’s Supper, such as offering both elements of Communion to the laity, simplifying liturgy in the vernacular, and eliminating both the vestments and the elevation of the host, caused a stir. Although such reforms were initially endorsed by a group of Wittenberg reformers , it was Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt (1480–1541) and Gabriel Zwilling who received most of the blame for the city’s unrest. Since the Elector of Saxony Frederick III (also known as Frederick the Wise) suspected Karlstadt and Zwilling in past scandals, Luther himself requested that Karlstadt be more moderate or keep silent. The conflict over the Wittenberg Ordinance demonstrated the tension between Luther and Andreas Karlstadt.2 Although Wittenberg representatives such as Philip Melanchthon, John Eisermann, Justus Jonas, and Nicholas Amsdorf had supported the ordinance, they were unwilling to defy the Elector, who refused to accept the ordinance. Karlstadt later complained that others had advocated a similar position but that he had been left “with his head in the noose while the others drew back.”3 Karlstadt initially supported Luther’s program for reform, but in Luther’s absence pushed for quicker changes in the worship service, such as relinquishing vestments (administering the sacraments in common clothes), using the vernacular German instead of Latin in the liturgy, and giving the cup to the laity. When Luther returned to Wittenberg in March 1522, he sought to distinguish himself from Karlstadt’s reputation as an instigator of public disturbance and civil unrest. Luther identified Karlstadt and the Zwickau prophets as false prophets because they stubbornly resisted his fraternal admonitions.4 Eventually Luther supported Karlstadt’s banishment from Saxony. While Luther’s initial writings on the Eucharist ignited the attacks on Roman Catholic sacramental theology, Luther became increasingly entangled in the debates with other Protestant reformers. Although most of the reformers considered themselves as joining in a movement begun by Colloquy of Marburg (1529) 17 Luther, they did not necessarily accept everything taught by their leader. In 1519, after the Leipzig debate, Johannes Oecolampadius (1482–1531) was one of the...