Richard Muller (theologian)
Encyclopedia
Richard A. Muller is an American historical theologian.
, New York in 1972, and his Ph.D. in Reformation studies from Duke University
in 1976. He has taught at Fuller Theological Seminary
(1980–1992), has been awarded a Mellon Post-Doctoral Research Grant and has held the Belle van Zuylenleerstoel at Utrecht University
(1999). He has served on the editorial boards of Sixteenth Century Journal and Reformation and Renaissance Review. He currently serves as the P. J. Zondervan Professor of Historical Theology at the Calvin Theological Seminary
in Grand Rapids, Michigan
.
, with emphasis on the nature and character of Protestant orthodoxy and Protestant scholasticism in the seventeenth century. Muller is one of the historians credited with setting aside the "Calvin
against the Calvinists" theory of developing Reformed thought. His argument is that the attempt to define the entire Reformed tradition in terms of the thought of Calvin
is a historical error, inasmuch as Calvin was one of several second generation codifiers of the tradition and inasmuch as the tradition itself was, early on, rather diverse and variegated. The "Calvin against the Calvinists" thesis tended to claim in a rather reductionistic way that Calvin was a "christocentric" theologian in contrast to later Reformed thinkers who had developed a radical predestinarian
or deterministic metaphysics. By contrast Muller has argued that the later Reformed
thinkers did not develop a predestinarian system but instead understood theology in terms of a series of biblically and traditionally based loci or topics. Their thought does differ in places from Calvin's, but the differences are to be explained on the basis of other sources of the Reformed tradition, such as the thought of Martin Bucer
, Heinrich Bullinger
, Peter Martyr Vermigli, and others, on on the basis of alterations in debate and historical context.
Life
Muller obtained his B.A. in History from Queens College, City University of New York in 1969, his M.Div. from Union Theological SeminaryUnion Theological Seminary in the City of New York
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a preeminent independent graduate school of theology, located in Manhattan between Claremont Avenue and Broadway, 120th to 122nd Streets. The seminary was founded in 1836 under the Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with nearby Columbia...
, New York in 1972, and his Ph.D. in Reformation studies from Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
in 1976. He has taught at Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary is an accredited Christian educational institute with its main campus in Pasadena, California and several satellite campuses in the western United States...
(1980–1992), has been awarded a Mellon Post-Doctoral Research Grant and has held the Belle van Zuylenleerstoel at Utrecht University
Utrecht University
Utrecht University is a university in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. Established March 26, 1636, it had an enrollment of 29,082 students in 2008, and employed 8,614 faculty and staff, 570 of which are full professors....
(1999). He has served on the editorial boards of Sixteenth Century Journal and Reformation and Renaissance Review. He currently serves as the P. J. Zondervan Professor of Historical Theology at the Calvin Theological Seminary
Calvin Theological Seminary
Calvin Theological Seminary is a seminary affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church in North America, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and closely tied to Calvin College, though each institution has its own board. Rev...
in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
.
Work
Muller's research and writing has been largely focused on the reassessment of the development of Protestant thought after the ReformationReformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
, with emphasis on the nature and character of Protestant orthodoxy and Protestant scholasticism in the seventeenth century. Muller is one of the historians credited with setting aside the "Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
against the Calvinists" theory of developing Reformed thought. His argument is that the attempt to define the entire Reformed tradition in terms of the thought of Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
is a historical error, inasmuch as Calvin was one of several second generation codifiers of the tradition and inasmuch as the tradition itself was, early on, rather diverse and variegated. The "Calvin against the Calvinists" thesis tended to claim in a rather reductionistic way that Calvin was a "christocentric" theologian in contrast to later Reformed thinkers who had developed a radical predestinarian
Predestination (Calvinism)
The Calvinistic doctrine of predestination is a doctrine of Calvinism which deals with the question of the control God exercises over the world...
or deterministic metaphysics. By contrast Muller has argued that the later Reformed
Reformed churches
The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations characterized by Calvinist doctrines. They are descended from the Swiss Reformation inaugurated by Huldrych Zwingli but developed more coherently by Martin Bucer, Heinrich Bullinger and especially John Calvin...
thinkers did not develop a predestinarian system but instead understood theology in terms of a series of biblically and traditionally based loci or topics. Their thought does differ in places from Calvin's, but the differences are to be explained on the basis of other sources of the Reformed tradition, such as the thought of Martin Bucer
Martin Bucer
Martin Bucer was a Protestant reformer based in Strasbourg who influenced Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican doctrines and practices. Bucer was originally a member of the Dominican Order, but after meeting and being influenced by Martin Luther in 1518 he arranged for his monastic vows to be annulled...
, Heinrich Bullinger
Heinrich Bullinger
Heinrich Bullinger was a Swiss reformer, the successor of Huldrych Zwingli as head of the Zurich church and pastor at Grossmünster...
, Peter Martyr Vermigli, and others, on on the basis of alterations in debate and historical context.
Works
- A Dictionary of Latin and Greek Theological Terms (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1985).
- Christ and the Decree: Christology and Predestination in Reformed Theology from Calvin to Perkins (Durham: Labyrinth Press, 1986; Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008).
- The Study of Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991).
- The Unaccommodated Calvin: Studies in the Formation of a Theological Tradition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000).
- God, Creation, and Providence in the Thought of Jacob Arminius (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1991)
- Post Reformation Reformed Dogmatics: The Rise and Development of Reformed Orthodoxy, ca. 1520 t0 ca. 1725 4 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003).
- After Calvin: Studies in the Development of a Theological Tradition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003).
Further reading
- Asselt, W. J. van, et al., Inleiding in de Gereformeerde Scholastiek. Zoetermeer: Boekencentrum, 1998.
- Bagchi,David and David C. Steinmetz, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Reformation Theology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
- Klauber, Martin I. "Continuity and Discontinuity in Post-Reformation Reformed Theology: an evaluation of the Muller Thesis," in Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 33 (1990): 467-475.
External links
- Biography at Calvin Theological Seminary