Spiritualism-Tamika+Redding

﻿ Spiritualism Mind-Body-Soul  by  Tamika Redding

Topic: Spiritualism-Reformation Questions: What is Spiritualism? Who were the spiritualists during the Reformation period?

Sources: Nelson, L. H. (2006, April). THE RADICALS OF THE REFORMATION. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from THE RADICALS OF THE REFORMATION: [] Lindberg, C. (2010). //The European Reformation.// Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. Stayer, J. M. (2006). //Brill's Companions to the Christian Tradition, Volume 6 : Companion to Anabaptism and Spiritualism, 1521-1700.// Brill Academic Publishers. Good, C. (1998). //The Anabaptists and the Reformation//. Retrieved Septmber 29, 2010, from [|www.rbc.org.nz/library/anab.htm] Additional: Source (n.d.). Retrieved October 3, 2010, from Spirtiualism: [|www.gameo.org/encyclopedia]. 

Argument:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">In this paper I will show how spiritualisms differ from the Lutheran's theology. The foundation of Luther’s theology was by scripture alone and by faith alone. Luther’s places Christianity solely on the bible and the individual whereas Spiritualism deals with the mind, body, and soul and becoming a new creature.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">After researching several articles on Spiritualism, I found that there were a variety of working definitions. According to the Webster dictionary it is defined as the belief that the disembodied spirits of the dead, surviving in another world, can communicate with the living in this world, esp through mediums. I found the one that best suited the topic in question. Spiritualism used in connection with the radicals of the Reformation, refers to a type of religion that minimizes the importance of external forms and organization and that even diminishes the authority of the written word of Scripture. "The general point of the Spiritualist was that there is no connection between God and creatures; indeed, there is an "ontological barrier" between the creaturely and the divine. Salvation is possible when God's Spirit breaks through this barrier in the interiority of person and spiritually changes them from inside" (Lindberg, 212).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Historically, spiritualism could be found in various places where Reformation was exploding. Although Luther was Protestant, he himself exemplified some spiritualistic tendencies, and yet, had no sympathy for the spiritualists doctrines. By the nature of their outlook, the spiritualists did not believe in churches or of an organized movement, yet some of them had a great influence. Caspar Schwenckfeld was one of the most influential individuals in Spiritualism.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Luther- <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Martin Luther wanted was revolutionary in his time because his rebellion against the church lead to a reformation that would span across Europe. He believed that there should not be a freedom from God’s punishment by way of money but by the application of good deeds. This prompted him to write the 95 theses. Martin Luther believed that faith comes by hearing the word of God because God was the word.

<span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Caspar Schwenckfeld- <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Caspar Schwenckfeld was influenced by Martin Luther ideas of renewal of the church. Schwenckfeld then begin to have doubts about the Reformation. Schwenckfeld was not a founder of a church did not believe in it. They spiritualist did not meet in a church. Schwenckfeld viewed Luther’s doctrine of the Last Supper as a failure to righteousness. Schwenckfeld was convinced the Luther conviction of the Last Supper was a source of immorality and lack of religious fever. Schwenchfeld later developled his own position affirmed the spiritual presence of Christ. He believed that only the inner person was able to commune with the heavenly Christ (Lindberg, 212). Schwenckfeld wanted to church to understand that the bible did not mean anything without Gods spirit. So in conclusion, after reading about spiritualism and its partakers, I was taken aback to the inception of the whole idea mind, body, and soul. Which is the foundation of Spiritualism. The whole idea of becoming a new creature through rebirth and renewal was the idea of the historical figures St. Augustine and Greek philosophers gave way to the idea that we only need to connect with God through barriers that seek to change an individual from the inside rather than having outside forces or fixtures to influence them.