Description:
Arriving from Germany in 1844, Philip Schaff used his inaugural lecture as professor at the theological seminary in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, to set forth his understanding of church history with particular reference to the role of Protestantism in the church’s ongoing development. A comprehensive, albeit fairly standard account from the point of view of German learning, Schaff’s address engendered surprise, admiration in some quarters, and cries of “heresy” in others. This essay expounds Schaff’s The Principle of Protestantism as the basis upon which he established himself as both a church historian and a progenitor of the Mercersburg movement. Drawing on responses to the address, it identifies the distance between Schaff’s conceptions and those of leading American Reformed theologians. It also makes preliminary suggestions concerning the enduring relevance of Schaff’s work for contemporary theology and theories of religion.