The Leiden Synopsis Purioris Theologiae (1625) and
Theological Disputation in the Era of Orthodoxy

Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Chapel
2965 Leonard Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525
March 31-April 1, 2016

Thursday, March 31

6:30pm Plenary 1

• Keith Stanglin, “How Much Purer Is the Synopsis Purioris Theologiae? A Comparison of Leiden Theology before and after Dordt”

Friday, April 1

9:00am Panel 1

• Donald Sinnema, “The First Edition of William Ames’s Medulla (1623) as a Disputation Cycle: A Precursor to the Synopsis”
• Raymond Blacketer, “The Sabbath in the Synopsis”
• Mark Beach, “No Longer Totally Depraved: Free Choice in the Regenerate according to the Synopsis Purioris Theologiae”

10:30 Break

11:00am Plenary 2

• Riemer Faber, “Presiders, Respondents, and the Question of the Authorship of the Disputations”

12:30 Lunch Break

2:00 Panel 2

• Martin Klauber, “Pierre du Moulin: Disputation and Debate over Universal Grace at the Academy of Sedan”
• Michael Lynch, “Antonius Walaeus and De Baptismo: A Case Study in the Reception History of the Leiden Synopsis”
• Todd Rester, “From the Synopsis Purioris to Marckius and De Moor: A Trajectory of Doctrine, Pedagogy, and Institutional Continuity”

3:30 Plenary 3

• Dolf te Velde, “Synopsis Purioris Theologiae: Profile of a Reformed Theology”

About our Speakers:

• Plenary Speakers
  • Dr. Riemer Faber is an associate professor of  Director of the Waterloo Institute for Hellenistic Studies at the University of Waterloo. He is also one of the editors and is the lead translator of the Synopsis Purioris Theologiae  published with Brill.
  • Dr. Keith Stanglin is an associate professor at the Austin Graduate School of Theology and has published extensively on the writings and thought of Jacobus Arminius.
  • Dr. Dolf te Velde is assistant professor of Systematic Theology at Theological University Kampen, an assistant professor of Historical Theology at the Evangelische Theologische Faculteit Leuven, and is also one of the lead editors of the Synopsis Purioris Theologiae published with Brill.
• Panel Speakers
  • Dr. J. Mark Beach is the professor of Ministerial and Doctrinal Studies as well as the Dean of Students at Mid-America Reformed Seminary
  • Dr. Raymond Blacketer is the lead pastor at First Cutlerville CRC
  • Dr. Martin Klauber is a professor of church history at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
  • Mr. Michael Lynch is a doctoral candidate in Historical Theology at Calvin Theological Seminary
  • Mr. Todd Rester is a doctoral candidate in Historical Theology at Calvin Theological Seminary (defending May 2016). He is the lead translator of Petrus van Mastricht’s Theoretico-Practica Theologia for the Dutch Reformed Translation Society. He is also the Director of the Junius Institute
  • Dr. Donald Sinnema is a professor of theology (emeritus) at Trinity Christian College. He is also a general editor, with Christian Moser and Herman J. Selderhuis, Acta et Documenta Synodi Nationalis Dordrechtanae that is being published with Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht (vol 1, 2015; eight volumes to follow).

Without any more adieu it is my pleasure to let you know about the colloquium schedule for the remainder of the Spring. The links below are to our presentations that have either already occurred or soon will.

I look forward to seeing you either here in Grand Rapids or online, and thank you for your support,

Todd Rester, Director

Junius Institute Colloquium
Spring 2016 Schedule

When: Friday, February 5, 3:00pm
Presenter: Rhys Bezzant
Topic: The Surprising Mentoring Ministry of Edwards: Learning the Art of Leadership Development
Location: Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Room 118a

When: Friday, March 11, 3:00pm
Presenter: Jonathon Beeke
Topic: John Calvin on the Twofold Kingdom of Christ
Location: Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Room 118a

When: Thursday, March 31–Friday, April 1
Presenters: Riemer Faber, Dolf te Velde, Keith Stanglin, Raymond Blacketer, Donald Sinnema, Martin Klauber, Michael Lynch, Todd Rester, Mark Beach
Topic: The Leiden Synopsis Purioris Theologiae (1625) and Theological Disputation in the Era of Orthodoxy (see next post for live streaming links)
Location: Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Chapel

When: Friday, May 13, 3:00pm
Presenter: Jeff Fisher
Topic: Johannes Oecolampadius and the Christoscopic Reading of Scripture
Location: Kuyper College, West Dining Hall

Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary has posted their Winter/Spring 2016 course schedule. Included is a graduate level, 3 credit hour Latin reading course in early modern Latin that runs from January 19, 2016 to May 6, 2016. We will meet on Monday and Thursday from 3:10 – 4:25 PM (EST). The primary focus of the course will center on Latin used in Theology and Philosophy from the early modern period, but matters of civil and canon law are addressed at several key points where relevant. We will be working through terminological and grammatical matters of scholastic Latin. As a secondary focus, we will address matters, as they occur, that intersect with research methodology and beginning paleography (early modern print and manuscripts, as well as diplomatics). Finally, we will discuss matters of transcription and preparation of a critical text. Class assignments will be selected readings in various genres as well as introductions to early modern reference materials and resources. Along the way, we will also discuss digitization of rare book sources as part of a student’s research process in conjunction with projects like PRDL and LEMPT at the Junius Institute for Digital Reformation Research. For ThM and PhD students, a component of the course is a dossier of translations around a core set of documents that will be determined by the student in conjunction with the professor. This dossier is intended to assist students in their ongoing research or in the development of further research interests for their degree requirements. Space is limited so start planning now. A couple of items for your information:

• If you want to take the graduate level course for credit in an accredited program, the cost is $750 (+$50 distance/online fee, if you will not be present in Grand Rapids, MI in person). PRTS is accredited by ATS & ARTS. ATS accreditation is accepted in the U.S. and Canada. For other countries, you would need to consult the registrar at your home academic institution.
• If you want to take the course as an audit, the cost is $180 (+$50 distance/online fee).
• If you register as a new student at PRTS, you have from Nov. 2 until the first day of class (Jan. 19) to register, although you need to allow for time to submit an entrance exam.
• If you are a returning student to PRTS, you have from Nov. 2 to Nov. 18 to register.
• If you have not taken the intensive Latin course at PRTS, applicants will need to successfully complete a timed entrance exam before being admitted to the class. If this exam will be proctored for distance students, please contact the registrar to make arrangements.
• This course will be streamed live via PRTS/Populi system with audio/video recordings of lectures available to students of the course.

For more information, please direct your inquiries to the registrar at PRTS, Jonathon Beeke, you can e-mail him or call him directly at (616)-432-3408. Stay tuned, the syllabus will be available through PRTS soon.

When: Friday, October 9, 3:30pm
Presenter: Michael Lynch
Topic: “Covenant Theology and Hypothetical Universalism? A Look at John Davenant’s Federal Theology”
Location: Auditorium, Calvin Theological Seminary

UPDATE 10/17/2015 – We were able to record audio/video of this presentation despite streaming complications at our presentation venue. Currently the video is in post-processing and we hope to have it up soon.

This Friday at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Todd Rester will discuss the importance of recovering a body of theological and philosophical terms for the study of intellectual history, theology, and philosophy. We will also introduce the Lexica of Early Modern Philosophy & Theology project, a new tool that is a crowd-sourced project that employs elements of research methodology, historical theology, TEI (Text Encoding Initiative) standards, and Latin paleographical techniques to develop a resource for theologians, philosophers, historians, and graduate students.

Also, if you can’t make it in person to the events but would like to tune in via YouTube, we will stream the events online. You can reach the live stream by the links below:

When: Friday, September 18, 3:30pm
Presenter: Todd M. Rester
Topic: “Reformation of Terms: Mining & Building Lexica of Early Modern Philosophy & Theology”
Location: Room 118a, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

When: Friday, October 9, 3:30pm
Presenter: Michael Lynch
Topic: “Covenant Theology and Hypothetical Universalism? A Look at John Davenant’s Federal Theology”
Location: Auditorium, Calvin Theological Seminary

When: Friday, November 13, 3:30pm
Panelists: Richard A. Muller
Topic: “Calvinist Thomism Revisited: William Ames (1576–1633) and the Divine Ideas”
Location: Room 118a, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

When: Friday, December 4, 3:30pm
Presenter: Adriaan Neele
Topic: “Jonathan Edwards and the Definition of Theology: A Parting of Ways in the Reformed Tradition?”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MjZAfvBlWQ
Location: Auditorium, Calvin Theological Seminary

Over at Christian’s Library Press, Franciscus Junius’ De Politiae Mosis Observatione is now available for purchase in English translation as The Mosaic Polity. 

If you are familiar with the archetypal and ectypal distinction found in Junius’ prolegomena of theology, De Theologia Vera (in translation as A Treatise on True Theology | RHB: 2014), you may be surprised to learn that this piece on law, jurisprudence, and the Mosaic polity deploys the distinction and predates that work. One of the happy results of having these two translations in print is that a broader audience can begin to see a conception of the relation between theology and law in the early modern period and how for Junius the character of God informs both.

This project is the fruit of the vision of Dr. Jordan Ballor and Dr. Stephen Grabill for early modern treatises on law, economics, and social thought from an array of Christian traditions. These scholars invited me to participate in this project as the translator several years ago, for which I am humbled, honored, and grateful. The first several chapters appeared in the Journal of Markets & Morality and led to conversations in various conference venues in the United States and abroad. The support and encouragement of the Acton Institute by way of Dr. Ballor and Dr. Grabill has been tremendous. After the draft was completed, Dr. Drew McGinnis, my friend and fellow colleague in the doctoral program at Calvin Theological Seminary, enriched the translation with his keen editorial insights over the past year or so as the editor of the work. We co-authored the introductory essay. Both Drew and I appreciated the opportunity to present on various aspects of this translation and Junius’ thought in colloquia sponsored by the Junius Institute and Calvin Theological Seminary in the Fall of 2014 and the Spring of this year. These conversations with other scholars and colleagues have assisted in some measure in spurring our thoughts to consider various lines of approach to this work. The collaboration and camaraderie on this piece has truly been a joy.

It is our hope that this piece penned for the Dutch Republic at the close of the sixteenth century will not only be of use to scholars of the period but also as a point of contact for further reflection on the Christian theological contributions to the natural law tradition that has shaped modern legal and political thought on the nature of justice, law, and human rights.

If PRDL had a rallying cry it would be “Free Rare Books!” Now with our fundraising campaign for the Junius Institute integrated into PRDL and the crowd-funding site Razoo, we have a mechanism to “Free the Rare Books!” This 4 minute video clip summarizes where PRDL has been and where we would like to go.

Please consider passing this information on to a friend or colleague who might be interested in the PRDL or has never utilized these resources. It is our user community that not only inspires and encourages us to keep providing innovative tools and resources to study theology, history, and philosophy, but also fuels and supports the mission to broaden access to digital sources to global academic and also church communities.

If you would like your academic institution to partner with the Junius Institute and its projects, please feel free to contact me for more information here.

This tool has enabled students, scholars, and pastors from universities, institutions, and seminaries around the world and from many confessional perspectives to do their research more conveniently and effectively. We could not have hit this milestone without the generous contributions of time and resources of our user community and donors. Thank you to all who have contributed, edited, used, promoted, and donated. And most importantly, this site is due to the tireless efforts of the PRDL’s moderator, David Sytsma, its executive board, and its contributing editors. Thank you all for making this possible! PRDL truly is a labor of love. It’s hard to believe that it started out just a few years ago among several doctoral students and a professor, contemplating the need to compile and disseminate sources.

PRDL is fueled by a commitment to a return to the sources for a closer reading and evaluation of viewpoints in the early modern reformations and post-reformation eras. But what makes PRDL truly unique is that we are not subscription based or controlled by a publishing house, rather we are driven by the interests and support of our users. Our goal is to help students, scholars, pastors, and seminarians engage the sources of the early modern period both to understand the past and better assist the present. Students and scholars from developing and even closed countries have thanked us for this work that brings unprecedented resources to regions that have little or no exposure to this era of history or where the costs associated with physical access are prohibitive. It is our hope to continue in this endeavor to make rare books more accessible to a global community of scholars than has been traditionally the case. With your help, I look forward to extending and expanding the sources found in the PRDL through our digitization initiative in conjunction with Hekman Library. Because we can digitize more effectively and safely than current industry standards, over the next year the Junius Institute has an opportunity to digitize 70,000 pages from 60 rare works spanning 1589-1775 housed in the Hekman Library at Calvin College. This represents just 1% of the collection.

By using the Razoo website, we are able to accept donations of any size for this project. You can find out more about this digitization effort as well as a prospectus of works in phase 1 here. The brief clip embodies the purpose and goals of the Junius Institute: “free rare books” and “free the rare books!”

Isaac Junius, Antapologia (1640)

There is also the reality that there are treasures of early modern theology and philosophy tucked away in smaller institutions and private collections. A digitization initiative can be scaled to other institutions, archives, and private collections as a way to build a consortium of truly invaluable sources. One example that we are proud to present is a piece by Isaac Junius simply entitled the Antapologia, or thoughts on the 16 heads of the Remonstrants. Through the generosity of a private owner, we are able to make it available to you. According to Worldcat this piece is housed primarily in Europe and, as far as we are aware, is unavailable in digital form for free. We encourage you to take a moment and browse our version of it here. And yes you may download it in .pdf form.

At the core of the digitization project is an automated digital photography device developed over the past 24 months by an interdisciplinary team I had the privilege of spearheading (several specialists in engineering design, robotics, automation, and computer programming). In particular this device expedites the digitization of rare books while respecting the fragility of their age in a new and innovative way. You can see some of its initial results here. The presentation format is another testimony to David Sytsma’s programming wizardry and is the Junius Institute’s adaptation of a publicly available book viewer. Together we hope we have created a process and result that meets the needs of teachers, scholars, and students in a relatively cost-effective way.

Unprecedented access to primary sources through print media once changed the face of education and shaped all of society in early modern Europe. Now we live in an age where unprecedented access to primary sources through digital media is changing the face of education and all of society in ways only dreamed of a decade ago. We invite you to consider a few things. We are looking for individual and institutional partners who are interested in advancing initiatives of this nature. You might think that is way beyond your means or your contact list, but in my experience scholars and students are a creative and innovative bunch of people. You can be a part of this initiative in a variety of ways: (1) You can sign-up to receive our updates and e-mails. (2) You could fully or partially sponsor the digitization of a particular rare book. (3) You can be the link to put us in contact with individuals or institutions that have a similar vision and desire to advance scholarship through digital means.

We look forward to providing you updates on initiatives of this sort as well as displaying the results in the days ahead.

Just about five years ago, a group of students at Calvin Theological Seminary, with the encouragement and guidance of Dr. Richard Muller, began to collect and share links to primary sources in theology that were increasingly becoming available in digital formats. The original list was limited to sources available on Google Books, and included 331 titles. After proceeding first to a wiki format and later to what is the Post-Reformation Digital Library today, we’ve added more than 4,500 authors and nearly 64,000 titles from digital collections and libraries the world over. There really is nothing else like PRDL out there for early modern theological and philosophical research, and we’re pleased that it has come so far in so short a time.

I’m reminiscing for a couple of reasons. First, I want to thank you for your encouragement, support, and use of the PRDL throughout these years. The whole point of PRDL from the beginning was to make available our individual findings as students and researchers to a broader audience, particularly those that are not blessed with easy access to sources in other venues. Every time you find and download a PDF you found via PRDL that is useful to you in your study, this founding purpose has been fulfilled.

Second, I wanted to let you know that we are at a critical stage in the development and maturation of PRDL. Earlier this year we founded the Junius Institute for Digital Reformation Research at Calvin Theological Seminary to be a formal and permanent home for PRDL as well as other digital research projects. The encouragement from the seminary community has been outstanding, and we’ve been able to develop a variety of projects already this year, including unveiling the Scholastica project, a feature embedded in PRDL that adds a new layer of understanding to the primary sources listed in PRDL.

From the beginning, PRDL and now the Junius Institute have been a labor of love for a group of students, and they will continue to be a passion for us. As many of us have graduated or are graduating, however, the need for financial support to continue focusing on developing digital research tools and methods becomes more significant. For projects like PRDL to be sustainable in the long-term, we need to move toward a model that will fund upkeep, maintenance, development, and improvement.

In the days ahead, we’ll be looking at all of our options for fundraising and development to support the work of the Junius Institute, including PRDL. But as we close out this year, you have a real opportunity to make a difference in the development of digital research on the Reformation era. If you have ever benefited from PRDL or have appreciated the helpfulness of our efforts, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Junius Institute at Calvin Seminary. You can make a donation online at Calvin Seminary via this secure form, or you can send a check.

We know that there are many worthy causes that vie for financial support, particularly at this time of year. And yet this truly is an important moment for PRDL and the Junius Institute. Contributions of any size will help show that our efforts mean something to scholars and researchers all over the world.

Even if you aren’t able to make a financial contribution at this time, please consider sharing some thoughts about how the work of the Junius Institute and PRDL has helped you in your work in the comments section below.

Thank you for your support over these years and your continued use of PRDL.

Todd Rester
Director
Junius Institute for Digital Reformation Research