John Calvin - Part 2

November 2008

Dear Friends,

     This will be the second newsletter focusing on John Calvin. Robert Kingdon has argued that the Protestant Reformation was an anticlerical revolution. Before the Reformation Geneva was an Episcopal city, ruled both temporally and spiritually by a bishop and his vicars. Geneva could call on the power of the duke of Savoy for protection. Several hundred clergymen ruled Geneva, out of a population of about ten thousand. A number of lay people, called vidomne, also helped out in governance.

     When Geneva officially embraced the Reformation officially in 1536, all of this changed. The bishop and his officers were ousted, and ecclesiastical property was appropriated by the new government. When John Calvin was in his heyday, only a hand full of clergy had any role at all. Yet far more dramatic changes occurred in the life of the city of Geneva than under clergy rule. They, with Calvin, accomplished these changes only indirectly, through moral suasion.

     What did change in Geneva? Everything! Education was for everybody. Prostitution was abolished. Charities were expected to help the poor rather than to build up the coffers of the church. Hospitals were endowed by wealthy lay persons, and grew significantly. Justice was accomplished primarily through a semi-ecclesiastic court, known as the Consistory. What happened in Geneva was not just anticlerical, but much more positive: it was a spiritual and social revolution.

     The lesson here? The church is not called to hold political power, but to exercise declarative and prophetic influence. If we could grasp this principle today, we would be far better poised to show the world the way to enter God’s kingdom. The Seminary at Aix is looking for a spiritual and social revolution in France and around the world. You can help her do this through your prayers and your gifts. Thanks very much!

Very Truly Yours,

William Edgar, President

John Calvin - Part 1

September 2008

Dear Friends,

     John Calvin was born on July 10, 1509. Much of next year will be spent remembering him, studying his views and their influence. Accordingly, our next four newsletters will be centered on this remarkable figure.

     His relationship with our Seminary in Aix-en-Provence is patent. First, and this is sometimes forgotten, he was French. Though he spent much of his mature years in Geneva, he was from Noyon, north of Paris, and lived in different parts of France for some of his most formative years. Even from Geneva, Calvin was profoundly aware of the progress of the gospel in Provence, as a number of his letters attest.

     Second, Calvin’s goals were similar to those of the Seminary. He wanted to re-form the church, not begin a new one. So does Aix. He believed the heart of sound theology is the glory of God. So does Aix. He urged the church to vest the Scripture with ultimate authority. So does Aix. He believed that the Christian faith was comprehensive, speaking not only to matters of the soul’s salvation, but to all of life. So does Aix. He was and continues to be misunderstood. So is Aix. He was fallible and made a number of serious mistakes. So has Aix. Yet he was profoundly aware of God’s mercy, his patience, his love. So is Aix.

     Among the numerous conferences in 2009 about Calvin, two are not to be missed. For French-speakers, there is a two-part colloquium on Calvin, on at Aix (Feb. 20-21) and the other in Vaux-sur-Seine (March 27- 28). See their web site [http://www.fltr.net/carreft.html]. The second, in English, is in Geneva, July 6-9, will be a major congress on all aspects of Calvin’s life and thought. The web site is quite impressive and interactive: [http://www.calvin500.org/anniversary_conferences.html]. See you there!

Very Truly Yours,

William Edgar, President

Je Me Souviens

May 2008

Dear Friends,

     This year we celebrate the 400th anniversary of Quebec City. Quebec Province’s official motto, found on its coat of arms, and on every license plate is “Je me souviens.” There is some debate about the object of this memory. The creator of the slogan, Eugène-Étienne Taché, never made it clear. He was not particularly fond of the English, and so the slogan might have meant “I remember how good things were under French rule.”

     Huguenots would have to disagree. In 1598, after the so-called wars of religion, King Henri IV succeeded in drafting a toleration document, the Edict of Nantes, which was an arrangement whereby Protestants were given significant liberties in France. Known as the Huguenots, probably from the Swiss-German word, Eidgenosse, meaning federated one or companion, these French Protestants were now free to travel and colonize the New World. In 1604 the Sieur Pierre du Gua de Monts, the king’s envoy and a Huguenot, ventured to Acadia with both Protestant and Roman Catholic settlers, including one pastor and one priest. According to the Protestant-born Samuel de Champlain, the geographer on that journey, the two clerics often came to blows over their religious differences! Champlain later went on to explore the new territory and established Quebec City on July 3, 1608.

     Louis XIII provoked a reversal of fortune in 1627, by issuing a charter that prohibited non-Catholics from emigrating to “New France,” as it was then called. Huguenots became a persecuted minority. Although the British took over in 1763, granting much more freedom of religion, various obstacles still stood in their way. For example the law divided schools in the province according to language: English meant children went to Anglican schools, French meant Roman Catholic ones. French- speaking Huguenots were in a bind.

     Today, the problem is not persecution but indifference. Christian faith of any stripe struggles against the wet blanket of religious apathy. One shining exception is the Eglise Réformée du Québec, with its seminary, Institut Farel. If you decide to come up to Quebec for the celebrations, do visit one of these churches and speak a word of encouragement to them. Reassure them that “je me souviens... de vous!”

Very Truly Yours,

William Edgar, President

St-Quentin: New Church For New Town

February 2008

Dear Friends,

     The cover story on the latest Nuance, the official publication of the Evangelical Reformed Church in France, should be of great interest for supporters of the Seminary in Aix. The story’s title says it well: St-Quentin-en- Yvelines: Église nouvelle pour ville nouvelle!

     St-Quentin is a growing suburb of Paris. Although some inhabitants are commuters, most live and work right there. The town has excellent schools and cultural activities. Twenty years ago a group of dedicated church planters, including our friend Len Stewart, studied the demographic trends and concluded that the real population growth was in these hamlets, neighboring the large cities. They took note of the Renault car company’s plan to locate their technology center there, alongside many other new French enterprises.

     Sure enough, between January, 1990, the date of their first worship service, and today, there has been significant growth in the town and in the church. Much of the early development in the church can be credited to the work of Gérard Bos, the dynamic pioneer who tirelessly preached the gospel and gathered leaders around him. Where did he train? Aix-en-Provence. As did his successors, Yannick Imbert, an interim, and Marc Toureille, the current pastor.

    The success of this church has not been achieved without bumps along the way. But today, they are a thriving community. Their strengths include, preaching, pastoral care, outreach to the surrounding population, foreign missions, and evangelism. Please pray that the Seminary in Aix continue to produce strong leaders capable of planting and developing new churches in 2008 and beyond.

Very Truly Yours,

William Edgar, President

Can Preaching Make A Difference?

November 2007

Dear Friends,

     Can preaching make a difference? Most of us would agree in principle, noting how we have been moved or challenged by individual sermons. But faithful preaching can actually shape history.

     Consider this wonderful example. Alexandre Vinet (1797-1947) was one of the architects of our modern concept of religious freedom. Although this Swiss theologian spent most of his life in a classroom or behind a writing desk, he was able to lead much of Francophone Europe to understand freedom of conscience. He wrote three powerful essays on the subject: On the Liberty of Worship (1826); On Conscience (1829); and On the Manifestation of Religious Conviction (1842). He also inspired a movement which led to the Free Church in 1845. He was deeply concerned for the rights of minorities to have religious freedom, without outside constraints.

     The source of his convictions? One of the most important was Protestant sermons from the 17th century! He wrote a 700 page study of these men, including Pierre Du Moulin, Jean Daillé, Moïse Amyraut and Pierre Du Bosc. Mostly forgotten today, in their time they were powerful voices. And they were minority voices, since these Huguenots were facing such opposition. Their sermons often denounced the abuse of power, and the pretentious claims of both kings and bishops. In a sermon on Eternal Election in Jesus Christ, Du Bosc argues that the great sovereign reign of God both legitimates and relativizes earthly powers.

     The dynamics of religion and authority are back on the table today. So many voices from the media and the lectern comment on religion and violence, church and state, etc. How about from sermons? The Seminary at Aix, particularly through the Boice Chair, is turning out excellent preachers of the Word. They are trained to comment upon all of life from a Scriptural vantage point. History may be affected. Can you help us make that happen?

Very Truly Yours,

William Edgar, President

Were Any Of Your Ancestors Huguenots?

September 2007

Dear Friends,

     Were any of your ancestors French Huguenots? Mine were, coming from the little town of Uzes in the South West of France. They came because of persecution. The Edit de Fontainebleau (1685) was a sobering document. It stated that while Henri IV (“our ancester of glorious memory”) by the Edict of Nantes (1598) had wanted to prevent troubles because of the R.P.R. (Religion Prétendue Réformée), now that tactic is “useless,” as most of them had converted to the true (Roman Catholic) religion. So Fontainebleau made it illegal to practice the Reformed faith, to teach it, to hold worship services, and to have Protestant schools. Further, it forbade leaving the country, giving anyone who did four months to come back, or to face the galley ships and prison.

     As it happened, while indeed the numbers had declined, there remained some 850,000 Huguenots up until 1685. Upon the revocation, at least 200,000 of them fled to other countries. Many more would follow. They enriched the countries to which they came, and impoverished France forever.

     Won’t you consider joining us for an investigation of these events, and their significance, on the weekend of October 13-14, 2007? We will visit the historic town of New Paltz, New York, and hear lectures by Douglas Giebel, art historian from Roberts Wesleyan College. Why New Paltz? Because it was one of the major places of refuge for the Huguenots who fled to American shores. Founded in 1678, New Pfaltz was established by French Protestants who had temporarily fled to Mannheim, Germany at the revocation (the “f” was soon dropped, making it New Paltz). They established a Reformed church, a school, and various industries, soon growing into a flourishing population of believers who could experience religious freedom in America. Bitter-sweet!

     Even if you cannot come, thank you for your faithful support for the cause of the Huguenot faith in France and around the world.

Very Truly Yours,

William Edgar, President

Diminishing Public Christian Voice

February 2007

Dear Friends,

     Something striking occurred in Marseille just this last December. The streets and subways were flooded with a unique poster. It read, l’Aïd, fête du partage (meaning “Aïd, a feast for sharing”). Eid al-Fitr is the first day on which the new moon is sighted at the end of Ramadan. Muslims celebrate the end of their yearly fast with special prayers, and with fine food and drink.

     What is so remarkable about such a poster? First, it was financed by the General Council, the departmental government for the Bouches-du-Rhône, which covers Marseille. Second, only a few Christians reacted. To their credit, they worried, not that this was outside the rights of the large Muslim population in that city, but that nothing equivalent was done by Christians to announce the true meaning of Christmas. A letter went out to the Archbishop signaling this fact, but it received a lukewarm response noting only the “distance between our society and the feast of Christmas,” and promising to think about it with other Christian leaders.

     If you know modern history, there is nothing really extraordinary about the increasingly vocal Muslim community and the diminishing Christian public voice in France today. Except that it shouldn’t be that way! Christians all over the West have accommodated to the pressure over recent years to privatize their faith, while other religions have gone deliberately public. How can we make sure the Christian voice is heard in an appropriate way? Sometimes when Christian do speak out, it is rather embarrassing. The Seminary at Aix-en-Provence studies this and prepares its students to go out and make a difference. Please help its cause by your prayers and your support. And thanks very much!

Very Truly Yours,

William Edgar, President

Collaboration In Matters Of Religion

November 2006

Dear Friends,

     Did you know that collaboration between the French and the Anglo- Saxons in matters of religion goes back quite a ways? One of the most notable episodes was the Réveil in the early 19th century. Among the human factors helping to trigger this remarkable revival of religion was the visit of an enigmatic Scottish Baptist minister to the city of Geneva in 1816 and thereafter. There he taught Bible studies and orthodox theology to students who would carry the message throughout the French-speaking world.

     At the same time, Haldane found that orthodox religion was much more prominent and more influential than he had first estimated. Leaders such as Louis Gaussen, César Malan, Merle d’Aubigné, and Adolphe Monod possessed strong talents in crafting a message that would bring new life into a Protestantism that had been left decimated after a century of persecutions. Truly, then, this was a partnership, long before the idea became fashionable. (A wonderful new book by Kenneth Stewart, Restoring the Reformation, from Paternoster, tells the whole story in great detail.)

     As an American organization we try to help out with French evangelical causes such as the Seminary in Aix-en-Provence. And we are able to send financial gifts as well as human resources on a regular basis. Whenever I go to Aix, in order to teach my courses, I try to bring our friends the latest in good scholarship from across the Atlantic. And I always tell the community there that they are not alone, and that we are ready to help. At the same time, they help me understand the Christian faith in fresh ways. Their professors are publishing and lecturing on many topics from the point of view of European Christian faith.

     As we approach the end of the year, would you consider enhancing this great partnership by making a special gift toward the Boice Chair, through the Huguenot Fellowship? An endowed faculty position is one of the best ways to ensure the continued training of leaders for the work of God’s Kingdom. Perhaps we will see another awakening!

Very Truly Yours,

William Edgar, President