The World of Nature According to the Protestant Tradition

Vocabulary flashcards covering key Protestant theological terms, figures, and concepts related to the world of nature and ecological thought.

Magisterial Reformers

A term used to refer to Martin Luther and John Calvin, the central figures who sparked the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation in Europe.

Left wing of the Reformation

Reformation-era leaders and groups—including Huldrych Zwingli, Thomas Müntzer, and Menno Simons—who emphasized believer's baptism and conscious personal decision over infant baptism.

Turmerlebnis

The 'tower-experience' in which Martin Luther realized the revolutionary message of justification by faith alone while pondering the first chapter of Romans.

Urerlebnis

The generating experiential matrix of the Reformation for Martin Luther, defined by an act of closing one's eyes to worldly glory and opening one's ears to the word of God.

Larvae Dei

The 'masks of God' in the world, which Martin Luther associated with the active sensibility of seeing rather than immediate divine communication.

Viva vox evangelii

The 'living voice of the Gospel,' which Martin Luther argued is received through the passive, grace-oriented sensibility of hearing.

Theology of the cross

Martin Luther's core teaching opposing the 'theology of glory,' emphasizing Christ's suffering, weakness, and reliance on faith rather than worldly power and reason.

Finitum capax infiniti

A foundational theological principle in Martin Luther's thought asserting that 'the finite is capable of the infinite.'

Theater of God's glory

John Calvin's favored metaphor describing the created natural world as a manifest display of divine providence and glory.

Deism

An early modern religious framework viewing God as a supreme lawgiver who established the world and its natural laws at creation but does not directly intervene in ongoing events.

Pietism

A Protestant movement emphasizing inner spiritual experience, personal transformation, and the feeling of God's presence and assurance within the believer's heart.

Ecojustice

A theological and ethical framework developed in the late 20th century that combines ecological stewardship with a commitment to social justice for disadvantaged communities.

Au Sable Institute

An institute associated with Calvin de Witt and a network of evangelical colleges that provides students with hands-on experience regarding the relation of humanity to the natural world.