'Church' at the Time of the Reformation

The essays in this volume aim at a clarification of the church in the 16th century: What did the reformers think about the essence and origin of the holy, apostolic and catholic church? Can human beings see the true church or not? Does it have one existence in this world and another in the world to come? The concept of church is indissolubly connected with the theological concepts of sin, faith, justification, sanctification, and salvation, and the study of it also involves reflection on such topics as the nature and scope of the sacraments, the role of the clergy, and the constituent parts of the mass/church service.