Heiligen in de protestantse kerk? Een analyse van de begrippen ‘heiligen’ en ‘getuigen’: definitie, ontwikkeling, samenhang

Abstract

This thesis presents a survey of the concepts ‘saint’ and ‘witness’. It starts in the Chapel of Witnesses of Faith in the East end of the Utrecht Domkerk. There the witnesses of faith are commemorated in a way that resembles the venerating of saints in de Roman Catholic Church. Differences are implied by the use of the concept ‘witnesses’. The question is whether this concept should better be replaced by the concept ‘saints’, the concept used by the Roman Catholics, or not. The first chapter contains a survey of the biblical ideas of saints. Object of research are the use of the consonants vdq in the Old Testament and the use of a[gioj and related forms in the New Testament. One of the conclusions is that ‘saints’ is used to describe groups instead of individuals. Saints are those people who are aware of their relation with God and because of that awareness try to live according to the instruction ‘Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.’ (Lev. 19:2, King James Version). Christians believe that the true example of how to do this is given by Jesus Christ. The second chapter gives a historical outline of the use and the definition of the concept ‘saint’. It shows the changes in the definition. Saints more and more became a small group of extraordinary Christians. People started to relate to them instead of God. They expected them to perform miracles and believed that they could bring about salvation and act as mediators. Especially these qualities are disputed by the Reformers and their theologies will be explored in the third chapter. What did Luther and Calvin think of the saints? The Reformers retrieved something of the broad biblical meaning of the concept of ‘saints’. Some obscurity remained because they also believed that there are some exemplary believers whose stories are useful as sources of inspiration and encouragement on the way of the imitatio Christi. That is why the fourth chapter deals with the concept ‘witness’. This concept takes us back to the Early Church and biblical Hebrews. It is the original word to describe exemplary Christians. The concept at the same time explains why these remarkable Christians are commemorated. It is their witness of faith that helps present-day Christians to ‘run with patience the race that is set before’ them (Hebr. 12:1). Their example can help the believer to build his relation with God in imitation of Christ. So what is the better way to describe these remarkable christians whose names and deeds are commemorated for so long? The conclusion of this thesis is that the concept ‘witness’ is historically and theologically a better concept than ‘saint’. The biblical and early christian use of the word shows us why to commemorate these witnesses. Not as some extraordinary, miracle performing believers – as the saints most of the time are told to be – but as believers who in faith and life witnessed of Christ. Their stories can help us, who are all saints, on our way of the imitation of Christ.