Special

por André Luiz Alves Jr.

Protestant Reformation and Spiritism (Part 2 - Final)

Persecution was not limited to the Protestants, as it extended to Jews, Muslims, artists, thinkers and scientists, that is, to anyone who was able to publicly contest the ideas of the Church.

The importance of the Protestant Reformation and its political and religious impacts

The Protestant Reformation had a significant impact on History, tracing the new political, economic, and religious paths of Humanity. The Church, until then, had a controlling role in politics, economics, science and arts. The Pope was a religious and political figure and opined in several decisions. After the great Reformation the power of the Church declined among European monarchies. There was a strengthening of the social and economic principles of the bourgeoisie, which were then sustained by the approval of profit, an issue that was fought before by the Church.

In the religious field the reform of Luther gave rise to other aspects of Christianity. The Catholic Church, at the time, divided space only with the Orthodox Church, which had its greater dominions in the Eastern region. With the advent of Protestantism the Lutheran, Anglican, Presbyterian and Baptist Churches were born, and multiplied and branched into other denominations. Today Protestants account for 40% of Christians worldwide.

Protestant Reformation and Spiritism

Spiritists understand that the Protestant Reformation was a preparation for the arrival of the Spiritist Doctrine, the Promised Comforter. Just as Christ came to fulfill the Law professed by Moses, the Spiritist Doctrine did not come to disprove the teachings of the Master, but to develop, complete and explain them without allegories.

The Reformation and the movements that followed came into the world with the special mission of digging out the “word” of the Gospels [...] so that, after their task, the promised Comforter, through the voice of Christian Spiritism, could teach men the "Divine Spirit" of all the lessons of Jesus. (XAVIER, F.C. The Comforter, by the Spirit Emmanuel, Question 295).

The Spirit Humberto de Campos through the mediumship of Chico Xavier, in a message published by the magazine Reformador” in the September 1978 issue, says that the Spirit of Jan Huss (1369-1415), one of the most important pre-reformers, received instructions of Jesus before returning to the physical plane like Allan Kardec (1804-1869), to codify the Spiritist Doctrine.

"You will not be the bearer of new inventions, you will not dwell on the problem of material comfort to civilization, nor receive the stewardship of money or temporal authority, but I place in your hands the sublime task of raising hearts and consciences. It is necessary to establish provisions that support the faith, preserving the religious treasures of the creature. I entrust to you the sublime task of relighting the lamps of hope in the heart of humanity.

The Gospel of Love remains occult in the game of vicious men's ambitions! .... Go, my friend. You will open new paths to the sacred aspiration of souls, unveiling the heavy curtain of shadows that has been absorbing the human mind. In the restoration of truth, however, do not expect the laurels of the world or the understanding of your contemporaries".

[...]

(Jesus addressing Himself to Jan Huss on the spiritual plane, before Huss reincarnated as Allan Kardec, as the Spirit of Humberto de Campos tell us in a message published by the magazine “Reformador” in September 1978).

Drawing a parallel between the two personalities, we find several similarities that reaffirm the Doctrine of Reincarnation. Jan Huss was a reformer of the language of his country, as lexicographer emeritus, translator of the Czech language. Allan Kardec, as well as a talented educator, was also a translator of books for different languages. Huss saw some of his works being burned by the Church in a public square, just as Kardec had 300 copies of Spiritist works burned in an act known as the Act of Faith of Barcelona. Also, note that there was an exact period of 500 years between the dates of Huss's birth and that of Kardec's disincarnating. Therefore, we are convinced that the same Spirit, at different times, was committed to the Doctrine of Christ, first working in defense of the New Testament and later in the edification of the revival Christianity, through the codification of the Spiritist Doctrine, which leads us to believe that the Protestant Reformation was necessary for the emergence of Spiritism.

The great reformation was the origin of the resumption of Christianity that was being distorted by the Catholic representatives of the time, due to the depravity of human nature. The Church used faith as an instrument of domination and was able to commit atrocities in the name of God to maintain its power. Understanding this context, the pleiad of the Spirits of Light, under the protection of Jesus, thought it necessary to divide Christianity to ensure its expansion and later, through Spiritism, bring back the main idea of ​​the Christian Doctrine, as in times of Jesus' disciples. Certainly, if Christian philosophy remained only under the dominions of the Roman church, Christian thought would be compromised. Here, then, spirituality organized the coming of missionaries to restore Christianity and ensure its spread.

The invisible plane thus determines the coming into the world of numerous missionaries with the aim of bringing the renaissance of religion. Thus, in the sixteenth century, the venerable figures of Luther, Calvin, Erasmus, Melanchton and other notable figures of the Reformation appear in Central Europe and the Netherlands. XAVIER, F.C. On the way to light. By the Spirit Emmanuel. Chapter 20.

Not only in the religious field, but also in science, politics, and the arts (rebirth and enlightenment), Spirits returned to the physical plane to bring new ideas and change the distorted view of various subjects. Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), for example, was the first to contradict the Church by stating that the Earth was not the center of the Universe, a theory later confirmed by Galileo Galilei (1564-1642).

The idea of ​​reform was not only in Luther's mind, but in the minds of thousands of heads, from which men would come to support it. KARDEC, Allan. Spiritist Magazine. Journal of psychological studies. Year of 1866, August, p. 321

After the advent of Spiritism, why are there so many religions?

The planet Earth is still a developing world and therefore requires a variety of religious doctrines that are compatible with the discernment capacity of its followers. Each Spirit understands the Laws of God according to its degree of evolution and that is why there are still doctrinal divergences. Every religion has its importance if it fulfills the goal of bringing man to God. Those, who cause wars in the name of God or religions, have not yet progressed to the point of understanding that evil is the fruit of human nature.

When all men are convinced that God is the same for all; that this God, sovereignly just and good, cannot want anything unjust; that evil comes from men and not from him, all will consider themselves children of the same Father and reach out to each other. (Kardec, Allan, the Genesis: Miracles and Predictions According to Spiritism).

Leon Denis points out that "Spiritism is not the religion of the future, but the future of all religions." For there will come a time when all doctrines will recognize the truths brought by the Christian religion through the Spiritist Doctrine and communion of the same idea, consolidating harmony and fundamental peace for the universal good. In these times, we will enjoy a happy world, where good will prevail among men. 


References:

XAVIER, Francisco Candido. On the way to Light: History of Civilization in the Light of Spiritism, by the Spirit Emmanuel, from August 17 to September 21, 1938. 33rd ed. Rio de Janeiro: FEB, 2006.

KARDEC, Allan. The Genesis: miracles and predictions according to Spiritism. Translated by Guillon Ribeiro from the 5th French ed. 48th ed. Rio de Janeiro: FEB, 2005.

SHEFFNER, Fernando. From Reformation to counter-reformation. General History Collection in documents. Sao Paulo: Current.

MARTINA, Giacomo: History of the Church: from Luther to our days. V. 1: The Age of Reformation. Sao Paulo: Loyola, 1997.

XAVIER, Francisco Candido. O Consolador (The Comforter) by the Spirit Emmanuel. 26th ed. Rio de Janeiro: FEB, 2006.

JOSTEIN, Gaarder. The Book of Religions. Jostein, Gaarde; Hellern, Victor; Notaker, Henry. Translation: Isa Mara Lando; Technical Review and Appendix: Flavio Antonio Pierucci. Sao Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2000.

CHAUNU, Pierre. The age of the reforms (1250-1550): The Protestant Reformation. Place in History, v. 49-50, Editions 70, 1993.

KARDEC, Allan. Spiritist Magazine: journal of psychological studies. Year 12, no. 9, pages 372-374, September 1869. Translation by Evandro Noleto Bezerra. 3rd ed. Rio de Janeiro: FEB, 2009. Precursors of Spiritism - Jan Huss.

XAVIER, Francisco C. Remembering Allan Kardec. By the Spirit Humberto de Campos. Reformer, year 96, no. 1,794, pages 25 (293) -26 (294), September, 1978.

 
Translation:

Eleni Frangatos - eleni.moreira@uol.com.br

 

     
     

O Consolador
 Revista Semanal de Divulgação Espírita