24 Hours in Geneva

We spent a day in Geneva on the back-end of our ski trip, and admittedly it felt good to squeeze in a little culture before heading home.  

16th and 17th-century European history, and the Protestant Reformation specifically, were the focus of my graduate school work.  Needless to say, the fact that Geneva was the center and hotbed of the Reformation during this time is of keen interest to me.  

Fortunately, I have a husband and two kids who totally indulge me in these little field trips.

There are spectacular views from the top of Saint Peter's Cathedral, the adopted home church of John Calvin, the French theologian.  Calvin, Martin Luther, and others broke from the Roman Catholic Church, thereby ending a unified Christendom and, in the opinion of many, paving the way for the modern era.

The Reformation emphasized three main points, each in opposition to the ways of the medieval Catholic Church.  These theological changes coincided with the invention of the printing press, new cities, and a rising middle class (who were looking for a voice and who emphasized the importance of the individual). 

1. Sole authority of Scripture, which considers the Bible the sole authority in all matters of faith and the way we conduct ourselves.  The Catholic Church emphasized the Bible too, but often placed traditions and theologies created by the Church over the Scripture.
2. Justification by faith Alone, is the central doctrine of Protestantism that maintains a person is saved by faith alone.  In other words, it's not what one does or how they act or (importantly) what the church does for someone.  The latter was a central tenet of the Catholic Church.
3. Priesthood of the Believer, which maintains that all believers are priests in the eyes of God.  This claim, in turn, allowed the Protestants to reject "the authority of the Pope, the merit of good works, indulgences, the mediation of Mary and the Saints, all but the two sacraments instituted by Christ (Baptism and the Lord's Supper), the doctrine of transubstantiation, the mass as a sacrifice, purgatory, prayers for the dead, confessions to a priest, the use of Latin in the services, and all the paraphernalia that expressed these ideas" (as cited in this article).

My cool, smart kids . . . always engaged:

With the invention of the printing press, and Protestantism's emphasis on learning as well as reading the Bible in the vernacular (not Latin), the media played a huge role in marketing the new theologies. Over time, of course, printed material in local languages would spur a rise in literacy.  Until then, political cartoons were extremely popular, and powerful in shaping public opinion since the printing press allowed for wide-scale distribution.

As I was uploading pictures from Geneva and thinking about this blog entry, I couldn't help but consider last week's attacks on Charlie Hebdo in France and the advent of the political cartoon during the Protestant Reformation.

There are countless examples from the early modern era; I pulled the ones below from this article.

Jesus washes the feet of his disciples.

The Pope makes others kiss his feet.

A crown of thorns is prepared for Christ.

The Pope wears three crowns of gold.

Phillip II makes Holland safe for Catholicism.

Here's an example from Ben Franklin in the 18th century, urging colonists to unite against King George: 

As we know, the trend has continued into the modern era. Even the Reformation Museum in Geneva isn't afraid to poke fun at itself.  I bought a collection of postcards/cartoons at the museum gift shop.  Here's one of them.  It translates as follows:

"You could put it that way:  everything is permitted as long as it gives you no pleasure."  (Cartoon by Albert de Pury)

Of course, freedom of speech is just one of the issues raised by last week's events in France.  I hope it's not lost on the world that these attacks are not just about the right to say what we want, even if it offends, but also about respect for difference and human dignity.  About a sense of humanity.  And leaving well enough alone.

15th-century choir stalls.

Quick!  Act like your favorite Reformer!

Taking a "culture" break and having a snack at a cafe.  Thank goodness they had blankets . . . brrrrr.

Reese is obsessed with chess and checkers.  We stumbled upon this huge park next the Reformer's Wall that had twenty or so life-size game boards.  Game on!

Abby's first checker's game--getting advice from Dad on her next move.

The winner and his loot.