A Conflict on the Church and the Sacraments

According to popular thought, it was the doctrine of Justification that divided Rome and the Reformation in the 16th century. However, in a wider theological concept the real breaking point was not the doctrine of Justification, but the issue of Church and Sacraments. The author drew this conclusion from his study of the last dramatic meeting between representatives of Rome and the Reformation in the German city of Regensburg in the year 1541. The issue of Church and Sacraments has remained important, also in the African context. Theology in African perspective needs an Ecclesiology which rests in Scripture and which therefore is significant to the specific features of African culture. May this representation of the thoughts developed by the participants of the Regensburg Disputation in 1541, be helpful in today’s discussion.