Medieval theologians considered the comma iohanneum (1 John 5:7-8) to be a clear proof of the Trinity. When Erasmus had found no authoritative manuscripts that included this passage, he decided to omit this passage from his New Testament edition, leading many to accuse him of anti-Trinitarian heresy. In his third critical edition of the New Testament Erasmus decided to reintroduce the above passage, but continued to doubt the authenticity of the manuscripts that included 1 John 5:7-8. By the 20th century it became clear that Erasmus' doubts were not unfounded. Famous theologians such as Luther, Calvin, Milton, Newton and others participated in controversy surrounding the text edition of Erasmus arguing that it was not simply a philological problem, but also a matter of morality and social order. The social history of the comma iohanneum offers insights into the cultural struggles of European Christianity with resonances in the society of our days.

Grantley McDonald, Biblical Criticism in Early Modern Europe. Erasmus, the Johannine Comma and Trinitarian Debate (Cambridge University Press 2019) will be presented by Lóránd Ilkei student of Unitarian theology.

Time and place of the event: 6 April 2022, Wednesday 17.00, room 205 of the Protestant Theological Institute.

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More information on the series: Since 2016, with the support of the Hilfswerk der Evangelischen Kirchen Schweiz (HEKS) and some other organisations, the book depository of the library of the Theological Institute has been continuously expanding with excellent reference books, presenting main trends, issues and problems of contemporary theology. We would like to bring these books to life, to bring them close to the public by talking about them. Informally, over a cup of tea. These events are open to anyone interested.

During the academic year 2021-2022, this series of events will be supported by the Hungarian National Talent Programme. A PDF version of the event poster can be downloaded from the right-hand sidebar.