Cocceius anti-scholasticus?

Abstract

Cocceius deserves to be celebrated today primarily for developing new exegetical insights which he attempted to incorporate into the orthodox system of Reformed theology without being hindered by fixed and standardized positions. Only when scholastic method degenerated into some sort of "drilling" and "teaching tricks" in stead of being used as a form of logical analysis, scholasticism was the object of his protest. Scriptural language and biblical concepts, he insisted, should not be allowed to lose their original splendor and color. Scripture should tell its own story without being overgrown by a blanket of words and concepts invented by men. In short, Cocceius' conflict with Reformed orthodoxy did not so much concern the interpretation of the classical loci of Reformed dogmatics, but rather his dynamic interpretation of salvation history and his perception of the relationship between Old and New Testament, together with the implications of his view on this relationship for Christian ethics. The question, however, whether Cocceius indeed succeeded in applying his historical-covenantal model to the orthodox Reformed system, is still hotly debated in current Cocceius-research.