The Aspen Grove

Early Lutheran Loci or Commonplaces

Note Planted:
9 min read

The Big Idea

I think that we have been reading commonplace or loci communes books wrong. They are not just some kind of repository of random data or doctrines but are the reference books of these peoples minds. They are literal maps of their memory palaces and mental structure. How can these categories function along side the Grammar of the Small Catechism?

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Ess-LUTHER-on-EDUCATION-converted.pdf

Organizations of Loci

Johann Gerhard’s Theological Commonplaces

  1. Commonplace 1: On the Nature of Theology and On Scripture
  2. Commonplace 2: On the Nature of God
  3. Commonplace 3: On the Trinity
  4. Commonplace 4: On Christ
    • Missing 5 to 7
  5. Commonplace 8: On Creation and Angels VIII
  6. Commonplace 9: On Providence
  7. Commonplace 10: On Election and Reprobation
  8. Commonplace 11: On the Image of God in Man before the Fall
  9. Commonplace 12: On Original Sin
  10. Commonplace 13: Actual Sin
  11. Commonplace 14: Free Choice
  12. Commonplace 15: On the Law of God
  13. Commonplace 16: On the Ceremonial and Forensic Laws
  14. Commonplace 17: On the Gospel
  15. Commonplace 18: On Repentance
  16. Commonplace 19: On Justification through faith
  17. Commonplace 20: On Good Works
    • Missing 21 to 24
  18. Commonplace 25: On the Church
  19. Commonplace 26: On the Ministry
    • Missing 27 to 28
  20. Commonplace 29: On Death
  21. Commonplace 30: On the Resurrection of the Dead
  22. Commonplace 31: On the Last Judgment
  23. Commonplace 32: On the End of the World
  24. Commonplace 33: On Hell
  25. Commonplace 34: On Eternal Life

Philip Melanchthon 1521

Very Barebone Summary of Theological Topics

  • God
  • His Unity
  • His Trinity
  • Creation
  • Man, Human Powers
  • Sin
  • The fruits of Sin, Vice
  • Punishments
  • The Law
  • The Promises
  • Renewal through Christ
  • Grace
  • The Fruits of Grace
  • Faith
  • Hope
  • Love
  • Predestination
  • The Sacramental Signs
  • Human Estates
  • Magistrates
  • Damnation
  • Blessedness Philip makes the point that some of these topics are mysteries to adore not investigate and so get us into trouble when philosopy goes wild trying to make them “make sense” (i.e. the Trinity). Rather the topics that push us toward Christ and a healthy Christian life are ones worth spending time learning and applying.

In essence the loci in this early work are the ground floor categories to have a good handle on what actually matters in theology and how to make sure you are staying in tune with scripture and not diving off into convoluted philosophy.

They should be categories that help drive you into Scripture and hold what you learn from Scripture in your mind. Makes the note that these categories are derived from a close reading of the book of Romans.

Loci communes from Philip Melanchthon (1521). 1. Sin 1. What Is Sin? 2. The Source of Original Sin 3. The Power and Fruits of Sin 2. Law 1. Natural Law 2. Divine Laws 3. Counsels 4. Monastic Vows 5. Judicial and Ceremonial Laws 6. Human Laws 3. The Gospel 1. What Is the Gospel 2. The Power of the Law 3. The Power of the Gospel 4. Grace 5. Justification and Faith 1. The Efficacy of Faith 2. Love and Hope 6. The Distinction between the Old and New Testaments and Abolishment of the Law 1. The Old and New Man 2. Mortal and Daily Sin 7. Signs 1. Baptism 2. Repentance 3. Private Confession 4. Participation in the Lord’s Supper 8. Love 9. Magistrates 10. Scandal (Adiaphora)

Philip Melanchthon 1559

Loci Praecipui Theologici (The Cheif Theological Topics) 1559

  1. Locus 1: God
    1. Trinity
    2. Person of the Son
    3. Person of the Holy Spirit
  2. Locus 2: Creation
  3. Locus 3: The cause of Sin and Concerning Contingency
  4. Locus 4: Human Powers or Free Choice
  5. Locus 5: Sin
    1. Original Sin
    2. Actual Sin
  6. Locus 6: The Divine Law
    1. Classifications of Laws
    2. Exposition of Decalogue
    3. Natural Law
    4. The Use of the Law
    5. The Distinction between Counsels and Precepts
    6. Redress
    7. Poverty
    8. Chastity
  7. Locus 7: The Gospel
  8. Locus 8: Grace and Justification
    1. Word of Faith
    2. Word of Grace
  9. Locus 9: Good Works
    1. Which Works Must be Done?
    2. How Can Good Works Be Performed?
    3. How Do Good Works Please God?
    4. Why are Good Works to Be Dong?
    5. Rewards
    6. What Is the Difference among Sins?
    7. The Arguments of the Adversaries
  10. Locus 10: The Difference between the Old and New Covenants
  11. Locus 11: The Difference between Mortal and Venial Sin
  12. Locus 12: The Church
    1. Against Donatists
    2. The Signs Which Point Out the Church
  13. Locus 13: The Sacraments
    1. The Number of the Sacraments
    2. Confirmation
    3. Unction
    4. Baptism
    5. The Lord’s Supper
    6. Sacrifice
    7. The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving
    8. Repentance
    9. Contrition
    10. Faith
    11. Confession
    12. The Commandments
    13. Satisfaction
  14. Locus 14: Predestination
  15. Locus 15: The Kingdom of Christ
  16. Locus 16: The Resurrection of the Dead
  17. Locus 17: The Spirit and the Letter
  18. Locus 18: Calamites, The Cross and True Consolation
  19. Locus 19: The Invocation of God or Prayer
  20. Locus 20: Civil Rulers and the Validity of Governmental Matters
  21. Locus 21: Human Ceremonies in the Church
  22. Locus 22: The Mortification of the Flesh
  23. Locus 23: Offense
  24. Locus 24: Christian Liberty

Chemnitz

From his Loci Theologici. Mirrors Melanchthon’s categories pretty closely.

  1. Locus I: God a. God in General b. God in Particular
  2. Locus II: The Person of the Son of God
  3. Locus III: The Person of the Holy Spirit
  4. Locus IV: Creation
  5. Locus V: The Cause of Sin and Concerning Contingency
  6. Locus VI: Human Power or Free Choice
  7. Locus VII: Sin a. Sin in General b. Original Sin
  8. Locus VIII: The Divine Law
    1. The Law of God
    2. Exposition of the Decalog
    3. Fullfiling the Decalog
    4. Natural Law
    5. The Use of the Law
    6. The Honored Place of the Law, Against Antinominas
  9. Locus IX: The Difference Between Precepts and Counsels
  10. Locus X: Revenge
  11. Locus XI: Poverty
  12. Locus XII: Chastity
  13. Locus XIII: Justification
  14. Locus XIV: Good Works
  15. Locus XV: The Difference Between the Old and New Covenants
  16. Locus XVI: The Difference Between Moral and Venial Sins
  17. Locus XVII: The Church
  18. Locus XVIII: The Sacraments
  19. Locus XIX: Baptism
  20. Locus XX: The Lord’s Supper
  21. Locus XXI: Marriage

Methods of Collecting Material in Loci

From MayesLociCommunesATheologiansBestFriend.pdf

There are various methods of collecting your excerpts into loci

  1. Some use three books, others two, others one for the purpose of excerpting.
  2. Justus Lipsius (1547-1606) says one book is for Formulas, Scriptures. Likewise, he set aside the last hour of the day another for Ornaments, a third for Diction.
  3. Jeremias Drexel (1581-1638) says one book is for Lemmata (titles, themes), another for Adversaria, a third for Historica. Lemmata are for non-historical things, where only a brief bibliographical references are made. Adversaria is for non-historical things, where excerpts are made a little more extensively. Historia is for historical things and examples. A separate volume of indices is kept, one index for Lemmata, one for Adversaria, and a third for Historica. In the three volumes, no attention is paid to order, but items are written from beginning to end. The index volume, however, is arranged alphabetically and keyed to the entries. The disadvantage of this method is that no locus is found in any one place. An advantage would be that space is not wasted in books, and one excerpt can be entered in several places in the index.
  4. The method of Christoph Schrader (1601-1680) is similar to that of Drexel. The three volumes are entitled 1) Enthyme 2) Historiarum seu Exemplorum, and 3) Moralium. In the volume Enthymematum are recorded all things which do not deal with virtue, vice, affections, or history. Exemplorum records history, stories, examples, and so on. Moralium records virtues, vices, all affections of the mind, and whatever pertains to the calming and exciting of the same. There was one index for all three volumes, with M or pi written with the number if the quotation was to be found in the Moralium or in the Exemplorum (Greek: Paradeigmata).The index was not, however, in alphabetical order, but new index entries were added as needed, which made it a somewhat confusing system. With a computerized index list which could be reprinted from time to time, this confusion could be easily avoided.
  5. The method of Lucas Osiander (the Elder, 1534-1604) was to have one volume for exempla, argumenta et alia. Whatever happens to be the first locus you come across, you should write that as the title of the first page. The second you come across write as the title of the second page, etc. The alphabetical index, then, will contain the page number where the particular locus is to be found. If you fill up one of your pages, you write at the bottom of that page where the next page ista be found dealing with this Locus (that is, the next blank page). This is also the method of Leonhard Hutter (1563-1616). The advantage to this system is that it is compact, yet it is not as scattered as Drexel’s method.
  6. Balthasar Meisner (1587-1626) says that two volumes are to be used: one for Practicos, the other for Theoreticos. The former contains homiletical material and the latter controversial material. Practici should be alphabetically arranged with short bibliographical references. Theoretici should have a letter of the alphabet for every four or eight pages. When the four or eight page section fills up, pages can either be inserted, or space at the end of the volume can be used, as with Osiander (number 5).
  7. Another method is to use a double index, the first part of the index being arranged according to a catechetical order, the second part alphabetically. Page numbers would then need to be entered into the index twice.
  8. Johannes Huelsemann (1602-1661) says the easiest way to arrange an index is to have a mix: partially according to a theological, historical, chronological etc. order, and partially according to the alphabet. For example, “Transubstantiation” is listed under “T” alphabetically, not logically under “Eucharist” or “Sacraments.” But “Transubstantiation, nature of; mode of; time of,” etc. all appear under Transubstantiation. Likewise, “Pope” appears under “P,” not under “Church.” But “Pope, name of; episcopal power of,” etc. belong under “Pope.” Quenstedt followed this method in the arrangement of his index, and I have done the same. One can always add to this index as new loci or other arguments are added

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