ideas with one typical representative of Pietism, namely, Nikolaus
Ludwig von Zinzendorf.
For König, the order of salvation consists of the stages of vocation,
regeneration, conversion, penitence, justification, mystical union, and
renovation. This sequence is not temporal but logical, since the pre-
ceding stages need to be taken into account when considering the next
stage. The event of recognition belongs to regeneration and conversion.
Before regeneration, the individual is incapable of recognizing (agnos-
cendum) the object of salvation. When regeneration has occurred, the
intellect has‘the capacity to recognize (agnoscendum) the object of
salvation in a salvificmanner’. The end of regeneration is for the
intellect‘the actual and salvific recognition (agnitio)’of this object.
For the will, this end is defined as‘the trusting rest of the heart in this
recognized good’(cordis in bono agnito recumbentiafiducialis).^24
König remarks that conversion can be considered as synonymous
with regeneration.^25 Conversion means movement from the state of
sin to the state of faith. While the person in the state of sin does not
know (agnoscendum) the salvific medicine, the intellect in faith is
characterized by a salvific recognition of sin and its remedy (peccati et
huic oppositae medicinae agnitio salutaris).^26 The transfer from sin to
faith takes place through several stages through which grace begins to
inhabit the individual more strongly.^27 In this manner, regeneration
and conversion are simultaneous, though logically successive, pro-
cesses leading to a salvific recognition.
For human beings, faith is the receptive organ that emerges in this
process and is required in order that divine truths can be known and
received. Like Luther, König emphasizes the‘apprehensive’character
of faith, which receives salvation and applies it to the believing
person. König’s notion of faith, however, follows the established
tripartite division of Lutheran orthodoxy: faith is knowing (notitia),
assenting (assensus), and trust (fiducia). Whilefiduciais the core and
perfection of salvific faith, it also needs the logically prior acts of
knowing and assenting. König defines the aspect of knowing as
‘intellectual cognition or apprehension’and the aspect of assenting
as‘approving intellectual judgement’.^28 Both of these are related to
forgiveness and salvation.
(^24) Theologia, §469. (^25) Theologia, §482.
(^26) Theologia, §§498–501. (^27) Theologia, §§502–8.
(^28) Theologia, §§895–7. For the emergence of this division see Vainio 2006, e.g. 145.
118 Recognition and Religion