Peter Martyr Vermigli (1499-1562) and the outward instruments of divine grace

The Reformed exegete and theologian Peter Martyr Vermigli (1499--1562) was an unoriginal, but consistent thinker. Theological insights were not packaged separately from each other, but consistently linked together. In all his thought he sought to steer the middle course between theological extremes in taking what was good and rejecting what was bad from each. Typical of this tendency to steer the middle course are his insights into the outward instruments of divine grace. According to Vermigli such instruments---the human nature of Christ, the audible words of Scripture and the visible words of the Sacraments---should not be over-carnalized, nor over-spiritualized. Although God could work immediately (i.e. without instruments), he has chosen to work through these instruments for salvation. Hence, the inward spiritual power and the outward instrument must not be divorced from each other. The Spirit of God does not normally work without the outward instrument, nor can the outward instrument effect grace without the Spirit's power.Modern scholarship has done much to define the sources of Vermigli's thought, but more needs to be said. The more Vermigli is studied, the more it is necessary to qualify characterizations of him. He is not a thinker who is easily pigeon-holed into a certain theological school or movement. As a well-educated biblical and humanistic scholar, Vermigli took independent and well-reasoned positions on the whole variety of theological questions current in his day. As such, this study attempts to view the inter-connected nature of Vermigli's thought so as to gain a better view of the whole of his thought

The Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery : defining a model for antimicrobial stewardship-results from an international cross-sectional survey

Background: Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASPs) have been promoted to optimize antimicrobial usage and patient outcomes, and to reduce the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant organisms. However, the best strategies for an ASP are not definitively established and are likely to vary based on local culture, policy, and routine clinical practice, and probably limited resources in middle-income countries. The aim of this study is to evaluate structures and resources of antimicrobial stewardship teams (ASTs) in surgical departments from different regions of the world. Methods: A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted in 2016 on 173 physicians who participated in the AGORA (Antimicrobials: A Global Alliance for Optimizing their Rational Use in Intra-Abdominal Infections) project and on 658 international experts in the fields of ASPs, infection control, and infections in surgery. Results: The response rate was 19.4%. One hundred fifty-six (98.7%) participants stated their hospital had a multidisciplinary AST. The median number of physicians working inside the team was five [interquartile range 4-6]. An infectious disease specialist, a microbiologist and an infection control specialist were, respectively, present in 80.1, 76.3, and 67.9% of the ASTs. A surgeon was a component in 59.0% of cases and was significantly more likely to be present in university hospitals (89.5%, p <0.05) compared to community teaching (83.3%) and community hospitals (66.7%). Protocols for pre-operative prophylaxis and for antimicrobial treatment of surgical infections were respectively implemented in 96.2 and 82.3% of the hospitals. The majority of the surgical departments implemented both persuasive and restrictive interventions (72.8%). The most common types of interventions in surgical departments were dissemination of educational materials (62.5%), expert approval (61.0%), audit and feedback (55.1%), educational outreach (53.7%), and compulsory order forms (51.5%). Conclusion: The survey showed a heterogeneous organization of ASPs worldwide, demonstrating the necessity of a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach in the battle against antimicrobial resistance in surgical infections, and the importance of educational efforts towards this goal.Peer reviewe

Long-term thermal sensitivity of Earth’s tropical forests

The sensitivity of tropical forest carbon to climate is a key uncertainty in predicting global climate change. Although short-term drying and warming are known to affect forests, it is unknown if such effects translate into long-term responses. Here, we analyze 590 permanent plots measured across the tropics to derive the equilibrium climate controls on forest carbon. Maximum temperature is the most important predictor of aboveground biomass (−9.1 megagrams of carbon per hectare per degree Celsius), primarily by reducing woody productivity, and has a greater impact per °C in the hottest forests (>32.2°C). Our results nevertheless reveal greater thermal resilience than observations of short-term variation imply. To realize the long-term climate adaptation potential of tropical forests requires both protecting them and stabilizing Earth’s climate

“WELCOMING THE ORPHANS OF GLOBALISATION” : The Case for Seafarers’ Ministry

More than 90% of the products and goods we consume on a daily basis made their way to us principally by sea. Yet, increasingly, port areas and the ships that serve them are not commonly frequented or understood. Completely unknown are the more than 1.75 million seafarers who sail those ships. Though they connect us to the goods of the world, these seafarers live disconnected from their families and home cultures. Recognizing this disconnection in the lives of seafarers, an ecumenical network of Christian chaplaincies around the world exists to provide a welcome in foreign ports. After outlining the basic rationale, work, and history of seafarers’ welfare, this essay elicits the practical examples of internet access for seafarers and of ministry of presence as examples of care that have shaped seafarers’ ministry. These examples frame our understanding of the chaplain’s work: the chaplain’s passion, character or theological understanding alone are not sufficient. We argue that more cooperation, training, and consistency in work are necessary for long-term effectiveness in seafarers’ ministry as in any other workplace chaplaincy.Plus de 90 % des produits et marchandises que nous consommons quotidiennement nous sont acheminés principalement par voie maritime. Pourtant, les zones portuaires et les navires qui les desservent ne sont généralement pas fréquentés ou bien connus. Les quelque 1,75 million de marins qui naviguent sur ces navires sont, quant à eux, totalement inconnus. Bien qu’ils nous permettent l’accès aux biens du monde, ces marins vivent déconnectés de leur famille et de leur culture d’origine. Conscient de cette déconnexion, un réseau oecuménique d’aumôneries chrétiennes existe à travers le monde pour offrir un accueil dans les ports étrangers. Après avoir exposé les fondements, le travail et l’histoire de la poursuite du bien-être des gens de la mer, cet essai signale comme exemples de soins bien concrets apportés à ces derniers l’accès à Internet et le ministère de l’accueil et de la présence. À eux seuls, toutefois, la passion et le tempérament de l’aumônier ou la compréhension théologique qu’il peut avoir de son rôle ne suffisent pas. Plus de coopération, de formation et de cohérence dans le travail s’avèrent nécessaires pour assurer, comme dans toute autre forme de ministère, une efficacité à long terme dans l’intervention pastorale auprès des gens de la mer