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Reformation Thought

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'Reformation Thought' is a comprehensive discussion of the issues at stake in the Protestant and Catholic Reformations.

Alister McGrath has an amazing grasp of the issues and honestly portrays in a fair way the differing viewpoints from an unbiased, historical perspective.

My favorite sections dealth with justification by faith and the return to scripture, which I summarize here...

Prior to the Reformation, Scholasticism had dominated. Scholasticism was a movement that began in the Middle Ages which sought to find a systematic and rational justification to the Christian faith. Most of it was a systematic replay of Augustinian teachings organized by Aristotle's philosophies.

There are two main subdivisions of scholasticism, which can be associated with two time periods. The first part of the scholastic period was dominated by realism, while the later part by nominalism. Realism said that universals were entities of themselves, while nominalism said that universal concepts are not real. Proponents of Realism included Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus.

There were two forms of Nominalism: the via moderna and the schola Augustiniana moderna. The common feature was only that they were both anti-realism. The two schools reflect the debate between Pelagianism and Augustianism, over the ability of humans to merit salvation. The via moderna tended toward the positions of Pelagius and the schola Augustiniana towards that of Augustine.

The theology of the via moderna was dominated by a covenant between God and humans in which humans, when people followed their conscience and "did their best" they could somehow obligate God to accepting them based on the terms of the covenant. Human works were of little inherent value. But God had promised, through the covenant, to treat them as if they were of much greater value.

The theology of the schola Augustiniana reflected the views of Augustine that humans are totally depraved. Salvation is totally the work of God, from the beginning to its end. This view may have influenced Calvin.

While it appears that Martin Luther's new theology seems to stand at the end of a long tradition of Augustinian teachings, they were different. It does not appear that Luther was ever directly influenced by the schola Augustiniana, but was reacting to via moderna.

Prior to the Reformation, the concepts of justification and grace were very vague. There had been no authoritative pronouncement from the church for over a thousand years. The rise of humanism raised the question, "What must I, as an individual, do to be saved?"

Luther initially studied and followed the via moderna, which was the philosophy that God was obliged to justify anyone who humbles themselves before God and does what lies within them (quod is se est).

Luther realized that he was not capable of meeting the preconditions for justification. Luther "re-discovered" Augustine's doctrine of total depravity, the belief that humans are incapable of saving themselves and require God's intervention.

Luther's difference with Augustine was where God's grace was to arise. He believed God's grace was alien or "forensic" to the person, whereas Augustine saw grace as something that was planted in the person that caused a change. Augustine believed that this caused an imparted righteousness, a righteousness that grows within and justifies the person, whereas Luther and Melancthon believed righteousness was imputed, or declared by God. Luther called a believer "simul iustus et peccator", meaning simultanouesly righteous, yet a sinner.

Whereas most Catholic theologians would have claimed that we are justified by grace, and would even go so far as to say that grace is received by faith, Luther stood out by declaring that faith is the ONLY means of receiving that grace, and not by anything we do. He added the "alone" to "justification by grace through faith alone."

When Luther taught that salvation was personal and attacked the sacerdotal system with his "priesthood of all believers" doctrine, it took the leverage out of the Church's whole economic support system (indulgences).

Some people charged Luther with being antinomian (lawless), but Luther believed that obedience to God's law was the result of faith. Faith does not merely believe that something is true, but also acts on that belief and relies on it. However, works are not the cause of justification, it is the result of it.

Another battle cry of the Reformation was the call to return to Scripture, or the Bible (Sola Scriptura). This doctrine challenged the accepted role of tradition in the process of interpreting Scripture.

The Catholic Church raised some valid questions for the new approaches to Scripture. First, Sola Scriptura seemed insufficient considering that almost all heresies claimed the Scripture in their defense. The Catholic Church argued that the Scriptures could not be interpreted in any way, but rather within the context of the historical continuity of the Church.

The Reformers emphasized the Bible as the sole authority and that the Church derived its authority from the Bible. While Catholics stressed the importance of historical continuity, Protestants emphasized the importance of doctrinal continuity.

This is an extremely enjoyable book to read. The author knows his Reformation and was able to transmit this knowledge to his readers with a clear and easy to read prose. The Reformation is first placed within the socio-religious- intellectual context of the Late Middle Ages and Humanism, and then developed through its key doctrines. We learn about the reformed doctrines of justification by faith, predestination, the sacraments and the church. Special attention is paid to Luther's, Calvin's and Zwingli's own respective thoughts on each doctrine. The books closes with a lucid analysis of the impact of the Reformation upon History, with a special focus on the Protestant work ethic and the origins of capitalism - so dear to American readers. In summary: great book, highly recommended. I highlighted in yellow some key passages on my own copy and intend to revisit it periodically - it is worth it!

Alister McGrath's combination of thorough details, superb historical perspectives, and rare clarity of expression achieve a feat unusual in the theological realm - the ideas, however deep, are easily understood. McGrath sets forth not only the convictions of the great players in the Reformation, but the social and philosophical ideas which preceded the era, the outcome being a remarkably expert tapestry of thought. This era is one I have studied extensively in the past, yet the connections McGrath presents, and the insights of new scholarship which he incorporates, left me totally engrossed.

As one example, McGrath's development of Martin Luther's progress in theological ideas makes such areas as justification by faith all the more fascinating in their historical context.

McGrath has a rather elegant fashion of presenting the thoughts of the fathers of the Reformation, for example, in avoiding much discussion of Luther's personal conflicts and very salty language! This is wise in an introductory text, avoiding tangents for the reader.

This work is suited to anyone with a serious interest in the period or theology, and as a text for the university or later years of secondary education. I must add that those wishing a "lighter read" will find many of the major issues and historical points treated in McGrath's latest work, "In the Beginning."

Dr. McGrath does his normal excellent job in "Reformation Thought: An Introduction", he always takes difficult concepts and explains them in a manner that is easy to understand. Dr. McGrath takes this ability to his revivew of the Magisterial Reformation (there is very little discussion within this book of the Radical Reformation). Both the thought and events that led up to the Reformation and the aftermath of the Reformation is discussed in detail. Dr. McGrath then helps the reader to consider the implications of Reformation thought. This work is an eceptional look into one of the most important times of Christian history.

Often, those who do not know the difference in the way certain words are spelled in English in the UK and the US assume that there are typos and poor editing. If that is the case in these "reviews" then a bit more education is needed on the part of the reviewers. If indeed there are errors on every other page, kindly address those to Blackwell. They, no doubt, will be happy to know of them, and perhaps provide the attentive reviewer with a complimentary copy of the corrected version, or perhaps a link to where they can buy an English Dictionary, UK version.

McGrath presents a book that aims to introduce; explain; and contextualize the period of history known as the Reformation. In his introduction McGrath lays out a clear and concise understanding of the need for Reformation in the sixteenth century and just what the concept of the Reformation was. He creates a picture of what impact the printing press would have on the Reformation and then puts the ideas behind the Reformation in social context; that is, the social role of religious ideas

The backdrop of the Reformation takes place well before the sixteenth century. McGrath covers the important aspects of the rise of anti-clericalism and anti-papalism that was taking place in the fifteenth century. This rebellion, in part, had to do with taxes, in which the clergy was exempt.

McGrath's chapter on Humanism and the Reformation is helpful in understanding the word `humanism' as used by a twenty-first century writer vs. the sixteenth century writer or theologian. In the modern sense, humanism is an anti-religious philosophy, which affirms the human without any reference to God. According to McGrath, "humanists of the fourteenth, fifteenth or sixteenth centuries were remarkably religious..."

The book goes to great length to describe the intellectual movement of Scholasticism. He defines it "not as a specific system of beliefs, but to a particular way of organizing theology." McGrath says that to some, Scholasticism was just a form of theological nitpicking. Unfortunately, McGrath bogs down in this area. In fact, he says "I have found it impossible to simplify any further the material which follows...many readers will probably be gripped with a sense of utter tedium as I try to explain some of the leading ideas of scholasticism." In this he is absolutely correct!

I like the way McGrath presents a brief biographical introduction to each of the leading Reformers; Luther, Zwingli, Melanchthon, Bucer, and Calvin. He then enters into an interesting discussion of the doctrine of Justification by Faith. He says the central question forced upon the church by the rise of humanism was `What must I, as an individual, do to be saved?" It is at this point that Luther "wander[s] on to the stage as its chief actor." McGrath then proceeds to thoroughly discuss Luther's concept of Justification by faith alone, which is that the individual sinner is incapable of self-justification. Likewise McGrath explains the differing opinions of all the Reformers on this subject including that of the Roman Catholic Church. He follows his discussion of Justification by faith with a brief chapter on Predestination. Other doctrines presented by McGrath include the Doctrine of Sacraments and the Doctrine of the Church.

Since the idea of scriptura sola became the mantra of the reformers, McGrath takes time to look at the importance of Scripture in his chapter "The Return to Scripture." He summarizes the Reformation attitude toward Scripture by quoting William Chillingworth, a famous seventeenth-century English Protestant, "I say, the Bible only, is the religion of Protestants." McGrath's section on The Right to Interpret Scripture is important. He points out that Luther suggests that the ordinary pious Christian believer is perfectly capable of reading Scripture and making perfect sense of what he finds within its pages.

McGrath's chapter on The Political Thought of the Reformation gives us pause to examine our own thoughts and beliefs regarding church and state. He poses the question, "what happens if the state become tyrannical? Have Christians the right to intervene and actively oppose the state? He goes on to discuss all of the Reformers views regarding political thought.

McGrath spends some brief time on the English Reformation in Chapter 13. The origins are discussed stating that the background lies in Henry VIII concern to ensure a smooth transition of power after his death through producing a son as heir to the English throne. Unfortunately, his marriage to Catherine of Aragon had produced a daughter, the future queen, Mary Tudor. McGrath takes the reader through a maze of intrigue as Henry begins divorce proceedings, is faced with excommunication, and is faced with the threat of invasion from neighboring catholic states.

McGrath concludes with the Impact of the Reformation Thought upon History. He cites several positive impacts such as the idea that the real vocation of a Christian lay in serving God in the world and that working hard caused one to prosper.

I found the book interesting at times and at other times I could hardly comprehend what I was reading (as in the chapter on scholasticism). Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and will most likely use it as a reference for years to come.

The author concludes by admitting that the book is limited, but that it has tried to draw back the curtain a little, and allow us to understand better what otherwise might remain a complete mystery. To this, I agree.

McGrath writes well. His ability to communicate, along with his mastery of the historical theology of this time period, yield an informative and substantive work that is enjoyable to read. His survey is broad and yet covers many important details lost in other surveys. The title is accurate in that the work focuses on the intellectual and theological thought that influenced the period. Well indexed, this work might also be useful also as a reference.

The book is a terrific thematical overview of the Reformation. It starts out with the development of Renaissance humanism that provided a philological basis for the Reformation (direct review of Scripture in the original languages) and the heritage of scholasticism that the reformers criticized.

There is a brief biographic section of the key players that follows. This is followed by reviews of the key themes such as; justification by faith, the role of the church, predestination and so on.

What impressed me most about this work was how well the different trends of reforming thought were delineated. For instance, Luther's emphasis of theology stemming from the fact that he taught theology and the deference of Lutheranism to the state from his need for political protection with the Holy Roman Empire is contrasted with the Reformed Church's (how the author refers to what is popular, but apparently inaccurately, called Calvinism), emphasis on scripture as a moral guide and the elect as a community, from the role that Zwingli and Calvin played in influencing Geneva. The response of the Catholic church is well covered with emphasis, as it should be, on the positions of the Council of Trent. Also useful is the separate treatment of the English Reformation. The development being different because there was an act of state nationalizing the church first, and then a challenge to it's ideology. There were some questions I still had, for example, what is the role of good works, or the importance of moral behavior, in a predestinarian theology, but that can be understood as this is an introductory work that can't cover every questions.

I have two quibbles. I would like to have seen more on the Radical Reformation. It's trends can be seen in groups like the Mennonites and the Amish and I would like to have known what other influences it had. The other is the proofreading. I wasn't checking for typos but I came across close to a dozen.

This introduction is just what you'd expect it to be, a concise history of reformation thought which covers the basic ideas that famous thinkers like Luther and Zwingli put forth in their time. It is a must have for anyone interested in Christian thought. I found it easy to read and very effective in explaining its numerous concepts. It is always beneficial to know the history of the world's largest religion.

Alister McGrath is regularly regarded as Great Britain's most prominent theologan, due to his ability to transfer an academic discipline into an accessible fashion. While `Reformation Thought: An Introduction' is not for the general reader, it offers an extremely accessible opening to students beginning their studies on the history and concepts that were developed during the course of the European Reformation.

McGrath is sure to devote considerable but necessary space to describing the religious atmosphere in Europe in the years directly preceding the rise of Protestantism. The importance of Humanist thought spreading across the continent is rightfully emphasised, and a fair description is provided on the standard Thomistic concepts of grace, salvation and the meaning of the Sacraments that saturated the religious thinking of most people. Thus, McGrath provides a suitable background to what exactly Luther challenged, and the inherent radicalism in the ideas that sprang from his original protest against the perceived abuses of Indulgences.

McGrath divides his chapters well. Space is devoted to each of the significant early Reformers (Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Bucer and Melanchton), with a good presentation on their contribution to development of Protestant theologies, as well as their regional significance. Further chapters are divided by subject, with informative analysis on general Protestant concepts such as the necessity of Scripture alone, justification by faith alone, predestination and various understandings of the signifance of the Sacraments. While McGrath is keen to note the debate amongst the early Reformers on these issues, one does feel that the intensity is somewhat rushed over. McGrath does also provide the Roman Catholic reaction to the development of opposing theologies, cumulating in the official declarations of the Council of Trent.

Overall, this is an extremely useful book for students approaching Reformation, both from a historical and theological position.