Reformation Thought: An Introduction (Paperback)

by Alister E. McGrath (Author) "Many students approach the Reform in much the same way as medieval travellers approached the vast dark forests of southern Germany - with a sense..." (more)
Key Phrases: New Testament, Middle Ages, Jesus Christ (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Alister McGrath... is one of the best scholars and teachers of the Reformation.... [this book] is more than one dared ask for.... How teachers will rejoice in this wonderfully useful book." Teaching History (of a previous edition).

"Vigorous, brisk and highly stimulating. The reader will be thoroughly engaged from the outset, and considerably enlightened at the end." John Platt, Pembroke College, University of Oxford (of a previous edition).

"Highly recommended." Choice (of a previous edition).

"A remarkably fine introduction to the study of the Reformation and its theological ideas; it is exceptionally well thought out, fully up to date in its scholarship, fair in its presentation, and simply pellucid in its explanations. Highly recommended." ADRIS (of a previous edition).

"....this second edition of Reformation Tought is very useful, especially in providing a guide to reformation writings and writers (both primary and secondary) for the upper-division or beginning student of Reformation ideas." Elwood E. Mather III, Montana State University.

"McGrath does a good job of summarizing the Reformation's principal ideas. Reformation Thought is a helpful primer and a genuine counterbalance to polemical Catholic treatments, excessively irenical ecumenical assessments, and secular renditions that minimize or ignore the power of theological ideas to revolutionize a culture." Catholic Dossier --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
The European Reformation remains of considerable importance to both historians and theologians. In recent years, new light has been shed on the ideas underlying the movement, especially their origins and their relation to the thought of the Renaissance and late medieval scholasticism. Both historians and theologians, however, have been hindered from coming to grips with this movement by the lack of an authoritative and up to date introduction to its ideas. Alister McGrath aims to fill this gap by providing an introduction to the thought of the Reformation, covering ideas and their historical contexts, personalities and schools of thought, technical terms and controversies. "Reformation Thought" asks: what was humanism, and what relation does it have to the Reformation? What influence is late medieval scholasticism thought to have had on the movement? What ideas lay behind Luther's revolt against Rome, and how did they develop? What were the points of disagreement among Reformers and what was at issue in their controversy with the Roman Catholic church? Each chapter includes suggestions for further reading. A glossary explains key terms, figures and movements. This book provides a bridge between the events of the Reformation and their intellectual context and causes.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Blackwell Pub; 2nd edition (January 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631186514
• ISBN-13: 978-0631186519
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #571,204 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Polished Prose. Superior Scholarship., August 10, 1998

By A Customer

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!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reformation Theology: Comprehensive, April 17, 2005

By	Thomas Luttrell "Theology & Psychology" (Loma Linda, CA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Reformation Thought: An Introduction (Paperback)

'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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very comprehensive view, July 27, 2001

By	Elizabeth G. Melillo "gloriana" - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Reformation Thought: An Introduction (Paperback)

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."