Digital Logos Edition
The essays in The Beauty and Glory of the Reformation call you to be grateful to God and to grow in appreciation for the rich biblical, doctrinal, experiential, and practical heritage passed on by the great sixteenth-century Reformation. Through these studies, you will be challenged to treasure basic Reformation principles such as Scripture alone, Christ alone, and the glory of God alone, as well as to grow in awareness of what amazing spiritual mentors and models of godliness a variety of Reformation stalwarts were and what they can still teach us today. These include Martin Luther, William Tyndale, Hugh Latimer, and William Perkins; lesser-known pastors in Geneva; and women such as Katherine Luther, Katharina Zell, Anna Bullinger, Katherine Willoughby, and Catherine de Bourbon. You will also discover the reformers commitment to propagate the gospel to all nations and the riches of the Reformation view of missions. Finally, you will be treated to insightful essays on Augustine as an important backdrop to the Reformation and on the beauty and glory of the Christology of the Reformation. The authors pray that these essays will help you increasingly become genuine sons and daughters of the Reformation by following the Reformers’ lives and teachings insofar as they followed the Lord Jesus Christ.
“At the heart of this recovery of preaching the Word of God was the preaching of Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 1:23). Above all else, the Reformers sought in their preaching to show from God’s Word that Christ alone, solus Christus, accomplished salvation. Not Christ plus the church. Not Christ plus the intercession of the saints. Not Christ plus the seven Roman sacraments. Not Christ plus the Roman-supposed treasury of merits. Not Christ plus Mary. Not Christ plus my good works of faith and love. Christ alone: solus Christus.” (Page 79)
“but we need to remember that monasticism is an anti-gospel institution that by definition abuses people who are part of” (Page 155)
“It is a truism that the early church feared heresy more than martyrdom.” (Page 81)
“First, he shows the fundamental human struggle, as a” (Page 108)
Insightful, scholarly, and extraordinarily informative—just when you think there’s no more to learn about the Reformation, along comes this magnificent record of conference addresses with its fresh insights and energy! Yes, energy—you can ‘hear’ the urgency and passion of these pages because they were first given as conference addresses. Sadly, I missed the conference but am grateful beyond words that I can read these pages as a permanent record on a vitally important period of history. A magnificent achievement in every way.
—Professor Derek W. H. Thomas, senior minister, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina; Chancellor’s, Reformed Theological Seminary; and teaching fellow, Ligonier Ministries
The Protestant Reformation never gets old. It is a riveting story, full of courageous and inspiring characters who were willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of the gospel. In this fresh compendium of Reformation sketches, written by an array of gifted and notable authors, the thoughtful reader’s soul will be stirred by the accounts of the brave men and women who stood fast in the truth—no matter the cost. Historically gripping and devotionally rich, this volume makes a wonderful addition to every Christian’s shelf.
—Jon D. Payne, pastor, Christ Church Presbyterian, Charleston, South Carolina
The Protestant Reformation represents a great act of God through the actions of imperfect people. It is important for believers and their children to draw historical, experimental, and practical examples from such people to remind us of what God has done and what He can do through people like us. This book achieves these ends well. The chapters by Ian Hamilton and Carl Trueman alone make this book gripping, edifying, and even entertaining reading for believers of all ages and levels of maturity.
—Ryan M. McGraw, Morton H. Smith Professor of Systematic Theology, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary