Reformation Reading

Here, in no particular order, are some of my favorite books related (perhaps indirectly) to the Protestant Reformation:

The Consuming Fire by Michael Reeves
This is my favorite introduction to the Reformation. It is rich in historical detail and theological reflection. Highly Recommended.

Living For God's Glory by Joel Beeke
The contributors of this wonderful book trace the history of the Reformed faith exploring its key doctrines, such as the Doctrines of Grace and the five solas of the Reformation. This volume is rich in devotional appeal as well; exploring Reformed piety and worship.

The Grace of Godliness by Matthew Barrett
Without a doubt, Matthew Barrett's book is one of the best explanations of the Doctrines of Grace. He traces the historical background of the Canons of Dort and demonstrates the biblical justification for the Doctrines of Grace. But this book is also an exercise in theology as doxology. A must read.

Here I Stand by Roland Baintan
The classic biography of Martin Luther.

Reformation: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow by Carl Trueman
Dr. Trueman traces the lasting significance of the Reformation for the church today. Required reading.

Chosen For Life by Sam Storms
Outstanding explanation and biblical defense of the doctrine of unconditional election.

God Has Spoken by J.I. Packer
The Reformation was a Word-driven movement. You cannot understand the Reformation if you do not have an adequate understanding of the doctrine of Scripture. This little volume by J.I. Packer is one of the best introductions to the authority and sufficiency of Scripture.

A Quest For Godliness by J.I. Packer
In this excellent book, J.I. Packer examines the lives and piety of the Puritans. This is my favorite introduction to the Puritans, their theology, and their approach to Christian living.

Yes, The Reformation Still Matters

The New York Times reports on the return of indulgences to the Church of Rome:

In recent months, dioceses around the world have been offering Catholics a spiritual benefit that fell out of favor decades ago — the indulgence, a sort of amnesty from punishment in the afterlife — and reminding them of the church’s clout in mitigating the wages of sin.

The fact that many Catholics under 50 have never sought one, and never heard of indulgences except in high school European history (Martin Luther denounced the selling of them in 1517 while igniting the Protestant Reformation), simply makes their reintroduction more urgent among church leaders bent on restoring fading traditions of penance in what they see as a self-satisfied world.

Read the entire article HERE.

Read the official teaching of Rome regarding indulgences HERE.

Tetzel would be a happy man today!

The Modernity of "Post-Modernism"

R. Scott Clark of Westminster California has written an interesting post dealing with the thoroughly modern character of so-called "post-moderns." I have argued for some time that there is nothing new or "post" about post-modernism. Ignorantly, the leaders of the Emergent Church (MacLaren, Paggit, Jones, etc.) dismiss biblically conservatives evangelicals as entrenched in modernity. To the contrary, it was precisely the prophets of modernity during the last few centuries who heaped their strongest rebukes upon evangelicals. We would do well to read J. Gresham Machen's Christianity and Liberalism.

Dr. Clark writes:

One of the more shocking facets of the EV [Emergent Village] movement his how obliviously yet obviously and deeply indebted they are not only to the Anabaptists but also to the Enlightenment. For all their noise about being “postmodern,” it’s quite obvious to me that they are rather “most modern.” Their religious subjectivism is as modern as Schleiermacher and Romanticism. Their eclecticism is entirely modern. When they, as McLaren does, mashup Anglicanism with the Anabaptists they’re acting as autonomous, reality-creating, sovereign entities.

In contrast, confessional Protestants are not “creators.” We are mere creatures living in a world of divinely created givens, muddling through with a semi-realized eschatology, an epistemology that starts with divine authority, with divine revelation and which reads that revelation with the church. We begin with a ecclesiology that includes real, visible churches (sins and all) with real, visible sacraments, and real preached gospel of grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone. We sit on couches and drink coffee before and after our services but during our services we hear the gospel, sing psalms, and eat bread and drink wine with the church catholic.

Read the entire post HERE.