The Catholicity of the Reformation

by Carl E. Braaten (Editor), Robert W. Jenson (Series Editor)

As the title of this engaging book suggests, "catholicity" was the true intent of the Reformation. The Reformers did not set out to create what later came to be known as Protestant Christianity. Theirs was a quest for reformation and renewal in continuity with the "one holy catholic and apostolic church" of ancient times. The authors of the essays collected here demonstrate this catholicity of the Reformers and stress the importance of recovering the church's catholic tradition today. Contributors: Robert W. Jenson, David S. Yeago, Frank C. Senn, Carl E. Braaten, James R. Crumley, Robert L. Wilken, Gunther Gassmann

Genres: Theology, Christianity, Essays, Church History, History

112 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1996

Reviews

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great and awful.

[J. Rutherford · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though not without insight, this is largely an unhelpful volume. Elsewhere I have interacted with the essay on authority and sola Scriptura, a discussio which may demonstrate why I deem it largely unhelpful: https://allforthegloryofhiskingdom.wo...

[Adam Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really interesting and important book by a number of Lutheran scholars who are in the process of seeing some forgotten things about Luther's theology and ecclesiology. Set against the backdrop of interacting with contemporary Lutheran/Roman ecumenical dialog, the essays here rethink common Protestant assumptions about Luther, the Reformation and the Roman church. While I think Jenson occasionally goes too far (suggesting the Roman church is right to have an individual head of the church, but only taking his powers too far) I think overall the book contains some really important stuff. The essay on Luther's theology and the shift in it that famously took place is worth the price alone. The essay suggests that prior to 1517 Luther's theology was radically against the organized Roman church and disdained everything it had to say, but post-1517 his theology began to shift and he returned to the earlier, broader "catholic" tradition and emphasized union with Christ, the institutional church, and the sacraments as the means by which we encounter the risen Christ.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5: agree with Pastor Wilson, "great and awful."