Defending Luther's Reformation

Defending Luther's Reformation assists Christians in grasping the significance of Luther and the Reformation and equips readers to celebrate the distinctive approach of Lutheranism as a confession, addressing especially Luther's critiques of the Roman Catholic hierarchy, his understanding of the authority of Scripture, his perspective on the estate of marriage, and his reactions to his opponents concerning the Lord's Supper. In our ecumenical age, Luther is often characterized most essentially as a divisive figure, the Reformation viewed as a tragic division of the Church rather than a much needed and long-awaited reform or a renewal of pure doctrine and evangelical preaching and pastoral care. Luther's central role in the Reformation has been disputed, as has the traditional conviction among historians that the Reformation itself was a significant epoch in the history of Christianity and of Western civilization. Among the reformers of the sixteenth century, Luther in particular has been judged intolerant, bigoted, anti-Semitic, and an ideologue whose political thought contributed to the creation of oppressive European regimes of princely absolutism. Yet Luther's Reformation did result in a changed Christianity, one that endures today, shaping the faith and piety of Christian communities that continue to proclaim the Reformation Gospel, and having a salutary influence also in other Christian communions, Catholic and Protestant, where the Word of God is proclaimed among the gathered saints and where Christ's command is heeded-to make disciples of all nations Book jacket.