​The Protestant Reformation of the Church and the World 

Coeditor, The Protestant Reformation of the Church and the World (Westminster John Knox Press, 2018) (with Amy Wheeler)

Description

From a distinguished assembly of twelve internationally acclaimed scholars comes this rich, interdisciplinary study that explores the Protestant Reformation and its revolutionary impact on the church and the world. The Reformation revolutionized the church and spiritual life as well as art, music, literature, architecture, and aesthetics.  It transformed economics, trade, banking, and more – transformations that shifted power away from the church to the state, unleashing radical new campaigns for freedom, equality, democracy, and constitutional order. In this authoritative but accessible study, the writers analyze the kaleidoscopic impact of the Reformation over the past 500 years – for better or worse, for richer or poorer, for the West and increasingly for the world. ​

Table of Contents

  • Introduction: The Protestant (Re-)Reformations of the Church and the World – Martin E. Marty
  1. The Gift of Sola Scriptura to the World – Mark A. Noll
  2. Luther and the Gospel of John: A Wisdom of Surprise for Our Time – David F. Ford
  3. An Awkward Witness in a Worded World: Music and the Reformation – Jeremy Begbie
  4. The European Reformation: Advocacy of Education and Liberation – Michael Welker
  5. Faith in Law: The Legal and Political Legacy of the Protestant Reformations – John Witte, Jr. 
  6. “There Will Be No Poor among You”: The Reformation of Charity and Social Welfare – ​Carter Lindberg 
  7. Worldly Worship: The Reformation and Economic Ethics – Wolfgang Huber
  8. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Consumerism – Jonathan L. Walton
  9. The Reformation and the Future of Europe – Graham Tomlin
  10. The Challenges of Sixteenth-Century Europe and Our Global Challenges Today – Margot Kässmann ​
  • Postscript: The Need for “Reformed Repentance” – Wesley Granberg-Michaelson
  • Bibliography 
  • ​Index 
Reviews

“A thoughtful as well as highly competent collection of essays by a group of junior and senior scholars.  The essays offer a panoramic view of current scholarly interests in Martin Luther and the Reformation, useful for both experts and novices.“
-- Hans Hillerbrand, Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies, Duke University


 “This well chosen selection of probing essays gives us an overview of unparalleled breadth, and its editors are much to be commended.”
-- Iain R. Torrance, President Emeritus, Princeton Theological Seminary


“Anything as badly misunderstood and wildly misrepresented as Protestantism, needs all the help it can get!  This book is helpful.  Its authors represent a commendable cross section of what remains of principal Reformation theological and ethical emphases.  They avoid the intellectual absurdities of ultra-orthodoxy without sacrificing the skandalon of the gospel; and they avoid the shallowness and exhibitionism of identity-and-cause theologies without sacrificing contextual pertinence.  This is responsible Christian theology.”
-- Douglas John Hall, Professor Emeritus of Christian Theology, McGill University
​

​ “This collection of essays presents thoughtful and often thought-provoking reflections on both expected (e.g., justification) and less traditional topics (e.g., consumerism), weighing aspects of the Protestant Reformation in light of their relevance for today’s church and world.  The editors have brought together a constellation of German and North American voices in a fruitful conversation rich with perceptive comments and language.
-- Elsie McKee, Professor of Reformation Studies and the History of Worship, Princeton Theological Seminary