Protestant Reformation

Martin Luther never did things by halves. He promised to devote his life to God's service if the Lord would save him from a lightning storm; he reportedly wrestled physically with the Devil in an effort to overcome his own sinfulness; he studied so hard that he forgot to change his bedsheets, resulting in a moldy bed.

After the Reformation began, he became even more larger-than-life. To illustrate the truth that God's Word is for all people, he unchained a man-sized church Bible and carried it outside on his back like Samson carrying away the pagan gates. He claimed the thought of preaching each Sunday made him physically ill with its implications of responsibility. On October 31, 1517, he nailed 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenburg Church, and openly accused the Pope of heresy.

None of this was for personal profit or glory, however. A lot of people do fairly ridiculous things to get attention or an entry in the history books; Luther was motivated by a love of Christ and the Gospel, and a desire for those things to be known and loved by others. What he initiated was one of the most important and dramatic periods in the history of the world: the Protestant Reformation.

What set him off (and what most of the Theses are about) was clerical corruption. The Catholic Church oversaw the sell of Indulgences, purchasable scraps of paper assuring the buyer (or a loved one) a reduction of temporal or eternal punishment. There was rampant greed, immorality, extortion, abuse of power, etc., as well as doctrinal heresy; Luther stood against them with only the Bible and orthodox doctrine for weapons.

Ultimately, many of the questions his stance raised concerned authority and its origins. Is the Church the arbiter of authority, or is it Christ alone? if Christ alone, how is authority practically applied? what authority do clergy maintain? is theirs the earthly manifestation of Christ's primary and heavenly authority? if so, what happens when they overstep their bounds or behave in disaccord with the Gospel's dictates?

Catholic doctrine stated that the Pope, cardinals, prelates, and priests were the hands of Christ on earth, guiding and leading the Church and acting as its vicar (the Pope) and watchmen (everyone else). What the Reformers found upon examination of Scripture was that every believer is Christ's representative, a priest in His name, and that it is Christ who maintains authority of His Church.

That didn't mean, of course, that humans had no authority over one another. But, like a married couple, all believers ought to submit to one another, though leaders are to be appointed to maintain order and guidance. This rejection of centralized power (the Papacy) was revolutionary, and Europe never fully recovered.

Others soon joined Luther's mission of reform: John Calvin, John Knox, Martin Bucer, Ulrich Zwingli, and Theodore Beza, to name a few. Their work wasn't simply to tear down a defunct system, it was to rediscover and uphold the beauty of the Christian Gospel as revealed in God's Word, and untainted by human tradition and interpretation.

The Protestant Reformation also led to reform within the Catholic Church. Godly men like Erasmus, not convinced by the arguments of Luther and Calvin yet aware that change was necessary, led the Counter Reformation with the purpose of returning the Catholic Church to its roots. These men later became known as Christian humanists, and their efforts in some ways led to the Enlightenment thinking of later centuries.

If you're Christian and aren't Catholic or Orthodox, you're Protestant. Many Protestants have abandoned the Reformed doctrines of men like Calvin and Knox, which is one of the dangers inherent in de-centralizing church authority. However, the blessings of pure doctrine and Christ-centered worship far outweigh the possible pitfalls of apostasy, and we thank God humbly and openly for sending men in His name to redirect His people toward truth and faithfulness.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
Did you find this review helpful?
148 Items found Print
Arthur Erskine's Story
Reformation Trail Series #14
by Deborah Alcock
from Inheritance Publications
for 9th-Adult
in Reformation Trail Series (Location: FIC-WH06)
$25.95
Artist of the Reformation
by Joyce McPherson
from Greenleaf Press
Biography for 5th-9th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Beggars' Bible
by Louise Vernon
from Herald Press
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$13.99 $8.50 (1 in stock)
Beggars' Victory
Struggle for Freedom Series #3
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$11.95
Betrayal
by Douglas Bond
from P&R Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Betrayer's Fortune
by Dave & Neta Jackson
from Bethany House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
Betrayer's Fortune
by Dave & Neta Jackson
from Castle Rock Creative
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
$8.99
Bible Smuggler
by Louise Vernon
from Herald Press
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$10.99
Bible That Wouldn't Burn
by Louise Ulmer
from Concordia Publishing House
for 3rd-6th grade
in Church History for Kids (Location: XCH-KID)
$2.10 (3 in stock)
Bondage of the Will
by Martin Luther
from Revell Publishing
for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$8.50 (1 in stock)
Bondage of the Will
by Martin Luther, translated by J. I. Packer and O. R. Robinson
from Baker Academics
for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$26.99
Bondage of the Will
by Martin Luther, translated by Henry Cole
from Canon Press
for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$12.95
Bondage of the Will
by Martin Luther, translated by Henry Cole
from Feather Trail Press
for Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
British Josiah
by N. A. Woychuk
from A Beka Books
for 7th-10th grade
in A Beka Book Report books (Location: REA-ABK)
By England's Aid
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
$20.00
By England's Aid
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
By Pike and Dyke
by G. A. Henty
from Preston Speed
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
By Pike and Dyke
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
$20.00
By Pike and Dyke
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
By Pike and Dyke - Unit Study Guide
by Rick Medlin
from Preston Speed
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
$7.00 (2 in stock)
Calvin and the Calvinists
by Paul Helm
from Banner of Truth Trust
Biography for Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$14.50
Carpenter of Zerbst
by P. de Zeeuw
from Inheritance Publications
Historical Fiction for 4th-6th grade
in Inheritance Fiction (Location: FIC-WH03)
$9.95
Christian Survey of World History - Compact Disc Set
by R. J. Rushdoony
from Chalcedon / Ross House Books
for 10th grade-Adult
in History Conferences & Lectures (Location: HISRF-CONF)
$90.00
Courage and Conviction
History Lives Volume 3
by Mindy & Brandon Withrow
from Christian Focus Publications
for 5th-9th grade
in Church History for Kids (Location: XCH-KID)
Crushed Yet Conquering
Reformation Trail Series #02
by Deborah Alcock
from Inheritance Publications
Historical Fiction for 9th-12th grade
in Reformation Trail Series (Location: FIC-WH06)
Dark Year of Dundee
Reformation Trail Series #06
by Deborah Alcock
from Inheritance Publications
for 7th-10th grade
in Reformation Trail Series (Location: FIC-WH06)
$10.95
Dispelling the Tyranny
Struggle for Freedom Series #2
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$12.95 $7.00 (1 in stock)
Elizabeth the Great
by Elizabeth Jenkins
from International Collectors Library
for 9th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Emergence of Liberty in the Modern World
by Douglas Kelly
from P&R Publishing
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
English Reformation and the Puritans - Lecture Series on DVD
by Michael Reeves
from Ligonier Ministries
for 10th-Adult
in Church History (Location: XCH-HIS)
Fair Margaret
by H. Rider Haggard
from Great Light Publications
for 8th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$13.99
Faithful, But Not Famous
Emma Leslie Church History Series
by Emma Leslie
from Salem Ridge Press
for 5th-9th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Faithful, But Not Famous
Emma Leslie Church History Series
by Emma Leslie
from Salem Ridge Press
for 5th-9th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$11.50 (1 in stock)
Famous Men of the Renaissance and Reformation
by Robert Shearer
2nd edition from Greenleaf Press
Historical Reference for 4th-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Renaissance & Reformation (Location: HISW-REN)
$16.95
Famous Men of the Renaissance and Reformation
1st edition from Greenleaf Press
for 3rd-8th grade
in Old Edition History & Geography (Location: OHIS)
$5.00 (4 in stock)
Famous Men of the Renaissance and Reformation - Greenleaf Guide
by Robert & Cynthia Shearer
from Greenleaf Press
for 6th-11th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Renaissance & Reformation (Location: HISW-REN)
$6.00 (5 in stock)
Farrier of Buda
by P. de Zeeuw
from Pro Ecclesia
Historical Fiction for
in Morality Tales (Location: FIC-WH05)
$9.95
For God and His People
by J. H. Merle D'Aubigne
from Bob Jones University Press
Biography for 9th-12th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$13.00
For Kirk and Covenant
Leaders in Action Series
by Doug Wilson
from Cumberland House
Biography for
in Leaders in Action (Location: BIO-LIA)
For the Heart of Holland
Struggle for Freedom Series #4
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$12.95
Foxe's Book of Martyrs
by John Foxe
from Bridge-Logos
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$18.99
Great Christian Revolution
by Otto Scott, Mark & R. J. Rushdoony
from Chalcedon / Ross House Books
for Adult
in Church History (Location: XCH-HIS)
Hawk That Dare Not Hunt By Day
by Scott O'Dell
from Bob Jones University Press
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.99
Heart Promptly Offered
Leaders in Action
by David W. Hall
from Cumberland House
Biography for 9th-12th grade
in Leaders in Action (Location: BIO-LIA)
Heidelberg Catechism - A Study Guide
by G. I. Williamson
from P&R Publishing
for 9th-Adult
in Creeds, Confessions & Catechisms (Location: XTH-CREED)
$16.99
Henry VIII
by Richard Brassey
from Orion Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Heralds of the Reformation
by Richard Hannula
from Canon Press
for 5th-Adult
in Church History for Kids (Location: XCH-KID)
$12.75
Here I Stand
by Roland H. Bainton
from Meridian Book
Biography for 8th-12th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$18.00
Here I Stand
by Roland H. Bainton
from Abingdon Press
Biography for 8th-12th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
History Lives - Boxed Set
by Mindy & Brandon Withrow
from Christian Focus Publications
for 5th-9th grade
in Church History for Kids (Location: XCH-KID)
History of the Reformation - 4 Volume Set
by J. H. Merle d'Aubigne
from Sprinkle Publications
for Adult
in Church History (Location: XCH-HIS)
History of the Reformation in Scotland
by John Knox
from Banner of Truth Trust
for 10th-Adult
in Church History (Location: XCH-HIS)
$11.90
Hubert Ellerdale
Reformation Trail Series #01
by W. Oak Rhind
from Inheritance Publications
Historical Fiction for 9th-12th grade
in Reformation Trail Series (Location: FIC-WH06)
$12.95
Huguenot Garden
by Douglas Jones
from Canon Press
Historical Fiction for 4th-7th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Idelette
by Edna Gerstner
from Soli Deo Gloria
for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Ink on His Fingers
by Louise Vernon
from Herald Press
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$13.99
Institutes of the Christian Religion
by John Calvin, translated by Ford Lewis Battles, edited by John McNeill
from Westminster John Knox Press
Theology for 11th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
Institutes of the Christian Religion
by John Calvin, translated by Ford Lewis Battles, edited by John McNeill
from Westminster John Knox Press
Theology for 11th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$90.00
Institutes of the Christian Religion
by John Calvin, translated from the French Edition of 1541 by Robert White
from Banner of Truth Trust
Theology for 11th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$40.00
John Calvin
Christian Biographies for Young Readers
by Simonetta Carr
1st edition from Reformation Heritage Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in Church History for Kids (Location: XCH-KID)
$15.30
John Calvin, Genius of Geneva
Reformation Trail Series #07
by Lawrence Penning
from Inheritance Publications
Biography for 6th-9th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$19.95
John Calvin: Man of the Millennium
from Vision Forum
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
John Knox
by Simonetta Carr
from Reformation Heritage Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Church History for Kids (Location: XCH-KID)
$15.30
John Knox: Stalwart Courage
by Douglas Wilson, foreword by George Grant
from Canon Press
for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$15.95
Katherine Parr
by Brandon G. Withrow
from P&R Publishing
Biography for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$13.99 $6.50 (1 in stock)
Kitty, My Rib
by E. Jane Mall
from Concordia Publishing House
Biography for 7th-10th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$14.00 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Lady Jane Grey
Christian Biographies for Young Readers
by Simonetta Carr
from Reformation Heritage Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Church History for Kids (Location: XCH-KID)
Legacy of John Calvin
The Calvin 500 Series
by David W. Hall
from P&R Publishing
Biography for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Life and Times of Martin Luther
by J. H. Merle D'Aubigne, translated by H. White
from Moody Press
for Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Life of John Calvin
by Theodore Beza
3rd edition from Back Home Industries
Biography for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$15.00
Life of John Knox
by Thomas McCrie
from Back Home Industries
Biography for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$17.00 $12.00 (2 in stock)
Light From Old Times
by J. C. Ryle
from Banner of Truth Trust
in Church History (Location: XCH-HIS)
$24.65
Luther
by Frederick Nohl
from Concordia Publishing House
for 5th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$15.99 $7.50 (2 in stock)
Luther by Those Who Knew Him
Reformation Trail Series #20
by Elizabeth R. Charles
from Inheritance Publications
for 9th-Adult
in Reformation Trail Series (Location: FIC-WH06)
$19.95
Luther the Leader
by Virgil Robinson
from A. B. Publishing, Inc.
Biography for 5th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$9.95 $4.00 (4 in stock)
Luther's Three Treatises
Christian Heritage Series
by Martin Luther, introduction by Steven Wedgeworth
3rd edition from Canon Press
for 10th-Adult
in Reformed Theology (Location: XTH-REF)
$11.01
Man Who Laid the Egg
by Louise Vernon
from Greenleaf Press
Biography for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Man Who Laid the Egg
by Louise Vernon
from Herald Press
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$10.99
Margarethe
Emma Leslie Junior Church History Series
by Emma Leslie
from Salem Ridge Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Martin Luther
by J. A. Morrison
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
Biography for 7th-10th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Martin Luther
by Frederick Nohl
from Concordia Publishing House
Biography for 4th-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Martin Luther
by May McNeer & Lynd Ward
from Abingdon Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Martin Luther
World Landmark #23
by Harry Emerson Fosdick
from Random House
for 5th-9th grade
in World Landmark Books (Location: VIN-LAN)
Martin Luther
by Paul L. Maier
1st edition from Concordia Publishing House
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Martin Luther
Penguin Lives
by Martin Marty
from Viking Press
for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Martin Luther
by J. A. Morrison
3rd edition from Christian Liberty Press
Biography for 7th-10th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$11.75
Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses
by Martin Luther
from P&R Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
Martin Luther: Selections from His Writings
by Martin Luther
from Anchor Books
Biography for 11th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$20.00
Martin Luther: The Man and His Work
Reformation Trail Series #19
by Arthur C. McGiffert
from Inheritance Publications
for 9th-Adult
in Reformation Trail Series (Location: FIC-WH06)
$19.95
Monk Who Shook the World
by Cyril J. Davey
New Ed from Lutterworth Press
for 6th-9th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Morning Star of the Reformation
by Andy Thomson
from Bob Jones University Press
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Morning Star of the Reformation
by Andy Thomson
from CreateSpace
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$12.99
Mr. Pipes and Psalms and Hymns of the Reformation
Mr. Pipes Series #2
by Doug Bond
from Christian Liberty Press
for 5th-8th grade
in History of Hymns (Location: XCH-HYMN)
$13.26 $4.20 (1 in stock)
My Escape from the Auto De Fe at Valladolid
by Don Fernando de la Mina
from A. B. Publishing, Inc.
Historical Fiction for 4th-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Night Preacher
by Louise A. Vernon
from Herald Press
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$10.99
Not Regina
by Christmas Carol Kauffman
Fourth Printing from Pathway Publishers
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Pierre Viret
by Jean-Marc Berthoud
1st edition
for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$14.50
Place to Stand
Leaders in Action Series
by Gene Veith
from Cumberland House
Biography for 9th-Adult
in Leaders in Action (Location: BIO-LIA)
Play's the Thing
by Ruth Turk
from Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Prince and Heretic
Prince of Orange Nassau Volume 1
by Marjorie Bowen
from Inheritance Publications
for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$17.95
12