A Twenty-first Century Reformation?
Every year a new round of publications on the Protestant Reformation checker the pages of academic catalogs around this time. While the arguments and approaches of these books differ, they all implicitly point to the same conclusion: the Reformation’s significance to Christianity is enduring and will continue to be the subject of conversation going forward.
Baptists are frequently dismissed as not being historically or theologically invested in the Reformation. Many times they are relegated to some reactionary movement status—or worse! Yet there are countless contemporary Baptists who recognize important links between their traditions and the larger Reformation heritage. Among these are religious liberty, the priesthood of all believers, and the sufficiency of Scripture–to name a few.
On the heels of Reformation Day, the Helwys Society is devoting the Forum’s essays this month to various figures who were, at various times and in various contexts, pivotal to the advancement of Reformation thought and trajectories. Our aim is to emphasize some of the key figures who contributed to the type of Reformational worldview that we believe is crucial, not only to Free Will Baptist life today, but to all evangelical faith. Here is a brief sketch of what readers can anticipate:
Luther: This Monday, Jeremy Craft begins with Martin Luther, who most consider the Father of the Protestant Reformation. Jeremy’s graduate research into Luther makes him especially qualified to introduce a familiar, but sometimes misunderstood, figure.
Kuyper: On November 12th, a previous essay’s theme will be revisited as Phillip Morgan discusses the contributions of Abraham Kuyper, a Dutch Reformed theologian and politician. Though Kuyper represented a distinct brand of Reformed thought in some senses, it is a brand that has had tremendous influence in America.
Lewis: On November 19, Matt Bracey will explore the impact of C.S. Lewis by exploring in particular the first 30 years of his life. Lewis has been claimed by Catholics, Protestants, and countless movements within those traditions. How is it that he fits into such a theme month? What relevance does an Anglican writer who has been dead for fifty years have for us today? Matt will help provide some answers to these and related questions.
Schaeffer: Francis Schaeffer, a twentieth century apologist and preacher, will be the subject of Jackson Watts’ essay that concludes our emphasis month. Many are familiar with Schaeffer’s How Should We Then Live? However, Schaeffer’s relevance in the twenty-first century is often challenged. Jackson will address such concerns in his essay.
We hope that you’ll celebrate these figures with us over the course of this month.
November 1, 2012
You guys do a fantastic job. I’m looking forward to this months papers on the Reformation theme.
November 1, 2012
Thanks, Eric. We hope they are instructive and interesting for our readers. I know we’ve certainly benefited from these saints.