Skip to main content

Review: Rescuing the Gospel: The Story and Significance of the Reformation by Erwin Lutzer



Review: Rescuing the Gospel: The Story and Significance of the Reformation
Erwin Lutzer
Baker Books
2016

Rescuing the Gospel: The Story and Significance of the ReformationThis is a brief history of the Reformation and primarily the history of the part Martin Luther played.  I can hear those yawns now, but wait a minute.  This book is one that you will not want to put down once you start it.  Lutzer freely admits the book was not his idea, but one that he was encouraged to adopt.  I now understand why this other individual chose to engage him for this project.  Lutzer’s writing style is easy to read and his ability to condense the history of the Reformation period totally amazing.  I had to endure European history in school and maybe you did, too.  This is such a departure from what we remember of that course.  OK, so I like his narrative.  The book also has some illustrations from the period that give it more flavor.  Overall, it’s a good read.  Mostly.
The other reformers you might have heard of---Wycliffe, Hus, Zwingli, Calvin, Knox, Manz, or Bolt get some mention too.  Enough to get the idea.  Probably more than that would have produced what some call a tome.  So OK, I’ll live with that concession to brevity.  Then comes the last chapter which I wish had been left for another book at another time.  Is the Reformation Over? Is the chapter title.  “Brothers and sisters, Luther’s protest is over.  Is yours?” opens the chapter. (187).  

What was an otherwise good read then turns to encourage the reader to identify the threats of ecumenism, particularly ecumenism between the Protestantism and Catholicism.  Yes, there are major issues that still divide the groups.  And probably will for quite a while yet.  “We have to rescue it [the Gospel] from false religions that compete for the allegiance of men and women.” (200).  

Can I recommend this book? A reserved yes for the majority of the work.  Just be aware that the last chapter is coming.  

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a review.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Sex, Jesus, and the Conversations the Church Forgot by Mo Isom

Review: Sex, Jesus, and the Conversations the Church Forgot Mo Isom Baker Books 2018 I picked this one up after I’d seen a video promo by the author, http://moisom.com/sexandjesus#.   Sounded like she had something to say.   She does.   And even if you don’t think it applies to you it does in ways that aren’t necessarily related to sex, but just as a human being with desires.    Isom subscribed to many of the conversations that govern relationships in general, and those with men, for her generation, the millennials.   This book is not her life story, but it does describe some moments that were important to her journey then and now.   Her openness to share those times surprised me.   Her point without spoiling the book is that she had not understood what linked sexual intimacy to ordinary life, the why’s, if you will.   Was it not taught, discussed?   Or was she not interested in hearing might be a valid...

Review: When God’s Ways Make No Sense by Dr. Larry Crabb

Review: When God’s Ways Make No Sense Dr. Larry Crabb Baker Books 2018 I chose this book because the title intrigued me.   When God’s Ways Make No Sense.    There have been plenty of times when that seemed truer than I’d like to admit.   Are we even allowed to say something like that?   Even if we think it.   So, an author willing to take on that topic had my attention. And mostly because I wanted his take on what to do about it? As it turns out Crabb pretty much gave away his case very early on in his book with a single scripture quote.   The basic idea is God is GOD and we are not.   His motives and actions are incomprehensible to mankind and He owes no explanation for them either.   Crabb admits near the end of his book that he is not a theologian which I knew going into this book, but his arguments are theology.   Or at least I think so.   I found his repeated circling the topic a bit frustrating. ...

Review: The World of Jesus: Making Sense of the People and the Places of Jesus’ Day by Dr. William H. Marty

Review: The World of Jesus: Making Sense of the People and the Places of Jesus’ Day Dr. William H. Marty Bethany House Publishers 2013 If you have ever tried to keep track of who is who during the period that is the between the testaments time and afterward you will have a good appreciation for what Dr. Marty has done with this short book.   It’s still like reading a soap opera plot but at least this help keep the characters sorted out.   The political and social changes came fast and frequently back then with the land of the Jews right in the midst of it all.   For me this is a reminder that it was not any easier back then in that region than it is today.    So if you are looking for a place to start an exploration of that period this might be a good overview to pick up first.    This book was provided in exchange for a review by the publisher.