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The
Ninety-Five Theses published as a
pamphlet in 1517.
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Forget
about Halloween, this Tuesday marks the 500th anniversary of the
Protestant Reformation when Martin Luther, as the legend goes, nailed his 95
theses against indulgences to the doors of the Castle Church at Wittenberg. A
perfect day to read something about the Reformation.
There
are some first-rate books on the Reformation for those interested. I am
currently reading Alec Ryrie’s new book, Protestants:
The Radicals Who Made The Modern World (2017). A sweeping introduction to
Protestantism in all its weird and wonderful forms from the Reformation to the
present day.
Without
a doubt, the best single volume work on the Reformation is Diarmaid MacCulloch’s
Reformation: Europe’s House Divided 1490–1700
(2003). MacCulloch’s study is both readable and scholarly – an outstanding
introduction to the European Reformation.
In
terms of intellectual history, Alister McGrath’s Reformation Thought, 4th ed. (2012) offers a judicious summary
of the theology and philosophy at the back of the Reformation. His work on the
doctrine of justification by faith is particularly excellent.
If
these studies appear a little daunting, you may enjoy reading The Unquenchable Flame: Introducing the Reformation (2009) by
Michael Reeves – a real page-turner. On a more scholarly note, The Reformation: A Very Short Introduction
(2009) by Peter Marshall is an excellent introduction for students.
However,
if you are looking for a real Reformation thriller with a touch of hagiography,
Rowland Bainton’s Here I Stand: Martin
Luther (1950) is a classic.