Arguments against the Reformation

Milkman
Milkman Member Posts: 4,880 ✭✭✭

This is not up fore discussion. Just to put that out there.

I'm coming from a Reformed Baptist stance.

I'm looking for resources that argue against the 'validity' of the Reformation. I want to test my "firm theological foundation." (you saints of the Lord).

My library is weighted in favour of the Reformation, but weak in arguments, historically and theologically against it.

My first preference would be resources in Logos but anything outside is fine as well.

mm.

Best Answer

Comments

  • Aaron Hamilton
    Aaron Hamilton Member, MVP Posts: 1,331

    It may be helpful to identify more specifically what you'd like to focus on. I'm not sure that any book could successfully argue against the validity of the Reformation as a whole, which encompasses a massive and multifaceted religious and political movement. But focusing on one or more specific aspects or consequences of the Reformation could yield a very interesting and engaging study.

  • Mark Allison
    Mark Allison Member Posts: 765 ✭✭✭

    You might want to see if there are any books on the Reformation from an Orthodox perspective.
    It's not in Logos yet, but I've just submitted a request for this resource:

    https://community.logos.com/discussion/245261/rock-and-sand-an-orthodox-appraisal-of-the-protestant-reformers-and-their-teachings/p1?new=1

    (I don't know why my links aren't active. I add a space after the URL, and that works when I'm in the Feedback forums, but not here).

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith MVP Posts: 54,494
    Answer ✓

    @Milkman

    I'm looking for resources that argue against the 'validity' of the Reformation. I want to test my "firm theological foundation." (you saints of the Lord).

    There are two questions here with very different answers: (a) was a reformation needed in the Western Church especially in the Germanic region and (b) was the reformation that occurred the corrective that was needed or something "new" in a negative sense? Mark Allison gave you a solid start on the latter question which is the question under the most dispute.

    https://orthodoxbridge.com/2018/11/09/orthodoxys-official-response-to-calvinism-the-confession-of-dositheus-1673/

    https://orthodoxbridge.com/2012/08/12/plucking-the-tulip-1-an-orthodox-critique-of-the-reformed-doctrine-of-predestination/

    These are from a website that explicitly studies the Calvinistic and Lutheran sides of the issue. Beyond knowing this website, Calvin is outside my area of expertise.

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

  • DAL
    DAL Member Posts: 10,813 ✭✭✭

    Maybe since you came over from Accordance they still have you under the 3 month trial period 😂😂😂 J/K

    I have found that if I edit my post, the link or any other link I add becomes inactive for some reason. It doesn’t happen all the time but it does happen.

  • NichtnurBibelleser
    NichtnurBibelleser Member Posts: 446 ✭✭✭

    The beauty oft the Catholic Church seen by Peter Kreeft.

  • Donovan R. Palmer
    Donovan R. Palmer Member, MVP Posts: 2,697

    You might consider checking out Rock and Sand - Joshua Trenham

  • Richard Dowdy
    Richard Dowdy Member Posts: 8 ✭✭

    Another historically important counterargument to the reformation is the Confutatio Pontificia of 1530. This was the Catholic response to the Lutheran Augsburg Confession, which was in turn rebutted by the Apology to the Augsburg Confession.

    I don't know of any sources in Logos that contain more than excerpts from it (which is surprising!) but the full document is easy to find on the web.