Getting the Reformation Wrong

Getting the Reformation wrong is a common problem.Most students of history know that Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the Wittenberg Church door and that John Calvin penned the Institutes of the Christian Religion. However, the Reformation did not unfold in the straightforward, monolithic fashion some may think. It was, in fact, quite a messy affair. Using the most current Reformation scholarship, James R. Payton exposes, challenges and corrects some common misrepresentations of the Reformation. Getting the Reformation Wrong:

- places the Reformation in the context of medieval and Renaissance reform efforts
- analyzes conflicts among the Reformers
- corrects common misunderstandings of what the Reformers meant by sola fide and sola Scriptura
- examines how the Anabaptist movement fits in with the magisterial Reformation
- critiques the post-Reformational move to Protestant Scholasticism
- explores how the fresh perspective on the Reformation could make a difference in today's churches

James R. Payton Jr. (Ph.D., University of Waterloo, Canada) is a professor of history at Redeemer University College, Ancaster, Ontario, Canada. He has studied, taught and been in dialogue with Eastern Orthodoxy for many years and is the author of a number of articles on Orthodoxy and Protestant-Orthodox relations. Another area of interest for Payton is the Reformation on which he has written many articles and book reviews. Some of his works cover subjects such as John Calvin, Martin Bucer and the influence of the Reformation in Ukraine. He is very involved in ministry to Eastern Europe, serving from 1998-2006 as executive secretary of Christians Associated for Relationships with Eastern Europe, and since 2006 as president.