The Five Solas of the Reformation: with Appendices

by Douglas Van Dorn

The 500th anniversary of the Reformation occurred in 2017. It was October 31, 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Thesis to the door of the great cathedral at Wittenberg, Germany. He had no idea what that simple act would do. His bold proclamation and challenge to for Rome to reform her ways and beliefs was met with hostility from some and great sympathy from others. Out of this sympathy arose Protestantism, a movement deeply concerned with grounding all things on Holy Scripture, giving glory to God alone, and recovering for that generation the biblical gospel of Jesus Christ. In five chapters, Doug Van Dorn takes us back to these ancient catch-phrases that once moved a continent. Scripture Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone, and To God Be the Glory Alone became the rallying cry of all who longed to see men and women, boys and girls saved and set free from sin, death, and the devil. The end of the book contains four helpful Appendices on songs, Church Fathers on the solas, a bibliography for further research, and a letter from Martin Luther.

Genres: Theology

200 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2019

Reviews

[Joel Wiedrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clearly written, well reasoned reformation responses from church history. Especially enjoyable was the chapter on "Faith Alone." Will likely reference this book in the future.

[Ricky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short review- Very good book of 5 sermons on each of the 5 Solas. The appendixes at the end offer a lot of extra content that is also very useful and edifying. Highly recommended for anyone wishing to understand the reformed faith more deeply and clearly.

[Kristin Nare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each of the Solas is broken down into manageable chunks and is well explained. I especially appreciated the chapter on Sola Fide, clarifying what faith actually IS, a subject I have found to be rather nebulous at times in my life. I also really appreciated the quotes in the back by various early (and later) church fathers and leaders on each of the Solas, and the section on Solas in song.

[Rhiannon 🤍✨🐀 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not opposed to theological reads however this one felt like the entire start was a dig on Catholicism and ransacked into very at times boring sermons that made 136 pages almost unbearable to read. I’m nondenominational so maybe being a Lutheran would help one to find this more captivating but time spent working through this book I would’ve rather put towards my actual Bible study.

[William Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful primer on the five solas and reformed theology,