Christianity's Dangerous Idea: The Protestant Revolution: A History from the Sixteenth Century to the Twenty-First

by Alister E. McGrath

The "dangerous idea" lying at the heart of Protestantism is that the interpretation of the Bible is each individual's right and responsibility. The spread of this principle has resulted in five hundred years of remarkable innovation and adaptability, but it has also created cultural incoherence and social instability. Without any overarching authority to rein in "wayward" thought, opposing sides on controversial issues can only appeal to the Bible—yet the Bible is open to many diverse interpretations. Christianity's Dangerous Idea is the first book that attempts to define this core element of Protestantism and the religious and cultural dynamic that this dangerous idea unleashed, culminating in the remarkable new developments of the twentieth century.

At a time when Protestants will soon cease to be the predominant faith tradition in the United States, McGrath's landmark reassessment of the movement and its future is well-timed. Replete with helpful modern-day examples that explain the past, McGrath brings to life the Protestant movements and personalities that shaped history and the central Christian idea that continues to dramatically influence world events today.

Genres: History, Church History, Religion, Theology, Christianity, Nonfiction, Christian

560 pages, Hardcover

First published September 25, 2007

About the author

Alister Edgar McGrath is a Northern Irish theologian, priest, intellectual historian, scientist, and Christian apologist. He currently holds the Andreas Idreos Professorship in Science and Religion in the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford, and is Professor of Divinity at Gresham College. He was previously Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at King's College London and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture, Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Oxford, and was principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, until 2005. He is an Anglican priest and is ordained within the Church of England.

Aside from being a faculty member at Oxford, McGrath has also taught at Cambridge University and is a Teaching Fellow at Regent College. McGrath holds three doctorates from the University of Oxford, a DPhil in Molecular Biophysics, a Doctor of Divinity in Theology and a Doctor of Letters in Intellectual History.

McGrath is noted for his work in historical theology, systematic theology, and the relationship between science and religion, as well as his writings on apologetics. He is also known for his opposition to New Atheism and antireligionism and his advocacy of theological critical realism. Among his best-known books are The Twilight of Atheism, The Dawkins Delusion?: Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine, Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life, and A Scientific Theology. He is also the author of a number of popular textbooks on theology.

Reviews

[W. Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I found it well written, reasoned, unbiased (at least, with no obvious agendas that I could discern) and very informative. Not written as a scholarly work, it is a pleasant and thought provoking read for the layperson interested in church history. It is a well referenced survey of the topic, suitable as a foundation from which to launch more serous research if one is so inclined.

His basic premise is that Protestantism, in contrast to Catholicism, does not have a single, defined authority for hermenutics and Biblical interpretation, as is provided by the Pope. It is an interesting perspective, and he does an excellent job of exploring the development of my faith over the last 4 centuries as a result of this significant difference with the church from which it sprang.

He provides a thorough history of the early years of the Reformation, and expands the narrative beyond Martin Luther's contribution to include also those of Zwingli and Calvin, the Anabaptists,and Anglicanism.

Copyrighted in 2007, it is current and relavent to the recent headlines of our world.

Highly recommended.

[Andrea Levin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a former religion major with gaps in her studies, an English and humanities teacher at a public school, and as a member of an interfaith family. My aunt, who self-identifies as a Bible-believing Christian, and I, a Reconstructionist Jew, read it together in a two-person book club, and we both enjoyed it immensely despite our very different personal relationships to the topic. McGrath's writing is engaging. He presents and interprets historical events and theological issues with clarity. After finishing this book, I feel as though I have a solid understanding of the historical development of Protestantism in its various forms and the current trends in its global expansion. I've already used what I have learned from Christianity's Dangerous Idea to enrich the background information that I present on the texts and concepts I teach in my public school classes. I would recommend this book to people who are interested in religion, history, philosophy, politics, and anthropology.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alister McGrath is one of my favorite theologians and this book is a fantastic feast for any who dive into reading it. The first part is a history of the Protestant Reformation up to about 1900 which reads more or less like a straightforward history book. In the second part he analyzes a number of issues in Protestantism from worship and church government to more surprising topics such as sports and the arts. Finally, in the third section he picks up the historical story from part one, focusing in on Pentecostalism. Pentecostalism began in the early 1900s and by the early 2000s was the most vibrant and largest branch of Protestantism.

I think this would be a great book to read prior to tackling A Secular Age by Charles Taylor. That book blew my mind and was incredibly challenging. McGrath’s book is not easy, but it is much easier than Taylor’s. The two books cover similar periods and complement each other well. McGrath’s is more straight up history with some theology. His final emphasis, in part three, is the rise of Pentecostalism. Taylor’s emphasis is to examine how unbelief, nearly unheard of in 1500, became alive option. Though with different emphases, I think reading McGrath’s first could be helpful.

The “dangerous idea” McGrath speaks of is the idea that the Bible can be interpreted by the common person. So anyone can read and interpret the Bible, not just the church leaders. Along with this was the Protestant idea of “priesthood of all believers” which, again, emphasizes that all Christians are equal and those in authority are not automatically deferred to. This idea led to the splintering of denominations in Protestantism, ultimately leading to the Pentecostal churches.

Overall, a fantastic read. If you are a fan of history or theology, check it out.

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong, but not for those who are not well-versed in history

Let me just note that Alister McGrath has taken on a large topic (Protestantism) in Christianity's Dangerous Idea and done about as well as one can in organizing the information and presenting it in a cogent and readable fashion.

McGrath assumes that you already know a lot about history in general and about the last 500 years or so in particular. That is to be expected. If he had to explain every last detail this book it would have to have been 3,000 pages rather than the already hefty 478 pages of text plus 50+ pages of endnotes...

Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/...

[Malcolm Dyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and clear analysis of the rise and development of Protestantism from the sixteenth century through to our own day. Good to see that McGrath has included the worldwide growth of Pentecostalism within its orbit. McGrath offers a broad understanding of what Protestantism is and how it works. Thoroughly recommend this book if you are interested in religion in general or Protestantism in particular.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

No one can fault McGrath's research - deep, broad and painstaking - or his erudite yet effective prose. However, he gives short shrift to the wider implications of Reformed Christianity, developing a too-narrow focus. Much of his research is wasted as he jumps to a hasty conclusion.

[David Bruyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful and clear summary of how Scripture interpreting Scripture explains both the success and the failures of Protestantism. Interesting and possibly over-sympathetic section on the rise of Pentecostalism.

[Neil Kruger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two of Protestantism's distinguishing marks are: (1) The Priesthood of Believers; and (2) Sola Scriptura - The Bible has the highest and primary authority. Taken together these marks imply that any believer has the ability to interpret the Scriptures. This is Christianity's dangerous idea. McGrath explores how this idea, coupled with the Protestant tendency to reformulate and self-examine, contributes to the spread and fragmentation of Protestantism. This is all weaved into a readable and insightful narrative.

[Jarrod Dillon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wordy

It is great most of the time. But then for some reason he keeps going. Each chapter is about 6-7 pages too many. I can understand why he had to do this. Protestantism is so large and you don’t want to leave anyone out.

[Mary Vogelsong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book covers a vast history and incorporates complex ideas in a most accessible way.

[Caleb Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give it 3.66666666666666666667, TBH.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Exceptionally informative. Solid analysis. I think I would have *really* liked it, except the topic was too broad to have summoned my deeper loyalties. He acknowledges this exact issue, that most "Protestants" would be unsatisfied with merely being identified as such--we all also prefer more particular labels. Protestant Liberals don't want to be identified with Fundamentalist Evangelicals; they probably regard them as "the other" (those against whom their identity is shaped)--yet they are both "Protestant." And similarly with Fundamentalist Evangelicals toward Liberal Protestants. For me as a Conservative Evangelical (also Reformed Arminian, Baptistic, etc.), I consider myself Protestant, but there are those within Protestantism that I consider as much a part of the "other" as I do this historic "other": Catholicism. Maybe more so. The temptation might be to try to disqualify those "others" from being "Protestant," but such is arguably to abuse the term--to identify the label with particular beliefs of particular early "Protestants." McGrath provides good argument against that temptation. But the book (thankfully) never asks us to transcend our deeper, more specific commitments in order to have a broader loyalty to this thing called "Protestantism." McGrath is ever the good historian. To the extent that we have identified ourselves with both "Protestant" and with something narrower or more specific, we have probably merged the two in our thinking, believing the later ("Reformed Baptist" or "Presbyterian" or "Lutheran") to be the idyllic or most legitimate form of the former. McGrath erodes that notion and encourages us to broaden our horizons. It may make someone like me feel small, but it doesn't make me feel different. And sometimes we don't need to be changed--we just need to be reminded how big the world around us really is. I most often read Church history because I want to understand my own tradition more fully. But it's easy to remain ignorant of ideas outside my own tradition. I am often alarmed at how small our echo chambers can be--how much of our reading can be restricted to those we have some fundamental agreement with; or worse, only reading authors who recommend each other's books. McGrath (though I hardly regard him as an "other" to my own camp) is helpful in that he writes with considerable knowledge and fairness about Protestantism(s) far from my own: theologically, historically, geographically. So I found this book very helpful, and I would very much recommend it, though I will limit my rating to simply say that "I liked it."

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

McGrath's treatment on the history of Protestantism is convoluted. At one point he seems to follow the logical progression of the history of Protestantism from the Reformation henceforth as a dynamic outflow of complex features in a balanced way; at another point he seem to look back in hindsight with anachronistic sociological systems, and project such constructs - such as social Darwinism, Marxism, and Weberian philosophical ideologies - onto the evolution of Protestantism. This is a seriously misguided way to view history. It is ultimately anachronistic, and it only serves as an improper way to interpret history using a flawed scope. Hence, my review of McGrath is mixed.

The first two-hundred pages, of the five-hundred page book, are brilliant. McGrath weighs both sides of the historical scheme, as interpreted throughout history, and takes a balanced fair perspective, offering fresh insight into the history of the Protestant Reformation and it's consequences. The last few hundred pages are extremely moot, albeit in fairness to McGrath, he did set out to write a 'new history' of the reformation, and with such a project, it's always going to be under high scrutiny. Even still, McGrath begins to become redundant and repetitious, stating the same exact points over and over again within the same forty pages or so. His numerous references to Max Weber's sociological and philosophical scope or ideas is not in the least bit troubling in comparison to his seemingly libertarian obligation to infringe Darwinian ideals into the history of splintering Pentecostal factions. I understand that McGrath is a biologist -but seriously...The innumerable references become overwhelmingly superfluous and irritating for the reader given the fact that they are naively misguided.

In short, McGrath's Christianity's Dangerous Idea is well written in one sense, and frantically and spuriously written in other. The book itself is divided into three sections. My suggestion would be to pick this book up and read the entire first section (the first 200 pages or so), and throw out the rest.

Brent McCulley (11/3/13)

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book a couple of years ago and have already read McGrath's The Passionate Intellect and his biography of C.S. Lewis. McGrath is a historian, biochemist and Christian theologian from Belfast, Northern Ireland. A one time atheist and professor at Oxford University, he is now a Christian and holds the Chair in theology, ministry, and education at the University of London.

I like reading his books because he is committed to challenging Christians to use their minds and intellects to explore and affirm their faith. While I don't agree with him in all areas, such as his stance on evolution and certain Biblical truths he seems vague on, his work is well-researched and reflects his own commitment to making reasonable and intelligent arguments concerning the Christian faith.

Christianity's Dangerous Idea is a historical account of the origins of Protestantism, its spread throughout Europe, America and eventually the world, its development and adaptation to change and its current cultural face as it exists today.

He starts with the Reformation with Luther and Calvin and meticulously traces their beliefs, comparing and contrasting it with the prevalent Catholic theology and its turbulent spread across Europe, including heretical break offs. He also explains the separate but contemporary development of the Anglican church under Henry VIII in England and its own struggles between the state church and Puritanism, Puritanism being the branch of Reformed theology that traveled from Geneva under Calvin to Scotland via John Knox.

For the entire review cut and paste the following link to my blog post:

http://sharonhenning.blogspot.com/201...

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alister McGrath is an Emeritus Andrew’s Idreos Professor of Science and Religion and a former Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Oxford. He has written over 50 books and numerous articles on Historical Theology, Theology and Natural Sciences, and critiquing the writings of scientist Richard Dawkins. He is also an Anglican Priest. Typically, a book about Christian History and/or the Protestant Reformation, looks at the historicity of events, how these events relate to one another, and the historical figures of the time. Martin Luther believed that a Bible translated in the vernacular was capable of being read and understood by the average person, this is the dangerous idea.
McGrath defines the Protestant movement as a “ micro organism: capable of rapid mutation and adaptation in response to changing environment, while still maintaining continuity with its earlier forms.” (4) He believes a new study is required because:
o The social and economic consequences have not been given enough consideration.
o The European Christian Church prior to the 1500s was never really studied from an unbiased point of view.
o Traditionally, “Protestantism” and “reformation” have been used interchangeably when in fact they are quite different.
o Many scholars have been biased in their portrayal of key historical figures and their impact on society,
o The nature of Protestantism has changed rapidly in the last 70 years.

McGrath’s analysis is unique in that he chose not only to consolidate some of the more popular publications on the historicity of the events leading up to the Protestant Reformation, he focused on the contributing sociological, and economic factors, and followed the progress of Protestantism through until the twenty-first century. His book is divided into three parts. Part one, Origination, examines the social and economic factors which contributed to the Protestant Reformation. Part two, Manifestation, examines the beliefs, the culture, and the spread of Protestantism, as well as some modern-day debates including participation in sports, the performing arts, and evolution. The third part, Transformation, examines Protestantism from an American perspective, Pentecostalism, and the global implications that have come about as a result of this fast-growing movement.
McGrath was thorough in his analysis of other scholarly works. He endeavoured to give an even and fair assessment of the events and people involved. For example, most historians portray Martin Luther as a combative friar who was brazen enough to challenge the church with his 95 Theses. McGrath, on the other hand, depicts Luther as a deeply religious intellectual, who was not out to change the world. In fact, Luther wished to remain with the Catholic Church, and tried to work with other reformers to reach a consensus.
Part 2 of McGrath’s book contains some thought-provoking insights: A new idea emerged about an individual relationship with God which is personal and intimate. The doctrine of justification by grace support this idea however, this relationship with God doesn’t place any importance on corporate prayer and worship. As John Calvin said “You cannot have God as your father unless you have the church for your mother.“ (252)
Capitalism is an economic consequence of Protestantism which flourished in North America. Traditionally, wealthy Catholics thought of work as something beneath them. For the hard-working bourgeoisie class, amassing wealth and possessions was discouraged and seen as a sin, two incompatible beliefs. Protestantism, encouraged hard work and the amassing of capital was a logical byproduct. McGrath quotes sociologist Steve Bruce who noted that “a free-market capitalism explains why Americans are rich and free-market religion explains why Americans go to church.” (256) McGrath also discusses the hypothesis that free-market capitalism contributed to urban poverty and a movement called the Social Gospel which challenges Protestants to help care for the poor.
McGrath devotes a chapter to the different denominations within Protestantism which does not enrich the discussion of the social and economic aspects of the faith. He repeatedly asserts that the structure of Protestantism allows the church to adapt to ever-changing societal norms. It’s this adaptability that today’s Christian finds enticing. A deeper exploration of this thesis would have been beneficial. Is the author referring to superficial adjustments such as the style of music to suit the culture? Is McGrath referring to matters of doctrine? Is it appropriate for doctrine to change? Examples include the ordination of homosexuals (348) and women (343).
The final third of the book examines Protestantism on a global scale. McGrath discusses how denominations are eroding and no longer seen as important. What people look for now is a church with programming that meets their needs such as childcare, a youth ministry, or senior socials. They also look for an excellent pastor with strong leadership abilities. Community churches are a response to the displeasure towards traditional denominations. The community church can govern the way it deems fit which allows the church to meet the needs of their congregation, support missions that align with their philosophies, and give back to their community. An ecclesiastical hierarchy with high overhead costs and unnecessary bureaucratic regulations are no longer necessary.
An exception to the eroding denominations is Pentecostalism which is the fastest-growing denomination at a half-billion members. This spirit-led, charismatic movement has allowed missionaries to establish churches world-wide. McGrath examines how this feat was accomplished in only 100 years. He points out that contrary to popular belief, colonialism is not maintaining the protestant religions in Africa. In fact, once colonialism was removed, it allowed for the different churches to adopt and add some of their own cultural traditions and flavour to make their church their own. (443)
Overall, the book was well laid out, and provided clear and logical arguments which he unpacked with well researched evidence. More than once, McGrath pointed to an economic or sociological concept that caused this reader to pause and wonder “why have I never make this connection?” Christianity’s Dangerous Idea is suitable for university students studying history or religion, as well as the curious Protestant who simply wants to learn more about the history of their faith.

[Paul Kurtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I guess there is good reason for reading books more than once. I initially gave this book a very negative review in March of 2016. After re-reading it, I think the book was much better than my initial impression.

Part 1 of the book provided a very interesting history of Protestantism. I thought the thesis, however, that "the dangerous new idea, firmly embodied at the heart of the Protestant revolution, was that all Christians have the right to interpret the Bible for themselves," is perhaps inadequate.

Much of Protestantism has viewed the Reformation doctrine of sola scriptura in just that way, but I am persuaded that the Reformers themselves did not see it that way. They wanted layman to have access to scripture, but did not intend for everyone to interpret the Bible in his own way apart from the church and from those who have preceded us in the faith. (I would recommend Keith Mathison's book The Shape of Sola Scriptura for a better understanding of this.)

That being said, Protestants do have exactly the problem of disparate interpretations that McGrath describes. As I read the book this time, I had a minor crisis of epistemology. If such God fearing men could come to such different conclusions on the meaning of the same text, how can I know if anything I think I know is true.

Parts 2 and 3 of this book examined distinctive Protestant beliefs, how they shaped and interact with Western culture and where Protestantism seems to be headed in the future. I thought McGrath occasionally got bogged down in minutia, but overall I found these parts to be informative and interesting.

[Alex Strohschein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alister McGrath's book "Christianity's Dangerous Idea: The Protestant Revolution - A History from the Sixteenth Century to the Twenty-First" is an absorbing and illuminating read. McGrath, an Anglican himself, traces the tension that had begun to build up in Europe on the eve of the Reformation. He provides a fascinating history of the various Protestant traditions that trace themselves back from the early years of the Reformation (Lutheranism, Reformed, Anglican, Anabaptist). He compares and contrasts them to one another and to the Catholic Church. He also explores latter movements, especially the Pentecostal phenomenon of the 20th century. He discusses the structure and worship styles of Protestants as well as their missional activities and Protestantism's relationship to culture, the arts and the sciences. This is an incredibly rewarding book to read.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good synopsis of Protestantism's 500-year history. The only deficiency is the author focuses too much on Anglo-Protestant movements after the 17th century. Greatest strength of the book is the analysis of Protestantism greatest idea and greatest threat: how does one claim the authority of correct Biblical interpretation when final authority is vested in the text to be interpreted.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book deserves 3.5 stars - a 4 is probably too high, but 3 is certainly too low. I would definitely recommend it to anyone seeking to better understand Protestantism. McGrath does an excellent job balancing history, sociology, and theology throughout the book. I came away with a better understanding of denominational differences (both doctrinal and historical) and similarities.

[Auntie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided that I am not going to treat this book as all others. It is a fantastic history of movements in the church in relation to the interpretation of the Bible. It's going on my reference shelf for future consulting.

[Archadams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read. This is a history of the church from the reformation until now. Alister McGrath explores how delivering the gospel to common people freed Christianity to be what it was meant to be.

[Stuart Bobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

What:
========
The idea that individuals are competent to understand and apply the Bible to themselves and their world is an explosive idea. The Protestant norm of being ready to revisit and reconsider nearly any church position - based only on scripture, not tradition - has led to some amazing changes in our world. These, combined with no universal magesterium means there is no single arbiter of orthodoxy. We've had 500 years to see the pros and cons of that.

This book provides a very detailed history of Protestantism in its many variations from the Reformation through modern day.

Some chapters are more engaging and accessible to the non-academic reader than others but nothing here is too dense to read. McGrath is clearly a scholar but shows an ability to write for a more general audience.

Some High Points:
===============
The history of the reformation is filled with some difficult realities and none of those are brushed over, though the book has goals that go well beyond simply providing history. McGrath wants us to see the full impact of Protestant ideas and to realize there is no simple thing as a commonly agreed upon "Protestant" ideology, even though there are many common themes.

There were a number of new realizations for me. As an example, I was unaware how uninterested the early reformers were in foreign missions. They didn't see the great commission as extending beyond the apostles to themselves. Obviously, most Protestants have changed their mind entirely on that in the last 150 years.

The discussion of the recent impact of Pentecostals world wide is also far greater than I was aware of.

Reasons to Read:
=============
You will get a clear picture of the history of the reformation - much more detailed and complete than anything any particular denomination is ready to share (or own up to). For instance, I don't think any of the traditions responsible discuss their (often, murderous) treatment of anabaptists, as an example. The root of why there are so many denominations in Protestantism and why they have splintered so often gets covered well. This is one of a couple of books that thoroughly answer the question: "why are there so many protestant groups today?".

The role of government and some of the drivers of United States church/state separation are also well handled in this book. The founders fully understood just what mischief comes your way when the State and the Church don't keep a hard line separating them. Each needs protection from the other, at some point.

This history certainly contains a significant focus on USA Protestantism, but you will get a clear view as to what a narrow part of the entire reformation is represented by Puritan and Separatist traditions.

If you come from a Roman Catholic or Orthodox perspective, this is a well balanced view of Protestant history and viewpoints, it is likely informative and you won't feel attacked.

Reasons to Skip:
============
This is not a history of Christianity. The focus is on Protestants. A full history of Christianity and theology is not the scope of this book. Instead, check out Roger Olson's "The Story of Christian Theology : Twenty Centuries of Tradition & Reform" for a broader scope.

Some sections on church structure and administration were not as interesting to me, but they belong in the scope of this book since who is in charge is always a critical issue. For any reader, there is likely to be a chapter or two that doesn't hold your interest. You're going to get a balanced view of this journey, whether that is what you want or not!

If you are content with a US centric, Puritan shaped view of the Protestant Christianity, this book is likely to present you with some uncomfortable historical truths to wrestle with.

[Frank Peters · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have not given this book a high rating, and this needs an explanation. The book itself is significant in both length and scope and is clearly the result of an enormous amount of work. The author also has some interesting analysis and insights. In many respects, this should be sufficient for a high rating. But I did not like the book and often found myself irritating during my reading. While I was usually learning something while reading the book, there were a few times where I knew considerably more than what the author included and was disturbed by what was written. I am not intending the next comment to be an accusation, but it felt as if the author was intentionally deceitful given that he knows an awful lot more about Christian history than I do.

My first example is the early stages of the Reformation. The author spent a huge amount of text discussing Luther, Zwingli, Calvin and Anglicanism, but when discussing Anabaptists only included those who were evil and radical who have never been accepted by Anabaptist scholars. Thus, for example, the whole Münster rebellion was included, but Felix Manz, Michael Sattler and the Mennonites were ignored. The drowning of the Anabaptists by Zwingli was almost mentioned, except the author chose not to include that those drowned were Anabaptists. I found myself irritated, that the author was willing to write about Calvin from a Calvinist perspective, Luther from a Lutheran perspective, and Anglicanism from his Anglican perspective, but chose to describe Anabaptists from the perspective of those who hated, persecuted and killed them. This was far from balanced and seemed unprofessional. The book therefore felt like the case of the victor writing the history as they wanted it to be remembered.

My second example is rather trivial in comparison. One chapter looked at how fiction and novels developed in Protestantism. This seemed superficial as the author jumped from Robinson Crusoe to C.S. Lewis. The author even mentioned how Lewis was influenced by MacDonald, without acknowledging that MacDonald was a Protestant Christian writer of novels. I found this rather bizarre. It felt like the author was getting tired and wanted to wrap up the chapter quickly (after all no one will complain about C.S. Lewis).

My last complaint is more about me than the author. The book chose to walk a careful path that tried to keep everyone happy. Thus, the author acknowledges “liberal” movements within the church that are dispensing on historical understandings of what the bible says but offers no criticism of such movements. The implication is this is a very reasonable trajectory for Protestantism. My guess is this was done on purpose to give the book a wider readership in universities. Unfortunately for me as a conservative, I found this highly troubling.

[Golden Hat Mick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I do not identify as a Christian, or as a religious person of any kind, so my interest in this book was actually based off the title initially. I believed it to be a history of the Protestant Revolution from a secular lens, but I was not deterred upon discovering it actually falls more into a theology category. In years past, I have made attempts at religion, and theology remains interesting to me even now. I have always been a fan of C.S. Lewis, and it's clear Alister McGrath shares that quality with me.

So the shortcomings I found with the book have nothing to do with my personal background. History is history, and much of the material provided in this book is insightful and informative. Furthermore, I really appreciated McGrath's gentle tone. While he may be a self-professed Christianity apologist, much like C.S. Lewis before him, there is nothing preachy or condemning in his words. He does a great job of presenting the facts as a bystander, only occasionally inserting an opinion here and there, and often those were opinions I agreed with.

But this is nothing exceptional if you aren't a big history buff or a religion major. I had to redirect my focus multiple times in almost every chapter. I think this is to be expected when you're reading nonfiction that doesn't grab you at your core, so I'm not penalizing the author with my rating. He did a fine job, and this is a fine overview of the Protestant Reformation with some interesting speculation on what will become of the religion in the future. I guess the material just really isn't interesting enough for me.

[Bennjamin]

McGrath has a broad grasp, he wrote about natural theology, about Einstein, he wrote a study on Justification that was absolutely dazzling... He's like the Anthony Thiselton in terms of theological depth, But his view is also profoundly informed by the sciences and by history. McGrath writes from a place of profound insight.

This book is a McGrath favorite because he connects so many dots. My opinion on Calvinisme got more positive because of reading his account of it, for instance. Calvin didn't really want governments to 'be christian', this was more of an intellectual position of Calvin, not a political vision - and God works directly in the governmental institutions anyway (so Calvin really follows the Augustinian perspective). The book is full of fine remarks. You will learn a lot about Europe, but also Great Britain and the history of protestantism in the United States.

[Brian Ferry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some wonder if the fragmentation of Christianity from the time of the reformation stems from one theme. In this surprisingly fair-minded evaluation of the reformation events, Alister McGrath does just that when he identifies it to be the ideology of personal interpretation of Scripture. McGrath is an Anglican priest and the chair of theology at the University of London.

[Adam Kareus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well written and engaging historical and evaluating look at Protestantism. While I don’t agree with all of Alister McGrath’s conclusions (and some analysis I have heard seem to contradict some of his claims) I appreciated his work and carrying of his thesis through the book.

[Joshua Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is among the best summative histories of the Protestant Church.

[Minister Jane Trivigno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Reference into the Protestant Reformation!

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of Protestantism. A little dated, but still informative