Reclaiming the Reformation: Christ for You in Community

by Magnus Persson, Bror Erickson (Translation)

What treasures of the Reformation can pastors, Christians, and the church make use of today when trying to navigate burnout and scandal? What should a person look for in a church?

In Reclaiming the Reformation, Magnus Persson examines his own journey from popular preacher where church was a party, to the Lutheran faith and a pastor in the Church of Sweden where he relishes the liturgy nourished by its historic roots. Persson relies heavily on Luther’s book On the Councils and the Church to answer this question and explain his journey.

Originally titled Christ’s Church, On the Marks of the Church – Reclaiming the Reformation shows the influence of Bo Giertz but also draws on many different influences from within and without the Lutheran tradition to explain how everything the church does needs to be focused on communicating Christ crucified for you.

The church does this through the Word, the liturgy, and the sacraments. Through these means the soul is nourished and matured to handle the distress and tribulation with which the world harries the church and her people. Here, true rest is found for the souls of pastors battered by the pressure to be the next biggest church in town before they burnout and check out with scandal.

224 pages, Paperback

Published November 11, 2021

About the author

Magnus Persson är professor i litteraturvetenskap med didaktisk inriktning vid Malmö högskola. Hans forskningsintressen befinner sig i skärningspunkten mellan kulturteori och litteraturdidaktik och han arbetar bl.a. med projekt om passionerade litteraturläsare. Bland Perssons tidigare böcker kan nämnas Den goda boken (2012) och Varför läsa litteratur? (2007)

Reviews

[Nathan Hoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like a marriage vow renewal manual, in Reclaiming the Reformation, Magnus Persson attempts to woo the bride of Christ back from her pragmatic wandering for relevance and her experimental dalliances with the spirit of the age. Persson is spacious without compromise, and particular without parochialism. I found myself repeating, “Amen. Amen! May it be so!” May the solid solas of the Reformation be the fuel, and may the living, breathing, renewing Spirit be the fire that ends up rekindling in us the fire of his love. Looking for one book that clearly and creatively presents reformational Christianity? You found it.

[Kyle Tomlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book! It provides a solid overview of Reformational (Lutheran) theology as guided by the Augsburg Confession, while at the same time addressing some of the challenges facing the Church today, i.e. the "seeker-sensitive" movement and how to understand Pentecostal/charismatic Christianity. It's also written in an accessible and easy-to-read style. It frequently reminded me of the way that Bo Giertz, to whom Persson often refers, wrote. It is undoubtedly a book I will read again. Thank you to Bror Erickson for translating it into English!

[Christopher Raffa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nicely written book that patterns itself off of the six chief parts of Luther's Small Catechism. It could easily be read as part of some post-catechetical readings for the Christian. The one uneasy thing about this book are the neo-Pentecostal leanings of the author. They are few in number, but it is there in some places. Otherwise, this is fantastic book to continue to grow in the catechetical faith of the church.