Great Voices of the Reformation

by Harry Emerson Fosdick

In this stimulating anthology an outstanding Protestant spokesman--Henry Emerson Fosdick, Minister Emeritus of Riverside Church in NY--has assembled the great voices of the emergent Protestant faith.
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
John Wycliffe --
John Huss --
Martin Luther --
Philip Melanchthon --
Huldreich Zwingli --
John Calvin --
John Knox --
The Anabaptists --
Richard Hooker --
Cotton Mather --
Jeremy Taylor --
Roger Williams --
Edward Hart --
George Fox --
John Woolman --
John Wesley
Epilogue

Genres: Theology, History, Church History, Nonfiction

576 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Harry Emerson Fosdick was an American clergyman. He was born in Buffalo, New York. He graduated from Colgate University in 1900, and Union Theological Seminary in 1904. While attending Colgate University he joined the Delta Upsilon Fraternity. He was ordained a Baptist minister in 1903. Fosdick was the most prominent liberal Baptist minister of the early 20th Century. Although a Baptist, he was Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church on West Twelfth Street and then at the historic, interdenominational Riverside Church (the congregation moved from the then-named Park Avenue Baptist Church, now the Central Presbyterian Church) in New York City.

Reviews

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Containing edited, condensed selections of Reform thinkers, beginning with John Wycliffe and ending with John Wesley, Great Voices of the Reformation provides readers with a good overview of Reform Christianity's development. It was interesting to observe the variant struggles of different generations---sometimes holiness, sometimes governance, sometimes the role of Scripture, and sometimes the desire for revival. An interesting surprise was the lucidity of Cotton Mather. We who have been educated in public schools may have a tendency to view him solely through 21st century values, in the context of the Salem witch trials--a mistake. A surprising disappointment was the shrill, dare I say "holier-than-thou," perspective and modus operendi of George Fox and the early Quakers, whose emphasis on personal revelation prompted them to aggressively disparage and sometimes disrupt Word-based Christians while asserting the superiority of their individual revelations from God. A curiosity for follow-up is John Wycliffe. It can be reasonably argued that the Reformation truly began with him. And, it was also interesting to see that John Wesley never wanted to start a distinct denomination. Rather, his goal was revival within the broad-based Church of England.

This is a good book to enjoy a introductory sprinkling of Reform authors, for further pursuit in personal study.

[Jaymie Starr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful tool in teaching the history of the church- excerpts from Wycliffe's original Bible. Tremendously informative about each of the major reformers & their lives.