-
Discussion Board Initial Post – Josh Cougle
Discuss the impact of the Reformation on the development of modern Christianity:
After its birth, the Reformation was one of the most significant events in the history of the Church. After taking Church History 501 and now 502, I see again how it’s almost impossible to overstate this.
The rapid growth of Christianity had brought with it a lot of power and money, and the Roman Catholic Church was not only benefiting from this, but was actively ensuring that it would continue to do so. It did this through manipulation of countries and rulers, bending of rules to influence wars and determine who did and didn’t have power, and using their status as God’s representatives on earth to take advantage of the people they were called to protect and equip. When Luther nailed his 95 theses, the Church was in desperate need of reformation. However, instead of working to reform the Church, a wedge was driven that spawned a new, Bible focused and reform-minded Church and drove the Catholic Church further into its own quest for uniqueness. The Reformation and Counter Reformation left us with two distinct and unique church movements that are still at odds today. Unfortunately, the Reformation’s quest to reform the church also led to the formation of thousands of denominations, each attempting to carry out the desire of Scripture while finding themselves at odds with interpretations of other movements. Today, the Roman Catholic Church is bound by the authority of tradition and many other practices that the Counter Reformation highlighted, and the Protestant church continues to experience the same splintering that became common following the Reformation. The principles of the Reformation still guide the majority of the Protestant church however, the 5 Solas and the consistent need for self-examination. It should also be noted, that even in my own denomination, the Reformed and non-Reformed groups have sizable impact and adherents, and this is a direct result of the Protestant Reformation.
It should also be noted that the Reformation made way for a lot of political, social, and educational advancements that rapidly moved our culture and opened doors for Christians to be involved in great achievements.
From my own perspective, my denomination stands as a direct beneficiary of Luther, Calvin and others’ work to bring back the Church to what was intended of her. This summer at our national convention, people are hoping for continued Reform, and the Bible stands as our ultimate authority as we address the changing face of our culture and how we need to examine ourselves to meet it.