I'm toying with the idea of some kind of crash course on Reformation theology. The idea to give a taste of what the Reformation was all about; the excitement, the spirituality, and the big ideas. The plan is to read about 4-6 short original works (e.g. Luther's The Freedom of the Christian), perhaps with Reeves' The Unquenchable Flame as a secondary source.
I've got a few ideas, but would be interested if you have any recommendations. In particular I'm trying to work out a section of Calvin's Institutes to include. What's your favourite 40ish pages of the Institutes?
Two rules:
- Short, but enough to get your teeth into (about 40 pages?)
- Exciting, challenging and heart-warming. Not boring!
More general criteria:
- public domain if possible
- self-contained pieces
- representative range of authors (anything by Cramner or other minor Reformers I may not have read? Anything by a Catholic you can think of? [I can only think of Sadoleto's letter to Geneva])
- representative range of topics (not just justification)
If I had to pick just two pages of Calvin I'd take the first two pages on prayer... or the start of The Way We Receive The Grace Of Christ, or a bit of the Scripture section.
ReplyDeleteI'd suggest having a confession or catechism in there. Probably Heidelberg.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your suggestions guys. I appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteI'll let you know what I end up with.