About

Our History

Over thirty years ago Modern Reformation began as a little bulletin, produced from the dorm room of founding editor, Dr. Michael Horton. Along with the original members of CURE (Christians United for Reformation), Dr. Horton began providing resources to aid the American church in recovering and proclaiming the gospel, aptly summarized in the five solas of the Reformation. They wanted to see a modern reformation.

Since its first print edition in January of 1992, Modern Reformation has established a legacy of thoughtfully engaging at the intersection of theology and culture. It has carried the torch for what we like to call theological thinking.

The Magazine

The characteristics of the theological thinking that MR continues to model include: theological retrieval, whereby we learn to listen to the wisdom of the past (Ps. 78:1-4; Heb. 13:7); theological conversation, where we consider, probe, examine from varying perspectives in order to prove what is excellent and grow in our discernment (Prov. 11:4; 18:17; Phil. 1:10); and theological engagement with the goodness, the perplexities, the agonies of our time and place (Jude 3 and Matt. 5:13ff). By engaging in these efforts, MR seeks to persuade readers that the truths of the Christian faith, and the particular insights of the confessional reformation traditions, matter greatly.

Our print magazine embodies these characteristics through its design.

  • The elegance and simplicity of its look, channeling the magazine’s intellectual heritage while also maintaining its relevance for today.
  • Its four main sections—Retrieve, Converse, Persuade, Engage—advancing our mission of helping the church to think theologically.
  • The larger size of the magazine and wide margins, facilitating a focused and mindful reading experience.

Our magazine features a diverse representation of thinking theologically through:

  • Essays on matters of theology, history, the arts, and culture.
  • Exegetical Studies of sacred scripture.
  • Poetry that trains the mind to explore new realms.
  • Historical Outtakes, which consist of snapshots of key figures and events, sometimes humorous, sometimes sobering, always entertaining.
  • Translations of historical Protestant texts that have never before been translated into English.
  • Book previews and reviews, engaging the significant publications of our day.

Looking to write for MR?

MR is happy to accept manuscript submissions for both print and web publications.

“Modern Reformation has championed confessional Reformation theology in an anti-confessional and anti-theological age.”

Picture of J. Ligon Duncan, IIIJ. Ligon Duncan, IIISenior Minister, First Presbyterian Church
Magazine Covers; Embodiment & Technology