In 2008, Mark A. Noll and Carolyn Nystrom published the controversial book Is the Reformation Over? An Evangelical Assessment of Contemporary Roman Catholicism (Baker Academic). The year before, in 2007, the president of the Evangelical Theological Society, Francis Beckwith, converted to Roman Catholicism, and the evangelical world continued to debate “Evangelicals and Catholics Together” initiatives of the mid-1990s. Ever since, Noll and Nystrom’s book has spawned a small catalogue of responses and extended discussions under the same title, including an issue of Modern Reformation magazine (Vol. 22, Issue 1, 2013) and twenty-plus episodes of the White Horse Inn. This anniversary year, there are a variety of fascinating publications taking stock after five hundred years of the Reformation legacy, continuing the conversation for a modern reformation of the church. Here are a few recommended titles:
Evangelical
Why the Reformation Still Matters
By Michael Reeves and Tim Chester
Crossway, 2016
According to Michael Horton, “This is a warm, pastoral, and rigorous defense of the central claims of the Reformation” from the perspective of the Anabaptist/Baptist tradition that “recognizes important differences with the magisterial Reformers.”
Reformed
The Legacy of Luther
By R.C. Sproul and Stephen J. Nichols
Reformation Trust, 2016
A collection of essays from trustworthy evangelical and Reformed pastors and leaders, exploring Luther’s life, theology, and legacy.
Luther on the Christian Life: Cross and Freedom
By Carl Trueman
Crossway, 2015
An overview of Luther’s historical context, theological system, and approach to the Christian life.
Academic
Protestantism after 500 Years
Edited by Thomas Albert Howard and Mark A. Noll
Oxford University Press, 2016
Leading historians assess the Reformation and the state of scholarship from a variety of perspectives. The essays are challenging, and some are quite controversial, including contributions from Roman Catholic historians (and critics) of the Reformation.
Theology
Reformation Theology: A Systematic Summary
Edited by Matthew Barrett
Crossway, 2017
A summary of key doctrines of the Reformation with contributions from leading evangelical and Reformed scholars.
