Protestants
Protestants

Author: Alec Ryrie

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2017-04-04

Total Pages: 528

ISBN-13: 0735222819

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On the 500th anniversary of Luther’s theses, a landmark history of the revolutionary faith that shaped the modern world. "Ryrie writes that his aim 'is to persuade you that we cannot understand the modern age without understanding the dynamic history of Protestant Christianity.' To which I reply: Mission accomplished." –Jon Meacham, author of American Lion and Thomas Jefferson Five hundred years ago a stubborn German monk challenged the Pope with a radical vision of what Christianity could be. The revolution he set in motion toppled governments, upended social norms and transformed millions of people's understanding of their relationship with God. In this dazzling history, Alec Ryrie makes the case that we owe many of the rights and freedoms we have cause to take for granted--from free speech to limited government--to our Protestant roots. Fired up by their faith, Protestants have embarked on courageous journeys into the unknown like many rebels and refugees who made their way to our shores. Protestants created America and defined its special brand of entrepreneurial diligence. Some turned to their bibles to justify bold acts of political opposition, others to spurn orthodoxies and insight on their God-given rights. Above all Protestants have fought for their beliefs, establishing a tradition of principled opposition and civil disobedience that is as alive today as it was 500 years ago. In this engrossing and magisterial work, Alec Ryrie makes the case that whether or not you are yourself a Protestant, you live in a world shaped by Protestants.

The End of Protestantism
The End of Protestantism

Author: Peter J. Leithart

Publisher: Brazos Press

Published: 2016-10-18

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 1493405837

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The Failure of Denominationalism and the Future of Christian Unity One of the unforeseen results of the Reformation was the shattering fragmentation of the church. Protestant tribalism was and continues to be a major hindrance to any solution to Christian division and its cultural effects. In this book, influential thinker Peter Leithart critiques American denominationalism in the context of global and historic Christianity, calls for an end to Protestant tribalism, and presents a vision for the future church that transcends post-Reformation divisions. Leithart offers pastors and churches a practical agenda, backed by theological arguments, for pursuing local unity now. Unity in the church will not be a matter of drawing all churches into a single, existing denomination, says Leithart. Returning to Catholicism or Orthodoxy is not the solution. But it is possible to move toward church unity without giving up our convictions about truth. This critique and defense of Protestantism urges readers to preserve and celebrate the central truths recovered in the Reformation while working to heal the wounds of the body of Christ.

Protestantism and Repression
Protestantism and Repression

Author: Rubem A. Alves

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2007-01-22

Total Pages: 253

ISBN-13: 155635200X

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Over the last twenty years, incredible changes have taken place in the Presbyterian Church of Brazil. In 1959, on the occasion of its centennial celebrations, this church was acclaimed as the outstanding success story of Protestantism in Latin America; it was hailed for its vitality and for the role it seemed destined to play in the life of that nation. Today, after fifteen years of domination by a small group of reactionary leaders, it has been decimated. The word 'Presbyterian' now calls to mind the destructiveness of religious fanaticism and repression. In 'Protestantism and Repression' Rubem Alves wrestles with the questions, Why did all this happen? What is there in the structure and logic of what he calls 'Right-Doctrine Protestantism, ' that leads to repression under certain historical conditions? His analysis is thorough; his insights, profound; his conclusions, astonishing. I urge you to read this book: whether you fear that our religious institutions are moving toward repression, or are convinced that it can't happen here. --Richard Shaull, from the Foreword An outstanding and internationally recognized Third World theologian, Rubem Alves has in 'Protestantism and Repression' moved from the devastating analysis of the consumer society articulated in 'A Theology of Human Hope' and 'Tomorrow's Child' to a partly autobiographical critique of the Presbyterian Church of Brazil, a church in which his roots are deeply imbedded. Alves rigorously documents the transformation of Presbyterianism in Brazil from a liberating force to a bulwark of oppression and repression; and he convincingly establishes as the cause of this deterioration what he calls 'the spirit of the Right-Doctrine Protestantism, ' a socially conditioned neofundamentalism that arrogates to itself absolute knowledge and absolute power. As Richard Shaull stresses in an excellent and most informative Foreword, what has happened in Brazil could happen to North American Protestantism. But the lesson is not only for Protestants. The basic issues as defined by Alves are equally pertinent for Roman Catholics both in Latin America and in the Unites States. --Gary MacEoin Rubem Alves was educated at the Campinas Presbyterian Seminary in Brazil, Union Theological Seminary, New York, and Princeton Theological Seminary. A Presbyterian minister and professor at the University of Campinas in Brazil, Alves is the author of What is Religion?

The Future of Mainline Protestantism in America
The Future of Mainline Protestantism in America

Author: James Hudnut-Beumler

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2018-01-09

Total Pages: 163

ISBN-13: 0231545037

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As recently as the 1960s, more than half of all American adults belonged to just a handful of mainline Protestant denominations—Presbyterian, UCC, Disciples of Christ, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, and American Baptist. Presidents, congressmen, judges, business leaders, and other members of the elite overwhelmingly came from such backgrounds. But by 2010, fewer than 13 percent of adults belonged to a mainline Protestant church. What does the twenty-first century hold for this once-hegemonic religious group? In this volume, experts in American religious history and the sociology of religion examine the extraordinary decline of mainline Protestantism over the past half century and assess its future. Contributors discuss the demographics of mainline Protestants; their beliefs, practices, and modes of worship; their political views and partisan affiliations; and the social and moral questions that unite and divide Protestant communities. Other chapters examine Protestant institutions, including providers of health care and education; analyze churches’ public voice; and probe what will come from a diminished role relative to other groups in society, especially the ascendant evangelicals. Far from going extinct, the book argues, the mainline Protestant movement will continue to be a vital remnant in an American religious culture torn between the contending forces of secularism and evangelicalism.

Protestantism in America
Protestantism in America

Author: Randall Balmer

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2005-11-18

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 9780231507691

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As America has become more pluralistic, Protestantism, with its long roots in American history and culture, has hardly remained static. This finely crafted portrait of a remarkably complex group of Christian denominations describes Protestantism's history, constituent subgroups and their activities, and the way in which its dialectic with American culture has shaped such facets of the wider society as healthcare, welfare, labor relations, gender roles, and political discourse. Part I provides an introduction to the religion's essential beliefs, a brief history, and a taxonomy of its primary American varieties. Part II shows the diversity of the tradition with vivid accounts of life and worship in a variety of mainline and evangelical churches. Part III explores the vexed relationship Protestantism maintains with critical social issues, including homosexuality, feminism, and social justice. The appendices include biographical sketches of notable Protestant leaders, a chronology, a glossary, and an annotated list of resources for further study.

Protestantism: A Very Short Introduction
Protestantism: A Very Short Introduction

Author: Mark A. Noll

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2011-08-25

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 0191620130

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Mark A. Noll presents a fresh and accessible history of Protestantism from the era of Martin Luther to the present day. Beginning with the founding of Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, and Anabaptist churches in the sixteenth-century Reformation, he also considers the rise of other important Christian movements like Methodism and Pentecostalism. Focussing on worldwide developments, rather than just the familiar European and American histories, he considers the recent expansion of Protestant movements in Africa, China, India, and Latin America, emphasising the on-going and rapidly expanding story of Protestants worldwide. Noll examines the contributions from well-known figures including Martin Luther and John Calvin, along with many others, and explores why Protestant energies have flagged recently in the Western world yet expanded so dramatically elsewhere. Highlighting the key points of Protestant commonality including the message of Christian salvation, reliance on the Bible, and organization through personal initiative, he also explores the reasons for Protestantism's extraordinary diversity. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Spirits of Protestantism
Spirits of Protestantism

Author: Pamela E. Klassen

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2011-06-25

Total Pages: 348

ISBN-13: 0520244281

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“Klassen’s book is much more than a first-rate study of how two churches in Canada positioned themselves within the ostensibly parallel worlds of biomedicine and spiritual healing. It is, at its core, an insightful meditation on the relationship between liberal Protestantism and the project of modernity. A must read not only for students of Christianity, but all those interested in the legacies of secularism and enchantment." —Matthew Engelke, London School of Economics