Into the Reading Room

Last Lord’s Day morning I was given a couple of old books by Joel Harrison – ‘Martin Luther the Man’ by Ruth Garden Short, and ‘A Short History of the Reformation’ by the Protestant Truth Society. These have greatly assisted me in drafting a timeline for Luther’s involvement in the Reformation and turning the spotlight on many other personalities who either stood with, or against, him in his herculean struggle to spread the message of the Gospel of grace across Europe.

My guess is that most of these names have long since been forgotten.

For example, who knows much about the Reformation:

• preachers, Nicolaus von Amsdorf, George Spalatin, Justus Jonas, Johannes Bugenhagen;

• the painters (and supporters of the work of reform) Albert Durer and Lucas Cranach;

• or Luther’s protectors, Sylvester von Schaumberg, Franz von Sickingen – and chief among these, Frederick the Wise?

Yet each of these men left important imprints, not only on Luther’s life, but across the entire field of the Protestant Reformation.

As this year unfolds, my plan is to trace the Footsteps of the Reformation and pause to give a brief profile of some of the major Figures in this momentous struggle.

Please join me on this journey.