Do We Need a Post-Reformation Settlement?
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church of Wittenburg, Germany, launching what became known as the Protestant Reformation. It has now been 508 years since the Reformation began. This is more than the time from the Great Schism separating the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches in 1054 to the Reformation. Despite this passage of time, the Reformation (including the counter-Reformation) remains the defining theological event for most Christians. The question is whether there should be a post-Reformation settlement. If so, what would it look like?
For many Christians, the Reformation is ancient history that does not reflect modern concerns. The 1500s were closer to the Middle Ages than to today. It was a world that was more isolated and less informed. Christopher Columbus “discovered” America just 25 years before Luther, while today 85 percent of Protestants live outside of Europe. Despite the invention of the printing press less than 100 years before Luther, people were far less informed about the Bible and had to trust church leaders, which led to corruption. Today, because of the Internet, we not only have access to the Bible but also original manuscripts and historical documents. The Scientific Revolution began 25 years after Luther. Today, more than 25 percent of all U.S. adults watch church services online each Sunday rather than attending in person. All of this leads Christians to seek modern theology.
How would we define a post-Reformation settlement? Some focus on ecumenicism. The Second Vatican Council was, in effect, an effort to bridge the gap between Catholicism and Protestantism. We find similar movements in Protestantism, which has fractured into hundreds of denominations. Meanwhile, the World Council of Churches held numerous conferences to settle differences in practice and belief between different denominations.
Others address spiritualism. What’s important is spiritual experience, they say, not following rigid doctrines or church practices. Attending church is far less important in this viewpoint than practicing faith. In this, eastern religions such as Buddhism have been highly influential. Even among strong believers, there’s been a movement away from traditional church services toward looser meetings based mainly on spiritual experience.
Many argue for adopting modern views of marriage, sexuality, creationism, and inclusion. We find this not only in major splits in mainstream denominations such as Methodism and Lutheranism but even in a recent review of Catholic doctrines proposed under the Synod of Synodality.
For the theologian, the problem is the modern belief that Christ’s teachings should conform to the today’s culture rather than modern Christians adhering to God’s Word. A theology based on the Bible is timeless. For the evangelical especially, compromising on biblical doctrines such as the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, or Christian living is a nonstarter. Most Protestants would not even entertain changes to the five solas of Protestantism: sola scriptura (scripture alone), sola fide (faith alone), sola gratia (grace alone), solus Christus (Christ alone), and soli Deo gloria (the glory of God alone).
At the same time, there has been considerable discussion about nonessential and secondary doctrines, such as creationism and pneumatology or the study of the Holy Spirit. There has also been considerable compromise and change related to church practices and traditions. Most churches have moved away from organs and complicated hymns to modern-sounding worship with drums and guitars that more closely match popular music. Many churches discourage suits and ties as outdated. They are getting rid of pews, stained glass, and expensive furniture to establish a more comfortable environment to meet. There is widespread agreement about such changes.
One area that has garnered recent attention among Christians across all denominations is a focus on entering God’s manifest presence. This is more than mere spiritualism or mysticism. Rather, the focus is on worship, prayer, and teaching that leads people into God’s presence. This doesn’t mean that theology is unimportant. Christians must still believe in the doctrines of God and Christ. However, rather than making doctrinal differences the focus of Christians, the focus is on Christ Himself. True doctrines enable us to enter into His presence. This was the focus of the Jesus Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s and many revivals since. As a result, there is a greater unity and love among Christian believers than the hostility that once existed between Christians who differ only on minor beliefs. By focusing on entering the presence of God, Christians can experience unity that goes beyond differences about secondary doctrines.
There is little doubt that a post-Protestant settlement is overdue. Many of the complaints that Protestants made have long been addressed. Much has changed in 500 years, and older mainstream Protestant denominations are now just as entrenched in tradition as Catholics once were, especially related to what churches look like and how people worship. This settlement does not mean changing essential doctrines, which are based on proven exegesis of the Bible. Neither does it mean embracing sin. Yet it’s possible to differ on secondary issues yet remain committed to each other. Christians regardless of denomination are uniting today as they enter God’s presence. Whether this will be the ultimate focus on a post-Protestant settlement is an open question, but the goal of entering God’s presence is one on which all theologians, pastors, and Bible believers can agree. More than reevaluating our beliefs and practices in the light of scripture, we should press into the presence of God through Christ.
