Luther: The Life and Legacy of the German Reformer
Back in January, we noted that this documentary on Martin Luther (featuring contributions by R.C.Sproul, Robert Godfrey, Steven Lawson, Carl Trueman and other reformed theologians) would be released in April.
It is now available – on DVD or as on-demand video. Check it out and see how you might use it during this 500th year of the Reformation.
“Discover the story behind the man who sparked the Protestant Reformation. Told through a seamless combination of live-action storytelling and artistic animation, Martin Luther’s daring life is presented in extensive detail while still making the film relevant, daring, and accessible.”
Five reasons Reformation Anglicanism is relevant
“The church is meant to be a beacon, marking out the safe path to true wholeness and hope. Sadly, however, the church today often capitulates to the world’s narrative without ever being aware of it. Our preaching can easily reinforce that we are what we do, telling people they must focus on doing things pleasing to God so he will continue to accept them. Yet true Christianity bases all its hope on what God has promised to do in, through, and for us because of his love—not on what we must try to do to earn it.
Here is the core message of Reformation Anglicanism. Forged in a time when the Western church had lost its way, its five characteristics illumine the authentic gospel once again for the 21st century. …”
– from Ashley Null, via The Gospel Coalition.
(Photo courtesy Trinity School for Ministry.)
Twenty resources on the Protestant Reformation
“2017 is the 500th anniversary of an event that strangely ignited the Protestant Reformation.
If you want to learn more about the Protestant Reformation, consider these helpful resources. I combed through about 800 relevant resources in my Zotero library and selected only twenty — including some picture books and videos.”
– Thanks to Andy Naselli who has compiled this useful list.
Article 29 — Of the Wicked which eat not the Body of Christ in the use of the Lord’s Supper
“Sometimes it is only when you sit down and do a worked example that you understand a truth thoroughly. When I was 15 my local Roman Catholic priest asked me to choose whether to be a Roman Catholic or an Anglican. As we discussed Scripture and Salvation the worked example of just one person, Mary the mother of Jesus, was very helpful to me. If she was sinless then I should be a Catholic; if she was sinful like everybody else then I should be a Protestant.
The example of ‘the wicked… in the use of the Lord’s Supper’ does the same job with the Sacraments. …”
– At the Church Society blog, Charlie Skrine looks at Articles 29.
Reformation Rally at Moore College, Saturday 18th March
‘First Anglican evensong in Catholic St Peter’s Basilica’
“The first ever Anglican choral evensong has been celebrated in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. … It marks closening ties between the Anglican and Catholic churches and is one of several examples of ecumenism between them in the last year.”
– Report from Premier Radio in the UK, featuring an interview David Moxon, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Representative to the Vatican (and formerly Archbishop of NZ). Photo courtesy Vatican City State.
Related: Reformation Rally at Moore College, Saturday 18th March.
When good friends dream big for the gospel: Newton, Wilberforce & Johnson
“In the mid-1780s John Newton, the celebrated slave-trader turned preacher, became re-acquainted with one William Wilberforce, a young MP who had recently become an Evangelical. It was the start of a remarkable partnership.
1786 saw their first great project. The British Government had announced plans to establish a convict colony at Botany Bay in New South Wales. Newton had been thinking about mission to ‘the South Seas’ for a long time. …”
– From The Australian Church Record – an edited extract from a paper by Craig Schwarze, first presented at the Moore College Library day in 2013.
Related:
Giving Thanks for John Newton.
(This painting of John Newton by John Russell hangs in the CMS building in Oxford. Photo © Marylynn Rouse / The John Newton Project, used with permission.)
From Strength to Strength — A Life of Marcus Loane — reviewed
In the Autumn 2017 issue of Australian Presbyterian, Bruce Murray briefly reviews From Strength to Strength – A Life of Marcus Loane, by ACL Emeritus Vice-President Canon Allan M. Blanch.
“Together with a good supply of appropriate photographs, this book gives an excellent coverage not only to Loane’s life but also to the history of the Anglican Church in Australia.”
It’s on page 21 of this 7MB PDF file.
The book was launched in October 2015. Copies are available through the publisher.
Why they went to the Huaorani
Jim & Elisabeth Elliot’s daughter, Valerie Shepard, recounts the death of her father and his companions in 1956, for the BBC’s Witness.
(via Tim Challies. Photo courtesy BBC.)
Free Seminary-Level Course with Carl Trueman on the Reformation
From Justin Taylor at The Gospel Coalition:
“Thanks to the generosity and permission of Carl Trueman – Paul Woolley Chair of Church History and professor of church history at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, as well as the author of Luther on the Christian Life – and The Master’s Seminary, you can basically take Professor Trueman’s course online for free. (You just don’t have to take any tests, write any papers, or get any credit!)”
– This might keep you busy for a while.
(Dr. Trueman will be delivering the Annual Moore College Lectures in August, as part of the College’s celebration of 500 Years of the Reformation.)
500 years on – does the Reformation still matter?
“When all is said and done, the fundamental question for every human being is, ‘How can a sinner like me stand before God on the Day of Judgement?’
Does this still matter? There is only one answer. …”
– In the first of a series of posts on the Reformation, Dr. Peter Jensen writes on the sinfulness of the human race and the danger of the soul.
Luther: The Life and Legacy
This forthcoming documentary on Martin Luther features contributions by R.C.Sproul, Robert Godfrey, Steven Lawson, Carl Trueman and other reformed theologians.
It looks to be well worth promoting, and is now available for pre-order. It’s due for release in April 2017.
40th anniversary of the murder of Archbishop Janani Luwum to be observed
“The Government of Uganda and the country’s Anglican Church will join forces next month for a major commemoration to mark the 40th Anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Janani Luwum. Archbishop Luwum was murdered by Uganda’s then-president, Idi Amin, on 16 February 1977. …”
– Report from the Anglican Communion News Service.
The Archbishops’ Statement on the Reformation
“The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have released a joint statement on the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The statement recognises that ‘many Christians will want to give thanks for the great blessings they have received to which the Reformation directly contributed’. Furthermore it includes among those blessings, ‘clear proclamation of the gospel of grace, the availability of the Bible to all in their own language and the recognition of the calling of lay people to serve God in the world and in the church’. The Archbishops make clear that the Church of England will be participating in the celebrations of this anniversary, ‘including sharing in events with Protestant church partners from Continental Europe’.
So despite how some of the more popular press might try to spin it, this statement is not a repudiation of the Reformation nor of its doctrine. …”
– At Theological Theology, Moore College Principal Dr Mark Thompson asks if “the departures from biblical truth that occasioned the split at the time of the Reformation have been addressed by the Roman Church”.
Katoomba Christian Convention – a short history
From Lionel Windsor:
“During our time at the CMS Summer School at Katoomba, our family has been greatly blessed by the hospitality of Paul Innes, who operates Blue Mountains History Tours.
As part of Paul’s history work in the Blue Mountains, he regularly contributes history articles to the Scenic World Tourist Magazine. The latest story from the Summer 2016 edition concerns the history of the Katoomba Christian Convention. …”
– Read it here.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…