A concise summary of the doctrine of justification in the history of the church prior to Luther/the Reformation. Accessible and readable, and a good recommendation for the layman interested in the doctrine itself.

I could see that there was a clear effort to make this book readable and understandable despite the theological subject matter, from the language and tone it was written in to the author's defining of uncommon terms. It accomplished quite simply and succinctly (I was honestly shocked at how short it was—a good percentage of it is quotes and a long list of citations) the goal of showing that various doctrines held by Reformers weren't new, but drawn from and supported by not only their interpretation of Scripture but also in alignment with beliefs held by some pre-Reformation church leaders. "Long Before Luther" does not exist to be a case for Reformed theology as much as it is an examination of writings in church history. The book was repetitive in ways I didn't see as necessary, but I would still recommend it for anyone interested in reading about doctrinal positions held by Augustine and other pre-Reformation leaders, ones held by the Reformers, and the parallels between them that some argue do not exist.

Long Before Luther

Tracing the Heart of the Gospel From Christ to the Reformation
by Nathan Busenitz

Moody Publishers

Christian

Pub Date 03 Oct 2017

I am reviewing a copy of Long Before Luther Through Moody Publishers and Netgalley:

This book deals with a question Evangelical Christians have been asking for a long time, where was the gospel before the Reformation. Due to this fact many Catholics allege that the Reformations understanding of the Bible was not around before the sixteenth century, but this book tells of the Heart of Gospel from the time of Christ to the Reformation.

The Bible Itself tells us we are saved by our Faith in Christ, not by works.

It is well known that Reformers Like Martin Luther and John Calvin looked up to men like Saint Augustine.

Ambrose the famous preacher in Milan Italy who lived from 337-397 preached of Salvation by faith, not by works.

The reformers looked to Augustine (354-430) more than any other Father for the justification of Salvation by faith not works.

In the late Middle Ages Bernard of Clairvaux also preached of Salvation by faith not works.

I found Long Before Luther to be informative and educational.

Five out of five stars.

Happy Reading!

From the faith of Abraham, the Life, death and Resurrection of CHRIST the teaching of Paul and the development of the Church through to Luther and Calvin, here is a book that is easy to read and understand. You can read what unites the Church and the truth as delivered by many which every generation has those that seek to change the truth, however truth is truth and here you can read how the message of salvation, righteousness and sanctification is understood in the first 1500 years of the Church named how does it compare to your understanding today. I love the simple way Nathan has written this book so we can all understand it without the need for a interpiture or dictionary as so many other books of this calibre often do. Nathan has set a new bench mark that others should take note of. I highly recommend this book to not just Christians, but anyone that wants to understand the message of the Church or of the bible. There is also a great bit after the research where you can read a summary of great writers through the ages that have been quoted earlier on in the book.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for a honest review.

This a well done book on the truth that the Reformation wasn't instilling something new but truths that are as old as the Gospel.