The Unquenchable Flame: Discovering the Heart of the Reformation

The Unquenchable Flame, by Michael Reeves, is a unique introduction to the history of the Reformation and its effect on the landscape of European theology and politics.Some books on the Reformation tactfully detail the history in a dull and/or cumbersome writing style. Vibrant syntax is compromised for historical description. Still yet, there are those books that tell the story in a vibrant and lively manner at the expense of ignoring vitally important historical facts. As the former is normally the case, most history books are frankly, a snore. However, in this masterful work by Reeves, he provides readers with a unique combination: historical thoroughness and lively writing. These two meet in this work on the reformation of the church in the 16th century. Reeves is historically accurate, without being overly “wordy.” He is highly engaging and personable, without being a historical lightweight. Because of this, The Unquenchable Flame takes readers on a journey into the minds, lives, and climates of those who were tools in the hands of God to usher in an era of change in the religious and political landscape of Western Europe. Summary While this is a remarkable work on the Reformation, it is not due to a new way of interpreting or looking at the Reformation. He does not provide a new thesis on the events and figures, nor does he see in the Reformation what historians haven’t already seen. The book is profound and remarkable for other reasons, namely its winsome voice and high accessibility. In the foreword, Mark Dever writes, “This is a story that needs telling again today” (7). That is exactly what Reeves gives us—a story of one of the most important times in the history of the church. Reeves begins this story by describing the precursors to the Reformation. In order to properly understand the Reformation, Reeves shows that it is vital to have some knowledge of events, which prepped the ground for the Reformers. He seeks in this first chapter to answer this question: “What, then, was it like to be a Christian in the couple of centuries before the Reformation” (17)? Flaws in the medieval church, the influential pre-Reformation work of Wycliffe and Hus, and the advances in technology (Guttenberg’s printing press) couple with the growing desire for classical literature (mostly through the work of Petrarch and Erasmus) all were stepping stones that led to the altar that Luther and company would set ablaze. The story of the Reformation continues to unfold in the following three chapters with a focus on three major Reformers and movements. The lives of Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin are taken up in chapters two, three, and four respectively. Reeves describes each man with respect to his conversion from Catholicism to Protestantism, the reform he led in his respective country, and writings that furthered the Reformation beyond the borders of Western Europe. The movements of the Radical Reformers and the Anabaptists are chronicled in the chapter dedicated to Zwingli. From here, the story shifts from the most notable Reformers to those movements that may be less known, but carry weight of their own. Chapter five deals with the Reformation in Britain, while chapter six focuses on the Puritans and their desire to further the Reformation, as they considered it to be incomplete. When dealing with the effects of the Reformation in Britain, Reeves outlines the significant political prowess and battles that centered on theological issues. The theological groundwork of Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin were used as a basis for political upheaval and dissention. And though the Puritan name carried bad connotations, Reeves highlights their highly practical application of the doctrines of the Reformation. The book closes with an inquisitive chapter on the state of the church with regard to the Reformation. Quite frankly, Reeves asks and answers the question: “Is the Reformation over?” In this closing chapter, Reeves engages the thought from historian Mark Noll that argues that the Reformation is over because Protestants and Catholics agree on the doctrine of justification—the litmus test for answering this question. With a winsome voice, Reeves disputes this claim. Based on modern statements of faith from the Catholic Church, Reeves argues convincingly that “while attempts to foster greater Christian unity must be applauded, it must also be recognized, that, as things stand, the Reformation is anything but over” (186). While proposing that the Reformation is alive and well today, Reeves also calls 21st century believers to take these matters of doctrine as seriously as those who sparked the Reformation so long ago. Even further, Reeves argues that we had better keep the Reformation going today because of its supremely gospel-centered nature: “If the Reformation had been a mere reaction to a historical situation five hundred years ago, if it were just a bit of sixteenth-century ‘progress,’ one would expect it to be over. But as a programme to move ever closer to the gospel, it cannot be” (190). Critical Evaluation There are many works that have been published on the Reformation era of church history. This begs the question: What sets this book apart from the pack? Truly it is the unique combination of vibrant syntax and thorough historical content. Firstly, this book is written with a winsome attitude and a lively style. The reader is engaged from beginning to end. This is a rarity with the plethora of dry history books on the market. The importance of the Reformation and its return to the Bible and the central doctrines of the faith should be discussed and understood joyfully. Reeves makes this possible by doing the work of a historian as a joy-filled lover of the faith. He accomplishes this by detailing the figures and events of the Reformation in the style of a story. If the reader is not careful, he or she will forget the book in his or her hands is an introduction to the Reformation and think it is a high-octane novel. However, the style of this book does not rob it of its historical prowess. It is a book that is chock-full of detail. While the feel of the book is overly positive, the blemishes of the Reformers are not ignored or glossed over. Reeves has included helpful sections that are separate from the thrust of his book that serve as helpful complements. These asides fill in the gaps that the story that is being told in the main text does not address. For example, in the chapter dealing with John Calvin and his reforms in Geneva, the Michael Servetus affair is not directly addressed in the main text. However, in a two and a half page aside, Reeves takes up the event that “would cast the worst shadow over Calvin’s name” (111). His honesty is compelling and causes the reader to take his closing convictions to heart. Readers will come away from this book with full minds and full hearts. Conclusion All in all, this book accomplishes the goal of introducing the Reformation in an engaging style. The Unquenchable Flame speaks to all audiences as a helpful resource for scholar, student, and layman. Not only does Reeves excel at sharpening our minds with a look at some of the most influential men and events in the history of the church, but he also engages our hearts by calling us to keep the flame of the Reformation alive with desire for the glory of God in the gospel of his Son.

INTRODUCTION I read this book three years ago, but it is still one of my favorite Church History books. Scratch that--it's one of my favorite books, period. I revisit it from time to time, and I recommend it avidly. At a prominent secular university, I took (and loved!) a "History of the Renaissance and Reformation" course, yet this book taught and benefitted me so much more than did that course. In short, this book helped me to understand the gospel, and it inspires me to trust and treasure and preach and live for and die for the gospel of grace alone. Three things make this book so helpful for me: 1) its accessibility, 2) its theology, and 3) its lessons for ministry. ACCESSIBLITY One of this book's greatest strengths is its accessibility. At 208 pages, it is relatively brief, and the pace moves along briskly. Better yet, the prose is warm, lively and even humorous. Sometimes authorial wit can distract from the story. (For example, so I felt with Eric Metaxas' Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery . That book also has plenty of style, but one might feel that the author was trying too hard to be funny, and some turns of phrase tempted eye rolls from this reviewer.) However, this book has as much wit as Metaxas' book, but here it adds to the storytelling rather than distracting from it. I kept on laughing as I read this book! In fact, my most significant concern about this book is that its details seem too entertaining to be wholly accurate. Yet who could make up such details? Who could make up Luther's methods of disposing of his enemies' tracts? (Not to waste them, he would use them to wipe his feces.) Or that Thomas Cranmer had to conceal his wife, and so took her on his journeys in a large box with air holes? Or that upon finding a dog urinating concomitantly with himself, Puritan Cotton Mather devoutly "resolved that it should be my ordinary practice, whenever I stop to answer the one or other necessity of nature to make it an opportunity of shaping in my mind some holy, noble, divine thought"? And more than funny one-liners, the book highlights some of the most moving moments of Church History. From the dramatic confrontation at Worms between Martin Luther's conscience and the most powerful man in the world, to a more obscure record of a Puritan sermon which reduced the congregation into tears for having neglected the Bible, to Thomas Cranmer's recantation and repentance in flame, there is plenty to remind modern Christians that not only is their faith true and worth living for and rejoicing over, but it is also worth dying for and weeping over. THEOLOGY Nevertheless, what gives this book its power is not its humor, eloquence, or even its moving stories, but its theology. And this is characteristic of the book's subject itself, the Reformation. As Carl Trueman points out, "Many non-Christians have been brave; many have achieved wonderful things; many have spoken out against abuses; and many have died heroic and steadfast deaths for their beliefs. But, as the old saying goes, a good death does not sanctify a bad cause. Moreover, none of the other actions listed makes any individual of perennial relevance to the church. It is only to the extent that they brought God and Christ to bear upon the church of their day that the Reformers have any ongoing relevance for us today." ( Reformation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow , page 20) In that vein, I was surprised at how this book clarified my understanding of the gospel. For example, its explanation of Luther's The Freedom of a Christian is worth the price of the book itself, and is worth reprinting in full here: "At the heart of it is a story of a king who marries a prostitute, Luther's allegory for the marriage of King Jesus and the wicked sinner. When they marry, the prostitute becomes, by status, a queen. It is not that she made her behaviour queenly and so won the right to the king's hand. She was and is a wicked harlot through and through. However, when the king made his marriage vow, her status changed. Thus she is, simultaneously, a prostitute at heart and a queen by status... Thus she can confidently display `her sins in the face of death and hell and say, "If I have sinned, yet my Christ, in whom I believe, has not sinned, and all his is mine and all mine is his".' This was Luther's understanding of `justification by faith alone', and it is in that security, he argued, that the harlot actually then starts to become queenly at heart." (50) How powerful and revealing is Luther's (biblical) metaphor! This helps me not only to understand imputation and sanctification but also to feel the glory of Jesus' love in these doctrines. And what a helpful distillation from Reeves! I have read Luther's The Freedom of a Christian, yet Reeves' paragraph hits my head and heart as Luther himself does not. Also helpful is Reeves' comments on the relationship between salvation and faith. To avoid trusting in the strength of our faith (or despairing at the weakness thereof), "It might be more helpful to describe what Luther discovered as `justification by God's word' instead of `justification by faith', because it is God's word that justifies here, not our faith" (51). This captures my experience perfectly. Growing up in an evangelical church, I prayed the "Sinner's Prayer" several times (just to be sure I did it right, since the consequences were ghastly if you messed it up). Yet how would I know if I had meant it enough? So I kept praying the "Sinner's Prayer" until I felt more assurance. But it was not until I moved to college, and my new church taught me to stop looking at my faith and to start looking at God's objective Word--and especially at the cross--that I felt more permanent relief. I sleep much better at night now. LESSONS FOR MINISTRY I see the same plague in students I minister to, and I hope to share Luther's "justification by God's word" with them as well. In fact, Reeves' book was helpful in diagnosing other ailments in those I minister to, and it was invaluable seeing my pastoral situations through Reeve's historical lens and theological analysis. For instance, some of my students admit that they are sinners and that they deserve hell, and they act like this confession merits them heaven. Yet before his "tower experience," Luther held similar views, and Reeves notes, "This was salvation, not by trusting God's promise of salvation, but by accepting his damnation. It was salvation by humility" (46). Furthermore, in our age of strategic ministry planning, the Reformers' simple reliance on the Bible is refreshing and instructive. Despite their differing personalities and emphases, the Magisterial Reformers shared this vision. Calvin's first sermon upon his return to Geneva was not "On the Evils of the Dastardly and Treacherous City Council Members Who Ejected Me" but simply a continued exposition of the text he had left off on three years prior! And Luther famously said, "I simply taught, preached, and wrote God's Word; otherwise I did nothing. And while I slept, or drank Wittenberg beer with my friends Philip and Amsdorf, the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that no prince or emperor ever inflicted such losses upon it. I did nothing; the Word did everything" (81). Reeves elaborates: "Luther never believed that he should devise any great programme for spreading the Reformation. He simply wanted to unleash the word of God, and let that do all the work" (57). And this strategy yields long-term dividends, as Zwingli shows: "instead of campaigning for change, Zwingli dedicated himself to preaching God's word. Having primed the people, he would then wait for them to demand the change God's word requires. The results were not speedy, but they had an almost unique durability even beyond his own death" (71). Almost as passing asides, this book also provides smaller insights for life and ministry, as it observes how our forefathers wrestled with living out their faith. It shows how separation may be necessary where core values are not shared. As Reeves writes, Luther learned that "if Rome held the pope to be an authority above Scripture, she could never be reformed by God's word" (45). It shows how Luther's sola fide gave him boldness and energy to stand against this world with devils filled. It shows how influencing other geographies and times requires training other preachers, as did Zwingli and Calvin. CONCLUSION Upon my first reading of this book, amidst the bathroom jokes, pathos, and ministry lessons, these two elements struck me most: Luther's prostitute metaphor and Luther's "justification by God's word." And these concerns still form the heart of what I love about this book. But upon my second reading, Reeves' final chapter took on new interest. This chapter shares a title with Mark Noll and Carolyn Nystrom's book Is the Reformation Over?: An Evangelical Assessment of Contemporary Roman Catholicism and might be seen largely as a response to it. One of Reeves' most brilliant insights is his connection of our age with the spirit of Erasmus, who said, "The sum of our religion is peace and unanimity, but these can scarcely stand unless we define as little as possible" (187). Let us "define as little as possible"? This astounds me! Yet this charge may be true; Mark Dever's foreword to this book cites an Episcopal bishop: "If you must make a choice between heresy and schism, always choose heresy" (10). I am aware that young, rabid Reformation fans may be uncharitable and divisive over minutiae, so I have especially striven to be a kind, relaxed Calvinist and to keep a sense of proportionality over the relative theological significance of various issues. Yet surely the gospel is the most important issue, even in the sometimes precarious balancing act between truth and unity! It may not be fashionable to quibble over whether justification is by "faith" or by "faith alone," but it makes a world of difference, as Reeves cogently reminds us. In my student ministry, I like to ask students, "If God were to ask you, `Why should I let you into My heaven?' what would you tell Him?" And I hear things like, "Umm, I go to church and I believe in God and I accepted Jesus when I was in first grade." And I hear the difference between "faith" and "faith alone," and the dangers of placing faith in one's prayers more than in one's Savior, and I remember how anxious this made me. And so I start to tell them a story: "You know, a while ago, there was a guy named Martin Luther, and he did stuff like that, too." And I tell them about a man who discovered that, though he was incredibly religious, he was actually a spiritual prostitute. I tell them about a man who discovered that he could be simul iustus et peccator, a man who could be justified by God's word and not by his AWANA badges. And as I tell his story, it is my story, and I hope it becomes their story. And I am thankful for men like Michael Reeves who have done so much to bring this story to my life and ministry.

Point: A return to the authority of Scripture opened the eyes of the reformers to see justification by faith alone, and forever changed history. Path: In a clear and engaging manner, Reeves explains the background, the major players, and the continuing effects of the Reformation. He gives sufficient information to peak interest, but does not dive too deeply into debates and arguments from scholars. I would categorize the tone of the book as something akin to “sarcastic storytelling,” and have to admit that it is very appealing! The story is engaging, there is both suspense and humor, and the broad picture of the Reformation Era is very helpful! Sources: Reeves knows his history, and he knows it well enough to keep it very interesting. There are not many footnotes, so this is not a resource for your next journal article, but it gives a very helpful overview of the Reformation. Agreement: I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found myself checking on other books that I have or would like to purchase in order to follow the lives of other individuals touched upon. Personal App: Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide are not mere historical relics. Am I living them? Favorite Quote: There were so many gems in this book, it is hard to pick only one. “As a result, Luther never believed that he should devise any great programme for spreading the Reformation. He simply wanted to unleash the word of God, and let that do all the work.” (57) It would be worth another read and I would recommend it to someone who: is interested in church history loves a good story has a catholic or lutheran background is confused on what “Protestant” or “Evangelical” actually means Other books along this same theme would be: George, Timothy. Theology of the Reformers. Revised edition. B&H Academic, 2013. Lawson, Steven. The Heroic Boldness of Martin Luther. 1st ed. Refomration Trust Publishing, 2013. Parsons, Burk. John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, Doxology. Reformation Trust Publishing, 2008. Sproul, R. C. Are We Together? A Protestant Analyzes Roman Catholicism. Orlando: Reformation Trust Publishing, 2012.

A very easy read to cover some of the major personalities of the reformation. Not at all academic (this was assigned to me in a seminary course - not sure why. Seems like it's more populist than academic), but a breezy read. As I read this, I was also listening to a podcast on the reformation, and this book was a nice overview vs. the podcast's more in-depth look. Recommended if you are looking for an overview of personalities (Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and the Church of England reforms) in a book you can read in a few hours.

Michael Reeves has written a terrific, yet concise, introduction to the Reformation that is suitable for both students and laypeople. The first chapter sets the stage by describing the state of medieval Europe prior to the Reformation, before there was any indication of discontent with the Roman Catholic Church. The next five chapters cover the major reformers and groups of individuals God used to bring about the Reformation: Luther, Zwingli, John Calvin, the British (and Scottish) reformers, and the Puritans, describing the unique contributions of each. Reeves also touches on the major disputes that arose. The final chapter examines Mark Noll's contention that evangelicals and Roman Catholics are now in agreement on important doctrinal issues. Reeves concludes that official Catholic teaching remains as far from Reformation thinking as ever, thus the Reformation is far from over. Michael Reeves is a superb storyteller. The book is very easy to read. His style is engaging and very interesting, making the book thoroughly enjoyable. "The Unquenchable Flame" possesses what many historical books are lacking--it has charm and character. Sprinkled within the main text are informative windows of text that add interesting detail. Don't let the number of pages fool you. For such a concise book, the amount of material that is covered is truly astounding. The book's subtitle is "Discovering the Heart of the Reformation;" the book accomplishes that purpose. However, don't expect a scholarly resource, as the book lacks citations. The book would be valuable to anyone interested in learning more about the Reformation. It is important that we know and understand our roots if we are to avoid the same errors that led to the Reformation. The book avoids the mistake of making the Reformers into heroes; Reeves portrays them as fully human, warts and all. The Reformers should certainly be admired and their example followed. In portraying them as men who were devoted to following Christ, Reeves sees to it that God gets the glory. I enjoyed this book very much, and it has certainly encouraged me to read more about the Reformation.

It is a fantastic primer on the reformation and the men involved. Although not scholarly or academic in nature, it provides an excellent introduction for those interested or new to reformed theology. Michael Reeves writes very clearly and always injects humor and wit into his writings. This book is very approachable and a fun read. You might find yourself getting through it in a single sitting or perhaps over a weekend. I can't recommend it enough.

Great book. The importance of the Reformation cannot be overstated. Great introduction to a relevant topic of church even today

The Unquenchable Flame is an excellent, entertaining, readable introduction to the Protestant Reformation. Major players like Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli are covered, as well as lesser known figures like Jan Hus, Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and Richard Sibbes and the Puritans. Reeves does a fantastic job of tracing the major events and personalities of the movement across Europe, plus discussing why the original issues are still just as pertinent today. A timeline and suggestions for further reading are included. An engaging, lively introduction to the Reformation that will whet the appetite to learn more. Reeves' writing is clear and appealing enough to be of use as young as high school. In an era when most Christians are very uneducated on why and how we enjoy the freedom to worship and read our Bibles as we please, all Protestants would benefit greatly from the basic knowledge of our heritage that this book provides. A must read for any thinking Christian!

Easy to read and a genuine page turner, yet brilliantly researched and very informative. A great read. This is a great historical primer, and yet acts as a useful mirror as Mike Reeves holds up history that we might see ourselves in it.

Covers basics of key figureheads, including the basic tenants of their theology, some historical and political context, and including key events in reformation history

Good first insight on the Reform, as well as a bit of Theology. Nice narrative. Short and to the point.

Great read. Beautifully condenses version of a very complicated and far reaching subject, concluding that the Reformation is not over!

A good primer on the days of pre-reformation leading to its decline in UK after the age of puritans. A must read to understand the impact of a return to biblical orthodoxy for the direction Europe would take.