State of the Church Before the Reformation

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Free for the next month from Modern Reformation:

State of the Church Before the Reformation

Alister McGrath

"Why was there a Reformation? What was the church like just before the Reformation took place? Why did the Reformation have to happen? By looking at these questions we can begin to gain some understanding of our own situation today.

"...by studying Scripture, by rediscovering the doctrine of grace, something was made available that gave new life, new meaning, new purpose to the church back in those days. You and I can rediscover today that as well."
...
" if you look at Calvin’s city of Geneva, which before the Reformation had five thousand ordinary citizens and two hundred clergy, you can see how many clergy there were and how little the laity were allowed to do in the church. After the Reformation, there were still five thousand people there but only six or seven clergy whose task was primarily teaching. The laity was rediscovered and given a positive role to play in the life of the church. I think this rediscovery is a vital aspect of the Reformation heritage—a rediscovery that ordinary laypeople have been called by God, equipped by God, and given something to do by God. We to need to rediscover and value that today."
...
" The Reformation is about that process of rediscovering and bringing to life. That is still very much our agenda. But also on our agenda, I’m afraid, is the simple fact that we are looking at a church today that often has many of the same problems we find in the late Middle Ages."

Full article available here:

https://www.whitehorseinn.org/article/the-state-of-the-church-before-the-reformation-2/
 
" if you look at Calvin’s city of Geneva, which before the Reformation had five thousand ordinary citizens and two hundred clergy, you can see how many clergy there were and how little the laity were allowed to do in the church. After the Reformation, there were still five thousand people there but only six or seven clergy whose task was primarily teaching. The laity was rediscovered and given a positive role to play in the life of the church. I think this rediscovery is a vital aspect of the Reformation heritage—a rediscovery that ordinary laypeople have been called by God, equipped by God, and given something to do by God. We to need to rediscover and value that today."

Curious what exactly did the ordinary laypeople do, that was solely done by the ordained before the reformation?
 
Free for the next month from Modern Reformation:

State of the Church Before the Reformation

Alister McGrath

"Why was there a Reformation? What was the church like just before the Reformation took place? Why did the Reformation have to happen? By looking at these questions we can begin to gain some understanding of our own situation today.

"...by studying Scripture, by rediscovering the doctrine of grace, something was made available that gave new life, new meaning, new purpose to the church back in those days. You and I can rediscover today that as well."
...
" if you look at Calvin’s city of Geneva, which before the Reformation had five thousand ordinary citizens and two hundred clergy, you can see how many clergy there were and how little the laity were allowed to do in the church. After the Reformation, there were still five thousand people there but only six or seven clergy whose task was primarily teaching. The laity was rediscovered and given a positive role to play in the life of the church. I think this rediscovery is a vital aspect of the Reformation heritage—a rediscovery that ordinary laypeople have been called by God, equipped by God, and given something to do by God. We to need to rediscover and value that today."
...
" The Reformation is about that process of rediscovering and bringing to life. That is still very much our agenda. But also on our agenda, I’m afraid, is the simple fact that we are looking at a church today that often has many of the same problems we find in the late Middle Ages."

Full article available here:

https://www.whitehorseinn.org/article/the-state-of-the-church-before-the-reformation-2/
Looks like a good resource, and there are some who would see the basic problem was the the Reformation at times did not go far enough.
 
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