Christianity's Dangerous Idea: The Protestant Revolution--A History from the Sixteenth Century to the Twenty-First | 
 enlarge | Author: Alister Mcgrath
Publisher: HarperOne
Category: Book
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Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 186215
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 560
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 9.5 x 6.2 x 1.8
ISBN: 0060822139
Dewey Decimal Number: 280.409
EAN: 9780060822132
ASIN: 0060822139
Publication Date: October 1, 2007
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Product Description
The "dangerous idea" lying at the heart of Protestantism is that the interpretation of the Bible is each individual's right and responsibility. The spread of this principle has resulted in five hundred years of remarkable innovation and adaptability, but it has also created cultural incoherence and social instability. Without any overarching authority to rein in "wayward" thought, opposing sides on controversial issues can only appeal to the Bible—yet the Bible is open to many diverse interpretations. Christianity's Dangerous Idea is the first book that attempts to define this core element of Protestantism and the religious and cultural dynamic that this dangerous idea unleashed, culminating in the remarkable new developments of the twentieth century. At a time when Protestants will soon cease to be the predominant faith tradition in the United States, McGrath's landmark reassessment of the movement and its future is well-timed. Replete with helpful modern-day examples that explain the past, McGrath brings to life the Protestant movements and personalities that shaped history and the central Christian idea that continues to dramatically influence world events today.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
Strong, but not for those not well-versed in history (a history teacher's review) July 12, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
There have been a number of well-written reviews for this book already so I will not write a full-blown in-depth review.
Rather, let me just note that McGrath has taken on a large topic (Protestantism) and done about as well as one can in organizing the information and presenting it in a cogent and readable fashion.
McGrath assumes that you already know a lot about history in general and about the last 500 years or so in particular. That is to be expected. If he had to explain every last detail this book it would have to have been 3,000 pages rather than the already hefty 478 pages of text plus 50+ pages of endnotes. If you are a person that has heard of the Huguenots, but is not sure if they are a native group in South Africa or a religious group in France, this book is not for you.
This is not a complete history, either. It is an overview. If you are looking for a complete history of a particular denomination, you are likely to be disappointed. Some denominations are completely overlooked (African Methodist Episcopal), some are largely overlooked (Southern Baptists) and McGrath does not even address the thornier issue of whether the Mormons are Protestant, even though they are obviously came from the Protestant tradition.
McGrath does a good job of tying the Protestant Reformation into the larger Renaissance movements of the day. He makes strong arguments for Protestantism as a supporter for democratic ideals and capitalism. His comments about the lessening of tensions between Protestantism and Catholicism due to the stronger common threat of Islam and especially secularism were well-stated and dead on correct, in my mind.
Ambitious Historical Sweep of Prostestantism May 27, 2008
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
To cover five centuries of a movement as significant and world changing as the Reformation, or as McGrath terms it, the Protestant movement, is ambitious and challenging. He proposes that this movement is based primarily around what he terms "dangerous idea" that each individual Christian has the right and power to read the Word of God for himself and interpret it. He pins this on Luther at the outset, and then this flows to Calvin, Zwingli, et al, collectively striking out at the Roman Catholic church, but each has their own disagreements with how much protest (or reform) is necessary. Luther the smallest, and the others more.
What this scheme does not recognize is that first of all, Luther would never go along with this theme. He would propose what is at the center of the Bible is Christ crucified for sinners. The other reformers disagree, as did and does the Roman Catholic faith. For Calvin it is the sovereignty of God and for Zwingli it was the freedom of the human will. This more matches up with the Reformation history to this day, rather than the idea of each individual believing what they will without any authoritative/interpretative source. This changes everything about viewing this historical narrative. It also shows the bias of the author, having previously suggested "the genesis of doctrine", rather than a reform of doctrine back to its first state in a book by that title. McGrath thus views his historical narrative of the movement in this biased position, which helps him to conclude as his does.
However, having made this critique, this work is still well done and fascinating. It does expose the wide diversity which opened up when Luther was able to challenge the authority of the papacy and Catholic tradition. When a confessional body such as this does not want to be accountable to clear passages from the Word of God but be influenced by other factors as well, this does call for reform, not rebellion. What history shows is that Luther was about reform, not rebellion, and he demanded proof from the Scripture as well as councils, popes, tradition, etc. Importantly he shows the radical disconnect with the historic faith by the Radical Reformation branch.
This is the very point to interject another criticism of this work. It does not take seriously at many places these other authorities placed beside Scripture, e.g. reason, tradition, experience, emotions. One can clearly see McGrath's bias as being Calvinistic and thus reason oriented. If one views the Bible through the magisterial lens of human intelligence (and McGrath is certainly intelligent), then Calvin's theological system will make sense. If one views it through experience and emotions, a Pentecostal/Charismatic centered theology will run the show. If one runs Scripture through human decision, then a Zwinglian/Armininian theology will do the job. However, if one lets Scripture alone run the show, one will have a Lutheran theology. It allows tensions to remain which challenge human reason, experience and emotions. But isn't this the real test: does God as Creator not stand above all these human sin-controlled (at least infected) attributes?
Further comments in this light would have shown this to be the case with the predecessor to Luther a century earlier, John Hus. He at the Council of Constance experienced much the same treatment as Luther, yet was failed on the pope's promises of safe travel to and from the council. For a good, dramatic video of this, see the DVD on this. More lengthly, scholarly treatment is done by Matthew Spinka's "John Hus at the Council of Constance." It can be shown that much of the same doctrinal reform that Luther insisted upon was already there for Hus as well.
Further, he has bought too much in the old Warneck view that Luther was not at all interested in mission. This is soundly refuted in an excellent book on the topic by Ingemar Oberg "Luther and World Mission."
McGrath is well researched on most matters and views his topic from many angles, including politics, economy, arts and culture, etc. At times he seems to present more of this historical narrative from his English/Anglican background, but who wouldn't be guilty of such tilting?
This is good read done by an excellent author who researches his topic thoroughly, and is worth engaging with using discretion. His points are fair about the future, suggesting the trajectories of such popular movements as Developing World explosion of Christianity of a new sort, and Pentecostalism are tentative, as history as shown itself to shift suddenly and unexpectedly.
 Seeds of Revolution March 5, 2008
3 out of 18 found this review helpful
The thesis of this book may dovetail with the most excellent and insightful work by Martin Malia, History's Locomotives: Revolutions and the Making of the Modern World.
This masterful comparative history traces the West's revolutionary tradition and its culmination in the Communist revolutions of the twentieth century. Unique in breadth and scope, History's Locomotives offers a new interpretation of the origins and history of socialism as well as the meanings of the Russian Revolution, the rise of the Soviet regime, and the ultimate collapse of the Soviet Union.
History's Locomotives is the masterwork of an esteemed historian in whom a fine sense of historical particularity never interfered with the ability to see the large picture.
Martin Malia explores religious conflicts in 15th and 16th centuries Europe, the revolutions in England, American, and France, and the 20th century Russian explosions into revolution. He concludes that 20th century revolutions have deep roots in European history and that revolutionary thought and action underwent a process of radicalization from one great revolution to the next. Malia offers an original view of the phenomenon of revolution and a fascinating assessment of its power as a driving force in history.
A Fresh Take on One of the Hottest Topics in Contemporary Religious Life February 5, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
After 500 years, the Protestant movement is still the world's most vital and unpredictable branch of Christianity, Oxford scholar Alister McGrath argues persuasively in a book that's essential reading for anyone trying to track the rapidly changing course of faith and culture.
The basic idea behind this book is daring: trying to analyze for general readers five centuries of a diverse global movement that now boasts thousands of variations. But, McGrath already has demonstrated his intellectual courage, if not his inerrancy. In his earlier book, "The Twilight of Atheism," he argued basically that disbelief seems to be vanishing from the world stage - just in time for a vigorous rebirth of atheism and skepticism over the past year or two.
That doesn't mean McGrath was wrong - or even that he is prone to misjudgment. On the contrary, it means that he's daring to grapple with the hottest issues in contemporary religious life.
The implications! February 1, 2008
15 out of 18 found this review helpful
What is the most basic, fundamental, revolutionary idea to come out of the Protestant Reformation? Alistair McGrath contends that it is the idea that individuals can read and decide on their own, without a centralized authority, what the bible means. Tracing this foundational and revolutionary idea from the Renaissance to the present McGrath shows how this idea is both an amazing blessing and a Pandora's box not only for the development of most of Christianity, but also for the Western world as a whole. Written in an understandable style, but documented and researched with superb scholarship this is a must read for everyone who takes the label "Christian." That being said this is a book of history, not theology, so take what Dr. McGrath writes as a broad picture of the development of Christianity rather than a blueprint for theological thinking. Whether you are a Fundamentalist, a Liberal, an Evangelical, a Pentecostal, Eastern Orthodox, or a Catholic you will be challenged to reexamine your presuppositions of your own traditions and methods for reading the bible.
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