Alister E. McGrath - Reformation Thought

Also by Alister E. McGrath from Wiley-Blackwell

Reformation Thought: An Introduction, 5th edn (2021)

Science and Religion: A New Introduction, 3rd edn (2020)

Theology: The Basic Readings, 3rd edn (2017)

Theology: The Basics, 4th edn (2017)

Christian Theology: An Introduction, 6th edn (2016)

The Christian Theology Reader, 5th edn (2016)

Re-imagining Nature: The Promise of a Christian Natural Theology (2016)

Christianity: An Introduction, 3rd edn (2015)

Dawkins’ God: From the Selfish Gene to The God Delusion, 2nd edn (2015)

Emil Brunner: A Reappraisal (2014)

The Intellectual World of C.S. Lewis (2013)

Christian History: An Introduction (2013)

Historical Theology: An Introduction, 2nd edn (2012)

The Open Secret: A New Vision for Natural Theology (2008)

The Order of Things: Explorations in Scientific Theology (2006)

Dawkins’ God: Genes, Memes and the Meaning of Life (2004)

Darwinism and the Divine (2011)

Luther’s Theology of the Cross: Martin Luther’s Theological Breakthrough, 2nd edn (2011)

Darwinism and the Divine (2011)

The Blackwell Companion to Protestantism (edited with Darren C. Marks, 2003)

The Intellectual Origins of the European Reformation, 2nd edn (2003)

A Brief History of Heaven (2003)

The Future of Christianity (2002)

Christian Literature: An Anthropology (edited, 2000)

Christian Spirituality: An Introduction (1999)

The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Modern Christian Thought (1995)

For a complete list of Alister E. McGrath’s publications from

Wiley Blackwell, visit

Fifth Edition

Alister E. McGrath

This edition first published 2021

© 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Edition History

Blackwell Publishers Ltd. (1e, 1988; 2e, 1993; 3e, 1999) John Wiley & Sons Ltd. (4e, 2012)

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by law. Advice on how to obtain permission to reuse material from this title is available at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

The right of Alister E. McGrath to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with law.

Registered Offices

John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA

John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, UK

Editorial Office

The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, UK

For details of our global editorial offices, customer services, and more information about Wiley products visit us at www.wiley.com.

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some content that appears in standard print versions of this book may not be available in other formats.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty

The contents of this work are intended to further general scientific research, understanding, and discussion only and are not intended and should not be relied upon as recommending or promoting scientific method, diagnosis, or treatment by physicians for any particular patient. In view of ongoing research, equipment modifications, changes in governmental regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to the use of medicines, equipment, and devices, the reader is urged to review and evaluate the information provided in the package insert or instructions for each medicine, equipment, or device for, among other things, any changes in the instructions or indication of usage and for added warnings and precautions. While the publisher and authors have used their best efforts in preparing this work, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives, written sales materials or promotional statements for this work. The fact that an organization, website, or product is referred to in this work as a citation and/or potential source of further information does not mean that the publisher and authors endorse the information or services the organization, website, or product may provide or recommendations it may make. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a specialist where appropriate. Further, readers should be aware that websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. Neither the publisher nor authors shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: McGrath, Alister E, 1953- author. | John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., publisher.

Title: Reformation thought : an introduction / Alister E McGrath.

Description: Fifth edition. | Hoboken, NJ : John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2021. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020049763 (print) | LCCN 2020049764 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119756583 (paperback) | ISBN 9781119756590 (pdf) | ISBN 9781119756606 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Theology, Doctrinal--History--16th century. | Reformation.

Classification: LCC BT26 .M37 2021 (print) | LCC BT26 (ebook) | DDC 270.6--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020049763

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020049764

Cover image: © Keith Lance/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images

Cover design by Wiley

Set in 10.5 on 13 pt Galliard by Integra Software Service, Pondicherry, India

1 Cover

2 Series page Also by Alister E. McGrath from Wiley-Blackwell Reformation Thought: An Introduction, 5th edn (2021) Science and Religion: A New Introduction, 3rd edn (2020) Theology: The Basic Readings, 3rd edn (2017) Theology: The Basics, 4th edn (2017) Christian Theology: An Introduction, 6th edn (2016) The Christian Theology Reader, 5th edn (2016) Re-imagining Nature: The Promise of a Christian Natural Theology (2016) Christianity: An Introduction, 3rd edn (2015) Dawkins’ God: From the Selfish Gene to The God Delusion, 2nd edn (2015) Emil Brunner: A Reappraisal (2014) The Intellectual World of C.S. Lewis (2013) Christian History: An Introduction (2013) Historical Theology: An Introduction, 2nd edn (2012) The Open Secret: A New Vision for Natural Theology (2008) The Order of Things: Explorations in Scientific Theology (2006) Dawkins’ God: Genes, Memes and the Meaning of Life (2004) Darwinism and the Divine (2011) Luther’s Theology of the Cross: Martin Luther’s Theological Breakthrough, 2nd edn (2011) Darwinism and the Divine (2011) The Blackwell Companion to Protestantism (edited with Darren C. Marks, 2003) The Intellectual Origins of the European Reformation, 2nd edn (2003) A Brief History of Heaven (2003) The Future of Christianity (2002) Christian Literature: An Anthropology (edited, 2000) Christian Spirituality: An Introduction (1999) The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Modern Christian Thought (1995) For a complete list of Alister E. McGrath’s publications from Wiley Blackwell, visit