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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #498245 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-01
• Released on: 2007-09-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 560 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780060822132
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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From Publishers Weekly
This is McGrath's third book title borrowed from his atheist bête noir Richard Dawkins. But don't let the titular borrowings fool you: this is an original and important book. Someone had to imitate the long, popular works of history being written on secular subjects from Lewis & Clark to FDR, and McGrath has the theological and historical expertise necessary to tell a story stretching from the Reformation's origins in the 16th century to today. The dangerous idea was Martin Luther's: that individual believers could and should read the Bible for themselves. The result was occasionally violent (as in the peasants' revolt and the English Civil War), occasionally brilliant (musicians like Bach, theologians like Calvin and Jonathan Edwards, poets like Milton) and certainly world altering (the Calvinist Reformation clearing space for the rise of secular science and capitalism). McGrath concludes not with the faith practices of present-day England or America, but with the increasingly Pentecostal global south. The book occasionally falls into the dry tone of a textbook and assumes points that historians would want to debate, but is still the most readable introduction to the history, theology and present-day practices of Protestantism. (Oct.)
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Review
"An original and important book... the most readable introduction to the history, theology and present-day practices of Protestantism." -- Publishers Weekly

Review
"An original and important book... the most readable introduction to the history, theology and present-day practices of Protestantism." (Publishers Weekly )

Customer Reviews

A Very Good Read
Alister McGrath not only presents an excellent survey of Protestantism from the Reformation up to now; the book was also a good, enjoyable read. Like an exciting novel, it was hard to put down. That is the good side. The other side is that I found Alister McGrath's estimate for the future of Protestantism regretable, even if accurate. As A practising Roman Catholic, I frequently pray for the reunification of our fractured Christianity. If Alister McGrath's estimate is right, That just ain't going to happen. One more thing. Alister McGrath seems to find Protestantism as a root cause of western secularism. If one views the Reformatrion as a consequence of a historical Catholic and Protestant disfunction, then one has to understand that secularism is rooted in that disfunction, and Protestantism shouldn't shoulder the blame alone.

Admirable history of Protestantism
Alister McGrath's latest book has been a long time in the making, and the end result certainly shows the care and meticulous attention he spent on the project. Christianity's Dangerous Idea is not only valuable as a history and examination of Protestantism, it is an especially good book on what it means to be a Protestant and how that meaning has shifted significantly since the movement's beginning.

McGrath divides his book into three large sections. The first deals with the history of Protestantism from the Reformation to 19th century, the end of which marked a major watershed. Because of the complexity of the era and the broad goals which McGrath has set out for his book, his treatment is not exhaustive but is very good nonetheless. The second section deals in some greater detail with the major issues within Protestantism, both historically and today, such as the theories of the sacrament, the organization of Protestant churches, the distinctive traits of Protestantism, and--most interestingly for me--Protestantism's impact on culture, the arts, and science.

The final third of the book is perhaps the most important, and examines Protestantism from about 1900 onward. The beginning of the 20th century marks the beginning of the Pentacostal movement, which has grown from a meeting of students and faculty in Kansas to a worldwide movement of perhaps half a billion people. McGrath devotes a great deal of time to examining what has made Pentacostalism so successful--research which I imagine was difficult but rewarding. This section also discusses Protestantism in the "global south" and Asia, as well as the movement's future, which is far from certain.

The book's greatest strength is its straightforward, easily comprehensible writing--one of McGrath's trademarks--and its clear organization. Rarely have I seen something as complex as the Reformation dealt with so clearly and evenhandedly. McGrath deftly handles difficult issues, presenting all sides with pros and cons as simply as possible.

I have already mentioned the book's only major weakness, which is posed by the limits of time and space. No single book can handle such a broad, difficult subject exhaustively. But within the limits set by his subject, McGrath has admirably crafted a detailed, thoughtful book on one of the most important religious movements in history.

Recommended.

The implications!
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.