To be able to define and stay the course as Christians, we must understand truth in the areas Donald McKim outlines in Introducing the Reformed Faith: biblical bases, Christian tradition, reformed emphases, and contemporary significance. We must understand history if we are to know where we are, why, and where we are going. There is continuity in history and its lessons are invaluable to us.

For example: as Reformed Christians, we embrace a number of ideas from our history. One such idea is Sola Scriptura. That phrase is significant, if we understand its origin and context; however, it can be dangerous if we lift it out of its historical context. “By Scripture alone” was never intended to suggest that all we need is the Bible. First of all our Westminster Standards emphasize that we need both the Word and the Spirit. It further states that no Scripture is of private interpretation. While the Bible is the source of true knowledge of God, we have to learn the errors of history and not repeat them. The members of the New Light movement in New England in the late 1700s and early 1800s maintained that all they needed was the Bible. They didn’t need the church, historic confessions, or the work of the men like the Westminster Divines to understand the Bible. That movement fostered the spread of liberalism throughout New England. How did the early reformers use the phrase Sola Scriptura? Certainly not the same way the New Lighters did!

One of the best ways to understand things in context is to be aware of the setting and circumstances in which they developed. Reading Five Leading Reformers is a good way to learn from the past. This is a delightful and easy to read book which contains biographies of Luther, Calvin, Knox, Zwingli, and Cranmer. Both adults and older young people will benefit from these brief biographies.

Not only has Catherwood selected the right men, but he has written about them in a way that opens up avenues for better understanding and appreciation of each. He begins each chapter with a helpful chronology of events surrounding the respective reformer. These were great men. They were mightily used of God but they were not perfect, and the author artfully, honestly, and effectively integrates those things. His writing is also helpful because he is aware of what many forget. We cannot be completely objective about history. The way one selects, reads, interprets, and understands history, like anything else, always contains a subjective element. However, he states, while we cannot achieve complete objectivity, we can be honest. He attempts to distill from the works of other historians his perspective and understanding of these five men.

By studying the lives of these reformers we can better understand the Protestant Reformation, which has effected our lives in many ways. Enjoy this little book that is packed with a wealth of information and encouragement.