Problems of Authority in the Reformation Debates

Problems of Authority in the Reformation Debates shows that in the early sixteenth century much was seen to be wrong with both the doctrine and the practice of authority in the Western Church. A great deal of scholarly effort was devoted at the time to trying to understand the nature of the problem, but this, as the author points out, was largely a piecemeal endeavour. No one succeeded in providing a comprehensive account of the complex ‘authority’ questions which were being raised about absolute divine sovereignty, the centrality of Christ, the primacy of scripture, the necessity of grace, and so on. Dr Evans aims here to piece together underlying connections in the theology of the Reformation period, as a contribution to ecumenical dialogue. She shows how, as theologians struggle today about words and meanings, the detailed texture of semantic debate similarly underlies many of the Reformation controversies. While recognizing that no single study can do full justice to the slow and subtle processes by which the thought of individuals among the Reformers evolved, Dr Evans feels, nevertheless, that, at a time when ecumenical conversations are beginning to resolve apparently intractable theological differences, a work such as this can hope to show how something may be learned from the sixteenth century failure to do likewise.