The Word Is Near You: Seeds of the Reformation (Wycliffe Studies in Gospel Church and Culture)

Beginning with the desires of our hearts and ending with the priesthood of all believers this series of meditations traces a path through some central concerns of the Reformation. Along this path the authors all faculty at Wycliffe College engage with biblical passages which were important at that time and remain just as vital today in working out what it means to be a Christian what it means to be the people of God. It seems appropriate given the central place Scripture had for the reformers that we should follow their lead in looking to the Bible in the context of the life of the church. While some church communities enthusiastically proclaim their Reformation roots others look askance at particular reformers and seek to distance themselves from the whole of the Reformation. Yet the Reformation is not an era we in the West can simply ignore; it is bred in our bones runs through our veins and shapes our life together in myriad ways. These meditations are not simply historical explorations or an exercise in documenting past events. Rather the authors grapple with questions which we continue to struggle with today--questions of faith and grace sin and salvation work and worship. These meditations will provoke discussion and broaden our theological understanding while guiding us into a deeper understanding of the faith.