Ranald macaulay biography of martin luther

Who is right about what it means to be human? The Greeks envisioned an ideal humanity. Their ethereal sculptures depict a transcendent, spiritual model. But today many scientists view human beings as mere machines. And some believe we will be able to make machines with human-like intelligence in the near future. The biblical view of humanity is different from both of these. For the writers of Scripture, to be human is to be in the image of God. Guided by this view, Ranald Macaulay and Jerram Barrs discuss the nature of spiritual experience. As the pursuit of true spirituality takes us away from sinfulness, it moves us closer to what God intended us to be. When we are truly spiritual, we are fully human. Macauley and Barrs begin by stressing the centrality of Christ. Then they distinguish between self and the sinfulness of self, argue for using our minds in spiritual matters, and illuminate the many ways God guides us. Their chapter on the family discusses the vexed issue of authority. And they conclude with a look at the evidence, judgment, hope, joy and reward of faith. In short, this book, now back in print due to ongoing demand, presents an integrated model for what human beings really are.

Abstract

The basic principle underlying the Protestant Reformation was the “evils inherent in the Roman Catholic Church”. Some of these included the corrupt papacy or the authority of the Pope, infallibility of the Pope, veneration of the Virgin Mary and other Saints, the use of sacred objects, celibacy of consecrated men/women, general Church Councils, the sale of indulgences, among several others. Meanwhile, Luther and those after him, such as Huldriech Zwingli and John Calvin believed in ‘Justification by Faith’ alone. The counter-reformation could not beat down the tide with the result that the former Roman Catholic Church segregated into Lutherans, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Methodists just to mention a few. Five Hundred years on, the Catholic Church still commands the largest in numbers, papal authority though limited still remains a force to reckon with, the Vatican’s status as a country is recognized by the world body- the UN, veneration of the Virgin Mary and saints still remains strong with many more people being canonized. Meanwhile, the schism continues and many more denominations or Churches come into being. Reforms in the Catholic Church like the Council of Trent and Vatican II have not don

•