The Reformation period was a time when people sought to overthrow the corrupt and

abusive Church and reform it from within. The main propagators, Martin Luther and John Calvin,
questioned the Church authority and their practices, particularly the selling of indulgences. They
wanted to bring back traditional Christianity where the Bible was the main source of authority,
just like Adeney emphasized in his article. Part of the reason why Martin Luther was criticizing
the Pope was because he used his authority to exclusively interpret scriptures himself
(Biography.com). In the Article, however, Adeney said that the Bible must be read within its
context because the meaning and interpretation might vary from person to person, depending
on cultural and socioeconomic background. Hence, our interpretation of the biblical text might
differ. That said, Adeney stresses that it is important to grasp the truth and meaning of the
scripture by attaching it to its context. That Is exactly what the reformers wanted to do they
wanted to recover truths from the Bible that the Church had already skewed.
Martin Luther spearheaded the Protestant Reformation in Europe by nailing a piece of
paper containing 95 Theses, which criticized the selling of indulgences of the Church, since he
claimed that this practice corrupted the peoples faith. In turn, the Church excommunicated him
and this subsequently set the motion for a revolution. On the other hand, John Calvin, the
successor of Martin Luther, pioneered Calvinism a belief that is highly rooted in the Bible.
Calvinism also supported the belief that the fate of people in the world are predetermined. For
example, God predestined Person X to be eternally damned. Whatever that person does would
not merit him any points to heaven, regardless of that persons potential. I dont agree with this
idea though, because I believe everyone has a chance in this world because of our free will. We
can use it to turn for or against God.
The main thing I learned here in the Reformation period is to always trust the message
of the bible and understand it with clarity. Just like a game of pass the message, when the
message is passed on to different people, it is subject to different interpretations and retains
little of the truth as it goes along the way. One must always turn to the original and primary
source of the Word of God, which is the Bible. When correctly interpreted and understood, it
can teach us something that no book can ever come close to. It can teach us how to live well
according to the ideals of Christianity but most importantly, to live according to Gods will.

Sources:
Adeney, Bernard. The Bible and Culture in Ethics. In Beyond Integrity: A JudeoChristian Approach to Business Ethics, 47 64. 3rd edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012.
Also found in Strange Virtues: Ethics in a Multicultural World. 79 105. Downers Grove, Illinois:
Inter Varsity Press, 1995.
"The Reformation Era | Christian History." The Reformation Era | Christian History. Web.
3 Dec. 2014. <http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/1989/issue21/2106.html>.
Slick, Matt. "What Is Calvinism?" CARM. Web. 3 Dec. 2014. <http://carm.org/calvinism>.
"The Reformation." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.history.com/topics/reformation>.
"Martin Luther Biography." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-9389283>.
"John

Calvin."

John

Calvin.

Web.

Dec.

2014.

<http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/John_Calvin.htm>.
"Luther and the Jews." Should We Go Back to the Reformation? Web. 3 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/reformed/backto.htm>.