Tom Holland's "Dominion" and Reformation Day

Reflecting on the movements that shaped the world as we know it

Every now and then, I read a book that I’m positive will impact my thinking for years to come. 

The Great Divorce. Pride and Prejudice. The Meaning of Marriage. All heavy hitters that caused paradigm shifts for me in some way or another.  

After my latest read, I think I’m tempted to add another to the list. 

Described by the New York Times as “a galloping tour of Christianity’s influence across the last 2,000 years,” Tom Holland’s Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World illustrates the way the story of a Messiah who died a slave’s death changed the moral perspective of the entire Western world. 

Though it’s not a book about church history per se, Holland hits on all the major muscle movements in the history of Christianity. Whether in martyrdom, power, charity, conquest, asceticism, abolition, protest, or revolution, the principles of the church—the legacy of Christianity—have permeated every aspect of Western culture during the last two millennia. 

“Repeatedly, like a great earthquake, Christianity has sent reverberations across the world,” Holland argues. From the first revolution, a movement started by the followers of a crucified man called Jesus Christ, to modern agnostic humanist movements that nonetheless rely on a Christian worldview to imbue their fellow man with inherent value, it’s impossible to deny the legacy that the church has left on the world. 

Since October 31 is just days away, I want to focus on one particular moment in history this week: The Protestant Reformation, which kicked off on that day more than 500 years ago. 

What is Reformation Day?

Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, said to be published on October 31, 1517, is the document associated with kickstarting the Protestant Reformation. But Luther hadn’t necessarily set out to splinter the Christian world, creating a new competition between Catholics and Protestants. 

“As a monk, Luther had lived in dread of judgment, starving himself and praying every night, confessing his sins for long hours at a time, wearying his superiors, all in a despairing attempt to render himself deserving of heaven. Yet the more he had studied the Bible, and reflected on its mysteries, so the more had he come to see this as so much wasted effort. God did not treat sinners according to their just deserts—for, were he to do so, then none would ever be saved.” Dominion, p. 318

Through the words of Paul and Augustine, Luther had obtained a life-changing—even history-altering—understanding of divine grace. 

The full history of the Reformation is complex, but the main tenets of its teachings are often summed up by the “Five Solas:”

• Sola Scriptura: “Scripture alone,” the belief that Scripture (defined as the 66 books of the Bible) is the highest authority for Christians. 

• Solus Christus: “Christ alone,” the belief that justification before God only occurs because of the atoning death of Christ. 

• Sola Fide: “Faith alone,” the belief that a believer’s faith in Christ, not their works, allows righteousness to be credited to their account. 

• Sola Gratia: “Grace alone,” the belief that a free act of God’s grace provides the opportunity for believers to be justified. 

• Soli Deo Gloria: “Glory to God alone,” the belief that God deserves all worship for his sovereign grace. 

The “Five Solas” were not Luther’s invention, but rather came about after years of further refining in the Protestant tradition. 

Reformatio across church history

As fellow students of history can attest, the events of the past are pretty much always more complicated than they appear on the surface. The story of the Reformation often falls victim to that issue. We’re quick to label one side as the “good guys” and the other as the “enemies” depending on our own personal theological and cultural leanings. 

But the spirit of reformation, reformatio, as Holland calls it, has been a central tenet of the church for essentially its entire history. 

“Yet the claim of the papacy to embody both the idea of liberty and the principle of authority had never been universally accepted. For centuries, various groups of Christians had been defying its jurisdiction by making appeal to the Spirit. Luther had lit the match—but others before him had laid the trail of gunpowder.” Dominion, p. 327

Luther, like countless others before and after him, was compelled by the Spirit to address inconsistencies between the doctrines of scripture and the actions of the church. He sought to reform the Catholic church; not necessarily replace its theology wholecloth. His choice to speak up, and then his refusal to recant his statements even when faced with punishment, paved the way for others to do the same, but with less danger of persecution. 

My thoughts, lately

Lately, I’ve felt the need to treat the Reformation with more care and nuance than in the past. I’m not recanting my Protestantism—I grew up in a Protestant tradition and actively remain in one now—but I also find that, as time goes by, I find myself less inclined to label my beliefs as one thing or another.

In the past, I’ve been extremely cautious about the Christian-related media I consume. I would only read books or listen to sermons from scholars and pastors I felt I had vetted well, for fear that I might be led astray by erroneous teaching. 

For what it’s worth, I think there’s wisdom in this approach—it’s the reason I’m very selective with the things I recommend in this format. I don’t want to put my seal of approval on anything that departs from sound theology. 

But in the last several months I’ve gained more confidence in my ability to sort the wheat from the chaff, and I’ve been hungry for new perspectives. Not theologically compromising ones—but doctrinally diverse ones. 

Some of that confidence has come with time. Some has come through knowledge. Most of it has come through the “blessed assurance” of walking with Christ, of getting to know God the Father through the prompting of his Spirit. 

From Roman Catholics to Reformed Baptists, I want to know what fellow believers have to say about their experiences as I do the hard work of developing my own “Mere Christianity.” The Reformation highlights something I think we are apt to forget: that men and women throughout time and space have deeply loved Christ, even given their lives for him, yet held myriad beliefs about the authority of the Pope, or the distribution of wealth, or the proper way to interpret Revelation. 

Of course, there are certain beliefs we cannot concede: That we believe in a personal God, who exists in a Trinity as Father, Son, and Spirit; that Jesus was born of a woman, died on the cross, and was bodily resurrected; that his death and resurrection were essential pieces of God’s plan to reconcile all people to him. 

The Reformation was certainly a positive movement in Christianity and the world at large, but I don’t think it’s appropriate to celebrate it by blowing raspberries at the “other guys.” Yes, “narrow [is] the road that leads to life,” but God maintains the hedgerow—not man. Seek him through scripture, prayer, and worship. Read the writings of believers who have gone before. Get to know God, and invite others to join you along the journey. 

Now, LMK: 

What are your thoughts? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

And a recommendation: 

Here’s a great, pretty short video that offers more historical context and a balanced approach to the topic of Reformation and church history: