Reformation's lasting legacy from "summary" of The Reformation by Diarmaid MacCulloch
The Reformation's lasting legacy is a complex tapestry woven across centuries, continents, and cultures. Its impact reverberates through the annals of history, shaping the world in ways both profound and subtle. At its core, the Reformation was a movement of ideas – a radical reimagining of faith, authority, and society. It challenged the entrenched powers of the Catholic Church, sparking a wave of religious and political upheaval that forever altered the course of Western civilization. One of the most enduring legacies of the Reformation is the principle of sola scriptura, or "scripture alone." This idea, championed by Protestant reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin, asserted the primacy of the Bible as the ultimate authority in matters of faith and doctrine. By cutting through centuries of accumulated tradition and interpretation, sola scriptura paved the way for a more direct and personal engagement with the Word of God. It empowered individuals to read, interpret, and apply scripture for themselves, marking a profound shift in the relationship between believers and their religious institutions. The Reformation also left an indelible mark on the political landscape of Europe. The emergence of Protestantism as a rival to Catholicism sparked a series of wars, revolutions, an...
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