Letting God be God – The Reformed Tradition
Traditions of Christian Spirituality Series
by David Cornick
Paperback
Price: £9.95
Publisher:DLT (Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd)
Published:21 January 2008
ISBN:978-0-232-52722-3
GoodBookStall Review:
As someone who has only recently joined the United Reformed Church in the UK, this book was of great interest to me in providing a background to the beliefs and spirituality of that tradition. It was partly successful, giving insights into the thinking of Calvin and others, but not entirely so.
The book provided some background information on how the Reformed tradition developed in Switzerland under Calvin and the differences with Lutheranism. Some mention was made of iconoclasm and the darker side of Reformed behaviour in earlier centuries but the overall tone of the book was one of positivity towards and the value of the Reformed tradition. The author briefly discussed predestination and how the doctrine developed but spent more time on aspects of spirituality such as the communities at Iona and Taizé. He also looked closely at the theology and practice of prayer through various Reformed writers.
Although the book was well-written I had somehow expected a little more from it. As someone who knew very little about the Reformed tradition I felt that I wasn't particularly enlightened and that the author assumed the reader had perhaps a deeper knowledge of the subject than I possessed. Where the book was successful was in highlighting the way that many members of the Reformed tradition have worked, within their understanding of spirituality, to try to effect reconciliation within the church.
Reviewer: Helen Hancox (28/01/09)
As someone who has only recently joined the United Reformed Church in the UK, this book was of great interest to me in providing a background to the beliefs and spirituality of that tradition. It was partly successful, giving insights into the thinking of Calvin and others, but not entirely so.
The book provided some background information on how the Reformed tradition developed in Switzerland under Calvin and the differences with Lutheranism. Some mention was made of iconoclasm and the darker side of Reformed behaviour in earlier centuries but the overall tone of the book was one of positivity towards and the value of the Reformed tradition. The author briefly discussed predestination and how the doctrine developed but spent more time on aspects of spirituality such as the communities at Iona and Taizé. He also looked closely at the theology and practice of prayer through various Reformed writers.
Although the book was well-written I had somehow expected a little more from it. As someone who knew very little about the Reformed tradition I felt that I wasn't particularly enlightened and that the author assumed the reader had perhaps a deeper knowledge of the subject than I possessed. Where the book was successful was in highlighting the way that many members of the Reformed tradition have worked, within their understanding of spirituality, to try to effect reconciliation within the church.
Reviewer: Helen Hancox (28/01/09)
