Exploring Protestant Traditions, Book Review Example

Overall, Buschart (2006) offers a highly informative and very accurate treatment of eight different Protestant traditions. Dr. Buschart is eminently qualified to write on the subject, given his expertise and credentials: he has a M.Phil. and a Ph.D. from Drew University and an M.Div. and Th.M. from Trinity, and now serves as a professor of theology and historical studies at Denver Seminary (Denver Seminary, n.d.).

The book begins with Lutheranism, in many ways the most iconic of the Protestant traditions. A particular strength of the book is its exposition on the historical origins of each tradition, clearly in evidence with Lutheranism: Dr. Buschart (2006) traces Lutheranism from its origins with Martin Luther in the early 16^th century down to the 20^th century (pp. 32-39). Buschart explains the doctrinal differences that led Luther to break with the Roman Catholic Church: the demands the Church placed on the faithful, and what Luther saw as a departure from the scriptural message of justification by faith (pp. 32-33).

Buschart (2006) also touches on important early controversies within the Lutheran movement, such as the so-called Antinomian controversy, regarding “what role, if any, Old Testament law should play in the lives of New Testament Christians” (p. 34). Lutheranism remains a pluralistic movement, with a fair degree of diverse, contested interpretations of important founding texts and theology. One way to categorizethe different approaches to these controversies is between those Lutheran groups that view documents like the Augsburg Confession as helpful guides, and those that view them as constitutive. Lutheranism also remains highly creedal, with an emphasis on theology, notably that of sola scriptura (pp. 39-43).

Buschart’s (2006) discussion of the Anabaptist tradition highlights the beliefs and practices of a somewhat diverse collection of congregations that have often been misunderstood. Groups such as the Mennonites, Amish, and Hutterites can trace their origins to the so-called “Radical” Reformation of the 16^th century, when a grassroots movement produced a number of different congregations who were committed to reclaiming the biblical roots of Christianity, freed from all accretions and adulterations (pp. 58-59). A variety of Anabaptist congregations emerged in the Early Modern period, and clashed not only with the Catholic Church but also with many Protestant groups. Buschart capably handles the often troubled history of persecution that many of these groups suffered, charting their overall decline until the 19^th century. He also highlights one of the more signal features of these groups: their reliance on the Bible and the Bible alone, with little in the way of complex theology and an emphasis on praxis; however, they also have secondary sources, with traditions going back as far as the Schleitheim Confession of 1527 (pp. 60-72). All in all, Anabaptist groups stress discipleship, and obedience to God, following Christ, and separating themselves from the world (pp. 75-76).

The book then undertakes an exploration of Reformed theology. This chapter centers on the figure of Calvin, in many ways, placing him within the context of an earlier tradition of reformation featuring such figures as Ulrich Zwingli. Buschart (2006) captures the spirit of the Reformed church in a readily comprehensible, concise fashion: the ethos is that of continued reform, with the Bible serving as the guide; every church practice must be shown to have positive warrant in Scripture (pp. 84-86). One of the more particular features of the Reformed tradition, in fact, is the idea that all believers ought to be active, practicing, responsible theologians: theology, then, is not simply something for scholars, but something every believer can and should participate in (pp. 98-100). All in all, this chapter is one of the best in the book.

Buschart (2006) characterizes the Anglican tradition as a via media, a middle way between Catholicism and the spirit of the Protestant Reformation as advanced by Luther and his contemporaries. Indeed, this is very much in accord with the entire history of the founding of the Church of England by Henry VIII, which was fundamentally a political act. Still, Henry VIII deserves real credit for promoting the Bible in the English language. Queen Mary’s bloody attempt to return to Catholicism ultimately laid the groundwork for the Elizabethan Settlement of 1559, which affirmed the character of the church as Protestant, albeit with certain Catholic-type practices, and subject to English royal authority. This in turn helps to explain the characteristic Anglican emphasis on the right way to worship, as opposed to particular theology (pp. 90-129). There is also quite a particular emphasis on the sacraments. Baptism, for example, is a kind of touchstone, a point of reference for the Christian’s whole life, given that it marks the believer’s adoption by God. The Eucharist is both a commemoration of Christ’s sacrifice, and a sacrament in that the believers partake of the body and blood (pp. 139-141).

The remaining chapters cover the Baptist, Wesleyan, Dispensational, and Pentecostal traditions. Concerning the Baptists, Buschart (2006) traces their history down the centuries, noting the defining ethos of the Baptist congregation as autonomous and democratic, features that have defined Baptist churches down the centuries. He also notes the rise of Baptist missions in the 18^th and especially 19^th centuries, and the hotly-contested split between Baptist churches in America over the issue of slavery. At the same time, ironically, the Baptist tradition was thriving among African-Americans, who contributed greatly. All in all, Buschart characterizes the Baptists as Christians who, like the Anabaptists in some ways, emphasize the authority of Scripture, and not creeds and formal theologies. A key difference, however, is that the Baptist tradition does have more of an emphasis on theology, with systematic Baptist efforts to glean all of what Scripture may say about any given topic (pp. 151-161).

The remaining chapters are readily summarized. The chapter on the Wesleyan Church emphasizes the largely non-theological and evangelical, confessional proclivities of this tradition. Concerned with grace and the message of salvation, Wesleyans have not developed as much in the way of theology (Buschart, 2006, pp. 183-190). However, the doctrine of entire sanctification is a hallmark of the church, the idea being that the Christian must respond appropriately to God in order to be entirely sanctified (pp. 194-197). The discussion of the Dispensational heritage, with its emphasis on theology and characteristic ‘dispensations’, is particularly interesting. Finally, the chapter on the Pentecostal tradition brings to light this charismatic but often much-misunderstood church, with its characteristic emphasis on the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit (pp. 194-245).

Overall, Buschart offers an outstanding primer for the general audience, both Christian and non-Christian, on eight different traditions within Protestantism. He is very clear about the continuities, affinities, and schisms which define the various relationships of these various traditions. The historical scholarship is quite excellent in terms of the quality of the information provided, and it is very accessible in presentation: the most general audience should have no problem following this book, and learning from it.

In essence, this book is excellent for anyone seeking to learn something of the historical background and theological fundamentals of these eight Protestant traditions. For someone who has very little idea of the characteristics of these distinct traditions, and their respective histories, this book will be most illuminating. The discussion of theological fundamentals highlights important features and elaborates upon them well enough to communicate a good, working understanding for a general audience. While I found myself wishing for a bit more material on some of the theological particulars, especially controversies, the lack thereof is probably attributable entirely to the book being pitched to a general audience.

What this book most certainly is not is an in-depth, specialist history of any one of these traditions. The information presented on the historical backgrounds of each of the traditions, while interesting and quite edifying, is nonetheless such as would befit a book addressed to a purely general audience. This is not an in-depth analysis of the historical circumstances in which any of these eight traditions was born and developed. Nor is it an in-depth look at any of the key historical personages: figures like Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin, and many others are discussed and generally treated of in an exemplary fashion, but for the most part not at great length. Overall, the only historical figures who receive much more than a page or so of discussion are a few of the important founders and luminaries.

Again, however, this is comprehensible, and quite forgivable, in terms of the purpose of the book, and what it sets out to do: provide an introduction to these eight Protestant traditions for the general reader who lacks background in them. As such, Buschart has arguably made the wiser choice by not giving elaborate biographical sketches of a number of important figures in the development of each of these eight traditions. That would require a much longer and much more specialized book, one which would probably be restricted to a very select academic audience, rather than a more general one.

Another strength of the book, and something for which Buschart is to be particularly commended, is its lack of partisanship. At no point does the book come across as endorsing or condemning a particular point of theology: the authorial voice clearly presents information, without attempting to sway the reader toward one point of view or another. In short, this is a professionally-crafted history and theology treatise, and a testament to Buschart’s powers as a scholar. All in all, I would highly recommend it as an enjoyable and informative read: a well-written and very engaging introduction to eight different Protestant traditions.

References

Buschart, D. (2006). Exploring Protestant traditions: An invitation to theological hospitality. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Denver Seminary. (n.d.). Dr. W. David Buschart. Denver Seminary. Retrieved from http://www.denverseminary.edu/about-us/president-faculty-staff-board/faculty/dr-w-david-buschart/