A Short Review of "Long Before Luther"

I recently finished reading a short, excellent book written by Nathan Busenitz called Long Before Luther: Tracing the Heart of the Gospel From Christ to the Reformation. I first came across it while considering another purchase of a book on Amazon. I had never heard of the author before so it was really the title and premise of the book that caught my eye. In short, the premise is that the doctrine of Justification by faith alone, or Sola Fide, is not an invention or theological innovation of Martin Luther, unheard of in the Church prior to the Reformation (a claim often heard by Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox), but can be found in the writings of many figures in the pre-Reformation church. Busenitz contends that the Magisterial Reformers (Busenitz singles out Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, John Calvin, and Martin Chemnitz) more fully developed an already present theological tendency in the Church from the time of Christ all the way to the 16th century.

To frame his discussion throughout the book, Busenitz looks at the Protestant doctrine of Sola Fide from three different angles. Firstly, Justification by faith alone, apart from works is considered, along with its forensic nature; that is, that the believer does not possess his or her own righteousness before God, but a righteousness outside of self that comes from God. Second, is the distinction between Justification and Sanctification. This distinction is almost always blurred, if not outright denied in Roman Catholic theology, which views the whole process of redemption under the broad umbrella of Justification. Lastly, Busenitz considers the imputation of the righteousness of Jesus Christ to the believer. 

The first part of the book is a survey of what the major Protestant Reformers themselves taught concerning Justification by faith alone and the biblical texts they most often referred to. Busenitz is careful (and in my view, correct) to stress that the Reformers relied primarily on Scripture to base their teaching concerning Justification. The Reformers were certainly content to allow later Church history to give secondary confirmation of their views, but they were always driven first and foremost by the teaching of the Bible.

The rest of the book is a look at what later Christian leaders and theologians wrote and taught concerning Justification and how it accords well with the teachings of the 16th century reformers.  Busenitz makes sure to stress that the pre-Reformation era teachers he quotes are not always consistent with themselves, and that they wrote and taught things which the Reformers would not have agreed with. He also rightly points out that the pre-Reformation Church was usually fighting different theological battles and most often had different emphases than that of the 1500s. But with those qualifiers, he dives into a survey of Church history and how many notable Christians taught about Justification by faith alone.

Busenitz divides his survey of the pre-Reformation Church into three main periods. This historical survey follows the three-pronged look at Justification mentioned above. Each facet of Justification receives its own chapter during each period under consideration. First is the period immediately after the Apostolic era to the time of Augustine. Major players quoted during this period include Polycarp (c. 70-c. 155), Irenaeus (c. 125-202)  Origen (185-254), Hilary of Poitiers (c. 310-c. 367), Ambrose of Milan (c. 340-397), John Chrysostom (349-407), and Jerome (347-420). Secondly, Busenitz looks thoroughly at the teaching of Augustine of Hippo (354-430). The importance of Augustine to the later histories of both the Roman Catholic Church and Protestantism is almost impossible to overstate. His teachings on grace and controversy with Pelagius are key components of Augustine's views. Thirdly, Busenitz focuses on the millennium long, post-Augustinian medieval period up to the time of the Reformation. Busenitz spends most of his time during this period focused primarily on two important medieval figures, Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109) and Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153); both of whom were quoted extensively by the Reformers for support.

This is one of those books that is both an edifying and an enjoyable read. While it certainly helps to have a background in theology and Church history, this book also can be very helpful to anyone who wishes to see God's hand at work in the Church throughout all ages. I am very thankful for this work and cannot recommend it enough.