Reformation
On the Reformation’s 500th anniversary, remembering Martin Luther’s contribution to literacy
By Richard Gunderman — May 16, 2017
(The Conversation) Less known is the crucial role Luther played in making the case for ordinary people to read often and well.
German Protestants officially renounce converting Jews to Christianity
By Tom Heneghan — November 17, 2016
(RNS) Abandoning the 'Judenmission,' which effectively ended in the decades after the Holocaust, should have been a formality.
Reformation exhibit highlights art as teaching tool and propaganda
By Emily McFarlan Miller — November 1, 2016
MINNEAPOLIS (RNS) 'Martin Luther: Art and the Reformation' at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, is the largest of three U.S. exhibits celebrating the upcoming 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
Reformation jostlings
By Martin E. Marty — November 1, 2016
Because heirs of Luther are supposed to be humble, they don’t ordinarily make noise or news, though they will sing and shout this year.
Pope Francis praises secular Sweden for taking in asylum seekers
By Jerome Socolovsky — November 1, 2016
MALMÖ, Sweden (Reuters) - The main purpose of the pope's two-day trip was to take part in a joint commemoration with Lutherans of the 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation.
Does the Reformation still matter?
By Jacob Lupfer — October 30, 2016
(RNS) 'I wanted my Protestantism to mean something. But I found little evidence that it really mattered -- to me or to anyone else,' writes Jacob Lupfer.
Martin Luther as history’s first tweeter? An ongoing legacy, 500 years later
By David Gibson — October 7, 2016
NEW YORK (RNS) A new exhibit features a rare copy of Luther's 95 Theses. But the lessons this history reveals are as contemporary as your Facebook feed.
US Lutherans approve document recognizing agreement with Catholic Church
By Emily McFarlan Miller — August 15, 2016
(RNS) The declaration comes as the Lutheran and Catholic churches prepare to kick off a year of celebrations to mark the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.
Is Pope Francis too indulgent with indulgences?
By David Gibson — January 15, 2016
(RNS) The reform-minded pontiff is using an old-fashioned practice with a shady past to promote his focus on mercy. Not everyone thinks that's a good idea.
Catholics and Lutherans to worship together at Reformation anniversary
By Tom Heneghan — January 13, 2016
PARIS (RNS) The new guidelines suggest ecumenical services have two presiders, one Catholic and one Lutheran, and several prayer readers of both faiths.
Did Pope Francis say Lutherans can take Communion at Catholic Mass?
By David Gibson — November 20, 2015
(RNS) Pope Francis set traditionalist teeth on edge yet again by seeming to suggest that a Lutheran could receive communion in the Catholic Church after consulting her conscience.
Pope Francis uses smartphone video to urge Christian unity
By Eric J. Lyman — February 20, 2014
ROME (RNS) Pope Francis said it doesn't matter who's to blame for divisions among Christians: "Who is at fault? All of us are. We are all sinners. There is only one who is right, and that is our Lord."
Report: Americans hold different views of what “religious” means
By Lauren Markoe — July 18, 2013
(RNS) There is a lopsided divide in America about what it means to be a religious person, with a majority believing that it's about acting morally but a strong minority equating it with faith.
Lutherans and Catholics bury the hatchet for Reformation’s 500th
By Alessandro Speciale — June 18, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Catholics and Lutherans are re-examining the Protestant Reformation, saying Martin Luther “had no intention of establishing a new church, but was part of a broad and many-faceted desire for reform” within the church.
Is Francis the first Protestant Pope?
By Jonathan Merritt — April 10, 2013
Many Protestants are warming to Pope Francis. Could this newfound affection lead to mending fences between the estranged Christian bodies?