Critical Issues Series

Did Martin Luther make a gigantic mistake?

When Martin Luther broke from the Roman Catholic church in 1517, the doctrine of sola fide - salvation by grace through faith alone - quickly became the centerpiece of his theology.  Yet today, more than four and a half centuries later, a growing number of self-proclaimed "Evangelicals" are suggesting that the great Reformer somehow got it all wrong.  The crucial question is:  Did he?

In "The Evangelical Essential", author Philip Janowsky shows why it is crucial that we answer with an emphatic NO!

Following the lead of insightful writers such as Frances Schaeffer, Carl F.H. Henry and David Wells, the author shows how a modern wing of the "Evangelical" church has abandoned the writings of the Apostle Paul as the starting point for discussing salvation, and has instead focused on the ethical teachings of Jesus.

Luther did not "get it wrong", insists Janowsky.  And unless the Evangelical church stands up and gives its clear support to the principle Luther championed, Janowsky warns, the Evangelical church will not be able to avert its imminent collapse.

(Copyright 1994)