Is the Reformation Over - Additional Views

Richard John Neuhaus, in his Dec 23, 2005 post on First Things weighs in on Mark Noll's book "Is the Reformation Over?"

I have been of the opinion that the differences between Protestants and Catholics have been about soteriology and ecclesiology. There has been, with certain fringe group exceptions, agreement in the basic doctrines of God. Neuhaus focuses on the Doctrine of the Church as the remaining obstacle:

"I believe it is correct to say that the great question now is ecclesiology, and that question has many parts. But it should not be overlooked that, as a consequence, there is a qualitative change in the relationship between Catholics and evangelicals. When the decisive difference was justification, it was a difference over the ultimate question of salvation.

Is the Reformation Over?

Mark Noll recently published a book (with Carolyn Nystrom) that has an intriguing title “Is the Reformation Over – an Evangelical Assessment of contemporary Roman Catholicism”. I have not yet read the book, but there is a fascinating review of it at Reformation21.org

The short answer Noll apparently gives to the question is that since Luther stated that justification by grace through faith is the single tenet on which the Reformation stands or falls, recent statements from Catholic/Protestant dialogues in which Catholics acknowledge that very point are evidence that the Reformation is essentially over.