The Unquenchable Flame
With the skill of an academic but the applied excitement of a pastor, Mike Reeves has penned a heartwarming book on the Reformation. The Unquenchable Flame is easy to read, and carries a bubbly tone that enriches each page. It is clear that Mike Reeves has studied this most important period in Church history in some detail, and it is also clear that he thoroughly enjoyed doing so. He believes that the Reformation was about the heart of the gospel, and therefore that reading about it will enrich and nourish readers as they learn the truths the Reformers fought for.
Reeves tells the story of the Reformation by profiling the theologies of the key thinkers Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and the Puritans. He also looks at the Reformation in Britain (although sadly very little is said of events in Scotland), and bookends it all with a theological/historical background to medieval times and a sketch of the modern-day status of the Reformation. So this is a book which focuses on characters and eccentricities as well as theological disputes.
It is difficult to see who this book would not appeal to. Its informal, light (but never glib) style and brief length makes it the perfect read for the layman looking to get some background knowledge to the Reformation. Many in broadly evangelical circles hear much of the Reformation and Luther et al, but have only a vague idea of what it was all about. The Unquenchable Flame is also an excellent resource for those, like myself, who are studying the period. It is a breath of fresh air in a world of stuffy academia: as Reeves tells the story of the unfolding progress of evangelical doctrine in Europe, personal reflection and practical application are natural responses. Written with an ear to the heart of the believer, this book teaches and explains the doctrines of the Reformation clearly and faithfully, and readers will be left thanking God throughout for his wonderful grace.
This is an anecdotal book – at times, it almost seems as if Reeves researched by conducting fireside interviews with Luther, Calvin and the others. Little stories and trivia peppered throughout add some flavour to the book, and help to make the figures profiled seem somehow more “normal” than we usually allow. One example is the story of how Martin Luther came to marry his wife, Katharina - she was among nine nuns Luther smuggled out of a nunnery inside a herring merchant’s barrels. In addition to background stories and little asides about the main “heroes” of the book, Reeves profiles several other key figures of the period in shaded boxes throughout the book, separate from the story he tells but informing it.
The Unquenchable Flame is by no means perfect. At times it feels as if the focus on character profile clouds the theological thrust of the doctrines discussed. To adequately provide both, though, would be difficult to maintain without deepening the tone of the book, which is brilliantly pitched. A more reasonable criticism is the lack of coverage of the Reformation in Scotland – a chapter on events in the UK implies an almost exclusively English affair. This is a great shame; by adding just a dozen or so pages to the section on the Reformation in the UK would add greatly to the roundness of the book.
I make no hesitation in recommending The Unquenchable Flame to any Christian keen to learn a little more of the Reformation, the issues surrounding it and the key theologians of the era. It is a brilliant introduction to a thrilling period of Church history, and a heartwarming read.
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Ali grew up in London, but is currently at university in the North East of England. He helped to re-launch Crossring in 2009, and has acted as Managing Editor of the website since then. He occasionally dabbles in photography and web development - he also designed and maintains the Crossring website.
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