Description

Winner of the 2024 Christianity Today Book of the Year Award in the Popular Theology category and recipient of Credo Magazine’s Award in Theological Retrieval.

Recently, there has been a notable trend among evangelicals to explore historical, liturgical, and sacramental traditions of the Christian faith, particularly Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. While this renewed hunger for historical rootedness is positive, many believers mistakenly assume such depth can only be discovered outside of Protestantism.

In What It Means to Be Protestant, author Gavin Ortlund draws on his extensive research in church history and his personal experiences in thoughtful ecumenical discussions to make a compelling case in support of the Protestant tradition.

By revisiting classic Protestant writings and arguments, Ortlund clarifies common misconceptions that critics often raise against Protestantism, revealing these criticisms to be based on misunderstandings and caricatures. Through careful historical scholarship, he persuasively argues that historic Protestantism remains the most satisfying way for believers today to find continuity with the historic church and lasting spiritual foundations.

In his characteristically gracious tone, Ortlund makes clear that the 16th-century Reformation was genuinely an attempt to recover and renew the authentic gospel message. He acknowledges openly that Protestantism has never been faultless; yet, its foundational principle—semper reformanda (“always reforming”)—enables it continuously to realign itself according to Scripture as the highest and final authority.

“I find it hard to overstate the importance of this book for every pastor, church elder, ministry leader, or serious student of the Bible. I will now consider this my primary recommended resource for clearly explaining Protestantism. It is excellent, and I thank God for it.” —Bobby Harrington, co-founder of RENEW.org and Discipleship.org, founding pastor of Harpeth Christian Church