The Spirit and Forms of Protestantism

In this enlightening book, Fr. Louis Bouyer, a former Lutheran pastor,  investigates the underlying principles and teachings of the 16th century Protestant reformers. These topics include Scripture along as source of Christian belief, justification by faith alone, God’s free gift of unmerited salvation, the sovereignty of God, and the Christian responsibility toward good works. 

He also showcases especially problematic areas of Protestant thought, such as the denial of the efficacy of the sacraments, a conflict between diverse interpretations of Scripture and the Tradition of the Church. He then demonstrates how these same principles weakened the forms of Protestantism, while at the same time, provided momentum for later reforms. 

Written in 1956, The Spirit and Forms of Protestantism by Louis Bouyer still challenges both Catholics and Protestants to better understand the issues that both separate and unite them.