The Spirit And Forms Of Protestantism

Rev. Louis Bouyer shows Catholics the value of many principles that inspired the 16th century Protestant reformers such as free and unmerited salvation, the sovereignty of God, justification by faith, the believer's personal responsibility toward action, and the sovereignty of Holy Scripture.

But he also discusses the weakening elements such as denial of objective value of the sacraments, as well as opposition between scripture and apostolic tradition, between scripture and Church authority. These outgrowths of nominalist philosophy undermined Protestantism from within, while serving as departure points for attempts at renewal and reform within Protestantism from time to time.

After almost half a century, Bouyer still challenges both Catholics and Protestants to understand the essentials which both divide and unite them.