Undeceptions with John Dickson REWIND: The Reformation
Feb 15, 2026
Jennifer McNutt, church historian at Wheaton College specializing in Reformation history. She explores how reformers worked within tradition, the true meaning of sola scriptura, competing traditions shaping Christianity, and the long political and cultural legacies of the Reformation. Short, sharp conversations about division, vernacular worship, and lasting institutional change.
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Insider Whistleblower Parallel
- John Dickson compares Martin Luther to Daniel Ellsberg as insiders who exposed wrongdoing from within institutions.
- Both believed truth-telling at great personal cost was necessary to renew the institution they loved.
Reformation Vs. Tradition Is Misframed
- Jennifer McNutt rejects the oppositional narrative that Reformers were anti-tradition radicals.
- She argues the debate was between competing understandings of tradition, not between scripture and tradition.
Scripture Held Within Catholic Memory
- McNutt explains Reformers saw Scripture as supreme but interpreted within the life of the historic church.
- Their writings frequently quote Augustine and Bernard to show continuity with the ancient church.