tom55 said:
That theory is not true either.
Prior to the Reformation the bible had been translated into Greek, French, German, English, Hungarian, Syriac, Coptic, Old Nubian, Ethiopic, Georgian and Valencian.
So your statement "The Reformation took Christianity back to the Bible" is utterly false or it is just your opinion and opinions can't be false; they can only be uneducated.
Really. Give me the name of the translators and the year their translation was made and it's distribution.
" Here was one of Luther's major achievements. His was by no means the first translation from the Bible into German. However none other either before or later equalled it in dignity and felicity of expression. He endeavoured to make the apostles and prophets speak to the Germans as though they had been natives of the country. His version became the cherished possession of the nation and did much to standardize the literary language. It had an even more profound effect upon German than did the King James version of the Scriptures upon English. This emphasis upon the Bible and the influence of the book were typical of Protestants. To be sure, the Roman Catholic Church had cherished the Scriptures,but its fear of unauthorized interpretation had made it hesitant in circulating it widely among the laity. Luther, and with him other Protestants, stressed the primacy of the word of God as contained in the Scriptures and, holding to the priesthood of all believers, insisted not only that all Christians read the Bible but also on their competence, guided by the Holy Spirit, to understand it aright. "
(A History of Christianity, vol 2, Kenneth Scott Latourette, 2005, p.719)
Concerning Denmark: " In 1534 a son of Frededrick, a convinced Lutheran, who seems to have been won by the impression made on him as a lad of eighteen by the great reformer at the Diet of Worms, came to the throne as Christian III and reigned until 1559. Under him Denmark became fully Lutheran....A liturgy was compiled, the Bible was translated into Danish, and eventually the Augsburg Confession, with modifications, was adopted. The translation of the Bible was the work of Christiern Pedersen, and was a literary masterpiece which by some has been deemed worthy of comparison with Luther's German version. "
(A History of Christianity, vol 2, Kenneth Scott Latourette, 2005, Prince Press, p.734)
Concerning Iceland: " By 1540 Lutheranism was penetrating Iceland through German merchants and youths who had travelled or studied in Norway, Denmark, or Germany. The New Testament was translated into Icelandic and published....Lutheranism made progress by more peaceable means, especially under Gudbrand Thorlaksson, the son of a priest, who, appointed by the king, was bishop from 1570 to his death in 1627, at the advanced age of eighty-three. He prepared a hymnal and published a translation of the Bible, both in Icelandic. "
(A History of Christianity, vol 2, Kenneth Scott Latourette, 2005, Prince Press, p. 735-736)
Concerning Sweden: " Changes in the Church of Sweden proceeded apace but did not lead to as wide a departure from those of the Roman Catholic Church as in much of Lutheran Germany. The incomes and powers of the bishops were greatly reduced. Marriage of priests, monks, and nuns was permitted. Preaching of the word of God was enjoined on the clergy. The Bible was translated into Swedish....Olavus Petri especially had an important place in the creation of literature. He shared in the translation of the Bible, wrote voluminously, prepared hymnals in Swedish for the use of congregations, and brought out a Swedish mass. "
(A History of Christianity, vol 2, Kenneth Scott Latourette, 2005, Prince Press, p.738)
Concerning Finland: " For centuries much of Finland had been subject to Sweden. It was to be expected that the Reformation would be carried there by Swedes. Gustavus Vasa was Chiefly responsible for introducing and furthering it....Through him church attendance was enforced, the quality of the clergy was improved, education was advanced, a university founded, and a Finnish translation of the Bible was printed. "
(A History of Christianity, vol 2, Kenneth Scott Latourette, 2005, Prince Press, p.739)
Concerning Hungary and Transylvania: In Hungary and Transylvania several factors facilitated the spread of Protestantism. Here as in so much of Europe, in the fifteenth century the Catholic Church was suffering from corruption in both clergy and laity. The Hussite movement found sympathizers, a Hungarian translation of the Bible was made by two priests who adhered to it, and there may have been traces of the Waldenses. "
(A History of Christianity, vol 2, Kenneth Scott Latourette, 2005, Prince Press, p. 740)
As you can see, the Reformation took Christianity back to the Bible. Not only giving it to people in their own language, but giving it primacy over the Church.
Stranger