Theology Thursday: Latimer and Ridley
After prospering during the reign of Edward VI, Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer, two influential Protestants, faced the wrath of Queen Mary and the return of Catholicism. They shared a cell in the Tower of London before being tried and burned at the stake. While others defected, they held firm to the main tenants of the Reformation.
One of the issues was whether or not Christ’s body was physically eaten during the Lord’s Supper. This may seem like an insignificant issue, but it was representative of a bigger issue, which was fidelity to the Scriptures over church tradition. Some of the issues the church addresses today may not seem like big deals at face value, but if they hinge on the authority of the Scriptures, then they are big deals. Latimer and Ridley are heroes of the Reformation, and we will do well to remember them and measure our own lives by their commitments.