My birthday’s coming up (it actually falls on the same day as a certain Reformer’s) and my parents sent me, a little on the early side, a box of goodies including Alister McGrath’s new book Christianity’s Dangerous Idea (thanks, Mom and Dad!).

Despite the title, which seems to be a jab at Daniel Dennett’s Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, the book doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the theism/atheism debate. The subtitle of McGrath’s book is “The Protestant Revolution–A History from the Sixteenth Century to the Twenty-First,” and the “dangerous idea” in question is described this way:

The “dangerous idea” lying at the heart of Protestantism is that the interpretation of the Bible is each individual’s right and responsibility. The spread of this principle has resulted in five hundred years of remarkable innovation and adaptability, but it has also created cultural incoherence and social instability. Without any overarching authority to rein in “wayward” thought, opposing sides on controversial issues can only appeal to the Bible—yet the Bible is open to many diverse interpretations. Christianity’s Dangerous Idea is the first book that attempts to define this core element of Protestantism and the religious and cultural dynamic that this dangerous idea unleashed, culminating in the remarkable new developments of the twentieth century.

So, really, we’re talking about Protestantism‘s dangerous idea. Still, this looks like a fascinating book, and I’m happy to see someone carrying the torch for Protestantism. Not sure when I’ll get around to reading it (it clocks in at over 500 pages), but I’m looking forward to it.