Martin Luther: A Life

Martin Luther: A Life tells the dramatic story of the renegade monk whose heroic personal struggle ignited a revolution and shook Christendom to its foundations.

Through vivid anecdotes and lively historical descriptions, Martin Luther: A Life captures the turbulent times and historic events through which Luther lived as well as his profound vision of God. A fast-moving narrative, it shows how his stinging criticisms of the Christian church struck a deep and liberating chord in the German people and led to the momentous change we know as the Reformation.

For all who wish to understand Luther the man, the rebel, and the visionary, James Nestingen's account also offers insight into Luther's momentous contributions to the Western world and his personal encounter with God, the Christian scriptures, and the relentless demands of his own conscience.

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Publisher Fortress Press
Format Paperback
ISBN 9780800697143
Age/Grade Range Adult
Dimensions 5.25 x 8.5
Pages 112
Publication Date June 17, 2009

Excerpts

From Chapter 1

Who was Martin Luther? Pared down to the basics, the answer is surprisingly typical. Born in 1483, he was the son of an upwardly mobile family involved in copper mining. Slated for a career in the law, he disappointed his father by going his own way and becoming a Roman Catholic monk and pastor. Sponsored by the leader of his religious order, the Augustinians, he became Dr. Luther, professor of Bible studies at a small university in the town of Wittenberg; he remained in that position until he died in 1546. If that were the entire picture of Martin Luther, however, he would reside, like most citizens of the sixteenth century, deep in the shadows cast by contemporary luminaries like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. But there is much more to the identity of Martin Luther, enough to make him forever controversial. Through a remarkable chain of events that he could not have anticipated, Luther was lifted from obscurity to the center of the European stage. The battle over who he really was began in his own lifetime, and it has continued ever since.

From Mansfeld to Monastery: Early Life Prostrate before God; Many Reputations; Early Years; Education and Family Business; A Great Dread; Monkery; Dr. Luther; Wittenberg
Hunting and Hunted: Luther's Breakthrough Psalms, Epistles, and More Struggles; The God Who Raises the Dead; Renewal and Reform
Igniting a Revolution: The Ninety-five Theses "When a Coin in the Coffer Rings . . ."; Fire Control; Theological Rabies; Luther and Melanchthon at Wittenberg
Breaking Open the Word—and the Church Luther the Theologian; The Hammer Falls; The Diet of Worms; The Aftermath
The Center Does Not Hold In the Region of the Birds; The Radicals; The Humanists; The Peasants' War
Luther at Home: Refuge from Chaos Lord Katie
Renewal and Reform: 1527–1532 More Trouble Within; Liturgical Renewal and Reform; The Catechisms; The Makings of an Interlude
Augsburg and Beyond Ecumenical Politics: The Emperor's Efforts; The Augsburg Confession; Augsburg's Aftermath; Going Home; The Justifying Word
Conflicts and Reconciliations Refining and Redefining the Reform; Reconciliations on the Upper Rhine; Toward a Council: Troubles on the Catholic Side; Politics: The Beginning of the End
The End and the Beginning Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired; Some Vicious Attacks; Luther and the Jews; Calamity in the League; Luther's Death; The End of the Reformation

Augsburg Fortress