Martin Luther : visionary reformer

Martin Luther Visionary reformer

Scott H. Hendrix

Book - 2015

The sixteenth-century German friar whose public conflict with the medieval Roman Church triggered the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther was neither an unblemished saint nor a single-minded religious zealot according to this provocative new biography by Scott Hendrix. The author presents Luther as a man of his time: a highly educated scholar and teacher and a gifted yet flawed human being driven by an optimistic yet ultimately unrealized vision of "true religion." This bold, insightful account of the life of Martin Luther provides a new perspective on one of the most important religious figures in history, focusing on Luther's entire life, his personal relationships and political motivations, rather than on his theology al...one. Relying on the latest research and quoting extensively from Luther's correspondence, Hendrix paints a richly detailed portrait of an extraordinary man who, while devout and courageous, had a dark side as well. No recent biography in English explores as fully the life and work of Martin Luther long before and far beyond the controversial posting of his 95 Theses in 1517, an event that will soon be celebrated as the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

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Subjects
Luther, Martin, > 1483-1546.
Reformation > Germany > Biography.
Published
New Haven : Yale University Press [2015]
Language
English
Main Author
Scott H. Hendrix (author)
Physical Description
xxi, 341 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9780300166699
  • Preface
  • People
  • Maps
  • Part 1. Pathways to Reform 1483/84-1521
  • 1. My Homeland
  • 2. All That I Am and Have
  • 3. Holy from Head to Toe
  • 4. Not One of Those
  • 5. Quiet No Longer
  • 6. The Best Theologians
  • 7. The Sails of My Heart
  • 8. Subject to Him Alone
  • Part 2. Pursuit of a Vision 1522-1546
  • 9. Master of a Thousand Arts
  • 10. A Famous Lover Like Me
  • 11. Rebellion Is Intolerable
  • 12. A Coarse and Unruly People
  • 13. A New Song
  • 14. Dead to the World
  • 15. True Religion
  • 16. To Better Account
  • 17. Indebted to My Papists
  • 18. A Prodigious Sinner
  • Epilogue
  • Abbreviations
  • Notes
  • Bibliography
  • Illustration Acknowledgments
  • Index
Review by Choice Review

The approaching 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation brings with it a flood of books on Protestant reformer Martin Luther. Hendrix (emer., Princeton Theological Seminary), also author of Luther and the Papacy: Stages in a Reformation Conflict (1981), fashions from extensive sources an engaging, balanced narrative that skillfully navigates the two main dangers any Luther biographer faces. The first danger is seeing Luther as driven simply by theology without regard to politics; the second is seeing him as a solo reformer. The author points out that though Luther's overarching agenda was theological, the politics of Germany and the desires of the princes shaped his action. And he vividly portrays the circle of figures around Luther, including Philip Melanchthon. Hendrix also provides excellent insight into what was at stake in the two most central debates Luther faced: the teaching of justification by faith and the Eucharistic controversies. This will quickly become the new standard biography of Luther for those seeking a comprehensive overview of his life. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers. --Aaron Wesley Klink, Duke University

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review

*Starred Review* After the rediscovery of his late anti-Semitic writings and his homeland's descent into Nazism, the twentieth century wasn't kind to Martin Luther. With astonishing conciseness, Hendrix goes a long way toward restoring the reputation of the father of the Reformation. Giving equal weight to Luther's personal life, career, political obligations, and thought, Hendrix conjures a man worthy of legendizing who yet loved and honored common people and common life. From initial disgust with the sixteenth-century papacy's moneygrubbing, Luther came to see that the church's problems lay in its corporate-imperial structure and trappings, including priestly celibacy, monasticism, hierarchy, and, fundamentally, the doctrine that good works brought salvation. No, he said, faith in Christ's sacrifice was what mattered; good works only expressed that faith. His ideas so impressed his time that they the ideas as much as any followers thrust leadership upon him. He had the necessary grit, but one of Hendrix's special efforts is to demonstrate how Luther was enabled by those he convinced, crucially including several wealthy, powerful, devout princes. Though extraordinary, he was a man of his time, who gave as bad as he got in debate and polemic, which explains his deep incivility toward the Jews. He never suggested, let alone approved, anything approaching the Final Solution. He expected the end of the world momentarily, and he was anxious, often offensively. A fine, sturdy biography.--Olson, Ray Copyright 2015 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review

Hendrix (emeritus, reformation history, Princeton Theological Seminary; Recultivating the Vineyard) crafts a finely written narrative from nearly 2,600 authentic letters and historical or ecclesiastical documents. These findings reveal Martin Luther (1483-1546) as a man of his time with great talent, integrity, courage, and commitment, but whose irascible tendencies and fears distorted his vision as he became anti-Semitic and also sided against the rebelling peasants despite his earlier support for their positions. Luther comes to see himself as called to rescue biblical truth (as he interpreted it) from medieval distortions and to prepare people for the eschaton. Hendrix focuses on his subject's human interactions (the personal, ecclesiastical, and political) and on Luther's contradictions and weaknesses as well as his courageous persistence in doing what he believed to be God's will. VERDICT This carefully documented, fast-paced telling will delight readers of biography, history, and fiction; historians, theologians, and psychologists may gain deeper insights into how flaws in personality and the zeitgeist itself often prejudice the pursuit of truth.-Carolyn Craft, emerita, Longwood Univ., Farmville, VA © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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