A world ablaze The rise of Martin Luther and the birth of the Reformation

Review by Choice Review

Each Reformation anniversary has inspired scholars to offer work that supplies the newest research on the era, and some of those works are written in a style that is approachable for any reader interested in the topic. Published during the 500th anniversary year of the start of the Reformation, A World Ablaze is such a book. Written in novel-like fashion, it provides an engaging overview of the facts, as currently believed, on the early Reformation. Covering the early years of Martin Luther through 1522, Harline (history, Brigham Young Univ.) offers glimpses into the thoughts and actions of the reformer, his colleagues, and his critics. Harline does not provide notes to his sources, but instead includes an extensive, categorized bibliography of sources and further readings. These materials may ultimately not be useful to those wishing for further research, because the citations are not annotated nor given any kind of rank by the author to serve as a guide for where to begin. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers. --Evan E. Boyd, United Lutheran Seminary

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.

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Review by Booklist Review

An exceptionally accessible scholarly historian, Harline homes in on the opening years of the Reformation, from the 95 theses Martin Luther posted on the Wittenberg castle cathedral door through the first six years of reaction to them. His modus operandi in each chapter and the narrative as a whole is to flash back from a dramatic scene near the end of a train of events to its beginning and retrace what led to the finale. Hence, the whole shebang starts with two prospective University of Wittenberg students meeting an apparent knight whom they suspect is Luther, whose whereabouts have been generally unknown for a year. In the last chapter, students and knight meet again in Wittenberg: Luther, alright. Writing political and institutional more than religious history, Harline fleshes out several figures merely sketched in Luther biographies, especially the prince elector of Saxony, Frederick the Wise, who stood undaunted by the reformer, and the greedy and gluttonous Medici pope, Leo X, Luther's most powerful foe. So doing, Harline uses commonsense psychology as adroitly as a good novelist.--Olson, Ray Copyright 2017 Booklist

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

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Review by Library Journal Review

Harline (history, Brigham Young Univ.; Way Below the Angels) focuses on a pivotal period in Martin Luther's life, from the publication of the 95 Theses in 1517 to his return to Wittenberg, Germany, following his "abduction" to -Wartburg, Germany. This is not the story of Luther the -crusading reformer but of a compassionate priest and brilliant scholar compelled by internal and external forces that would lead him to become that reformer. That route, however, is almost a beeline compared to the many intriguing side trips Harline explores here. There are discussions of political and religious situations of the era, lively outlines of significant personalities, and overviews of the academic and intellectual climate. These provide a vivid portrayal, told with a deft and light touch of an amused yet sometimes perplexed admirer. Harline provides plenty of drama, giving a window into the apprehension felt by all involved in this part of history. VERDICT Harline modestly maintains that this delightful biography is for -general readers. It will also be useful as part of an introductory course in European or church history.-JW © Copyright 2017. 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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Review by Kirkus Book Review

Looking back on the birth of the Protestant Reformation.Harline (History/Brigham Young Univ.; Way Below the Angels: The Pretty Clearly Troubled but Not Even Close to Tragic Confessions of a Real Live Mormon Missionary, 2014, etc.) acknowledges that biographies of Martin Luther, especially in this, the 500th anniversary year of the Reformation, are quite commonplace. His own work, therefore, is written to introduce lay readers to the tumultuous events from 1517 to 1522, which shaped the Western world and Christianity from then on. This short period saw Luther transformed from an unknown monk into the most famous thinker in Europe, as well as the power of the Roman Catholic Church and its unquestioned papacy begin to slip away from parts of northern Europe. Harline tells this tale in a folksy style meant to draw readers into the world of 16th-century Europe, focusing less on stodgy facts and more on personal details. He begins with Luther's move to the now-famed town and university of Wittenberg, where, under the influence of his mentor, Johann von Staupitz, Luther would come to a new view of salvation that countered much of what was taught by the church. It was his decision to take on the abuses of papal indulgences, however, that caused him to become a figure of both exaltation and contempt. In trying to purify the church's practices, he ran headlong into the power of the pope. Nevertheless, regional politics, and a popular feeling among Germans that they were tired of Italian control, provided avenues for Luther to keep speaking and writing, whereas in previous generations, he may have been burned for heresy. Harline takes readers up to Luther's return to Wittenberg after a period of hiding in Wartburg Castle. Though far from a complete history and not a source of new material, the book achieves Harline's stated goal of producing an approachable, worthwhile introduction to the beginnings of the Reformation. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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