Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“Metaxas is a scrupulous chronicler and has an eye for a good story. . . . full, instructive, and pacey.” —The Washington Post
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Eric Metaxas comes a brilliant and inspiring biography of the most influential man in modern history, Martin Luther, in time for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation
On All Hallow’s Eve in 1517, a young monk named Martin Luther posted a document he hoped would spark an academic debate, but that instead ignited a conflagration that would forever destroy the world he knew. Five hundred years after Luther’s now famous Ninety-five Theses appeared, Eric Metaxas, acclaimed biographer of the bestselling Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy and Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, paints a startling portrait of the wild figure whose adamantine faith cracked the edifice of Western Christendom and dragged medieval Europe into the future. Written in riveting prose and impeccably researched, Martin Luther tells the searing tale of a humble man who, by bringing ugly truths to the highest seats of power, caused the explosion whose sound is still ringing in our ears. Luther’s monumental faith and courage gave birth to the ideals of liberty, equality, and individualism that today lie at the heart of all modern life.
“Metaxas is a scrupulous chronicler and has an eye for a good story. . . . full, instructive, and pacey.” —The Washington Post
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Eric Metaxas comes a brilliant and inspiring biography of the most influential man in modern history, Martin Luther, in time for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation
On All Hallow’s Eve in 1517, a young monk named Martin Luther posted a document he hoped would spark an academic debate, but that instead ignited a conflagration that would forever destroy the world he knew. Five hundred years after Luther’s now famous Ninety-five Theses appeared, Eric Metaxas, acclaimed biographer of the bestselling Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy and Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, paints a startling portrait of the wild figure whose adamantine faith cracked the edifice of Western Christendom and dragged medieval Europe into the future. Written in riveting prose and impeccably researched, Martin Luther tells the searing tale of a humble man who, by bringing ugly truths to the highest seats of power, caused the explosion whose sound is still ringing in our ears. Luther’s monumental faith and courage gave birth to the ideals of liberty, equality, and individualism that today lie at the heart of all modern life.
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Community Reviews
Wanted to know more about what this guy did.
Simple story, Roman Catholic Church grew to be preeminent religious and political power in Europe. Huge far reaching bureaucracy and taxing authority. Luther comes along and criticizes a few practices (selling of indulgences). Game changer is new tech - the printing press. Luther goes viral. Catholic Church makes a clumsy attempt to shut him down, but turns out folks had been annoyed by corruption for a while and sparks the reformation.
The most interesting thing: Luther intended to have an internal debate within the Church. Never expected to create a new sub-religion, largely because he could not foresee how the printing press would lead to wider readership of his ideas. Sorta like a guy who is new on twitter has a tweet go viral (and then sorta wishes he wrote it differently).
So what were Luthers big ideas? Ostensibly that scripture supersedes papal authority and that church law does not rise to the level of scripture. On that basis, every individual who can read ought to directly access divine authority, which minimized the role of clergy, who had become quite corrupt. For whatever reason I have always distrusted established power structures and find the mechanism by which this occurred quite exciting.
Is this a good book? I dunno, I did less research on which bio of Luther to read and I regret it. The book is thorough, but doesn’t read like I’d expect history to. The author does a good job of relating history in terms we would understand today, does not a great job of helping us understand how the interpretation would have been different at the time, and interjects quite a bit of personal commentary / metaphors that color the narrative.
One use of history is to recognize how different things were at other times and places. To really understand the motivations, beliefs, and cultural priorities present among similar people at a dissimilar moment. The author does that aim a disservice by making highly questionable analogies that help his readers simplify away these differences - he repeatedly draws similarities between Martin Luther and the American revolution against the British; tells us that when the pope excommunicated Luther it was like a fatwah; and seems to cheerily disdain received academic research in a way I have not seen done by folks who are really engaging with what others have figured out. For what it’s worth, my brief reading online suggests the academic community disdains him right back.
There is controversy around scholarship for this book, particularly among devoted Luther scholars. I didn't know that when I picked the book up and I don't know the source material well enough to comment. Seems to center around (a) Metaxas may not have relied on the best existing scholarship, so to some folks the book reads as including errors on questions already solved; and (b) Metaxas likely suggested Luther played too singular a role in the shifts described in the book. No comment on either as I do not know the broader scholarship.
Net net - well written intro to an important historical figure and time. Worth reading, but I suspect one could find better scholars of Luther. That said, despite its shortcomings, this book is very friendly to a new reader, introduces concepts simply, and assumes little prior knowledge.
Three stars.
Simple story, Roman Catholic Church grew to be preeminent religious and political power in Europe. Huge far reaching bureaucracy and taxing authority. Luther comes along and criticizes a few practices (selling of indulgences). Game changer is new tech - the printing press. Luther goes viral. Catholic Church makes a clumsy attempt to shut him down, but turns out folks had been annoyed by corruption for a while and sparks the reformation.
The most interesting thing: Luther intended to have an internal debate within the Church. Never expected to create a new sub-religion, largely because he could not foresee how the printing press would lead to wider readership of his ideas. Sorta like a guy who is new on twitter has a tweet go viral (and then sorta wishes he wrote it differently).
So what were Luthers big ideas? Ostensibly that scripture supersedes papal authority and that church law does not rise to the level of scripture. On that basis, every individual who can read ought to directly access divine authority, which minimized the role of clergy, who had become quite corrupt. For whatever reason I have always distrusted established power structures and find the mechanism by which this occurred quite exciting.
Is this a good book? I dunno, I did less research on which bio of Luther to read and I regret it. The book is thorough, but doesn’t read like I’d expect history to. The author does a good job of relating history in terms we would understand today, does not a great job of helping us understand how the interpretation would have been different at the time, and interjects quite a bit of personal commentary / metaphors that color the narrative.
One use of history is to recognize how different things were at other times and places. To really understand the motivations, beliefs, and cultural priorities present among similar people at a dissimilar moment. The author does that aim a disservice by making highly questionable analogies that help his readers simplify away these differences - he repeatedly draws similarities between Martin Luther and the American revolution against the British; tells us that when the pope excommunicated Luther it was like a fatwah; and seems to cheerily disdain received academic research in a way I have not seen done by folks who are really engaging with what others have figured out. For what it’s worth, my brief reading online suggests the academic community disdains him right back.
There is controversy around scholarship for this book, particularly among devoted Luther scholars. I didn't know that when I picked the book up and I don't know the source material well enough to comment. Seems to center around (a) Metaxas may not have relied on the best existing scholarship, so to some folks the book reads as including errors on questions already solved; and (b) Metaxas likely suggested Luther played too singular a role in the shifts described in the book. No comment on either as I do not know the broader scholarship.
Net net - well written intro to an important historical figure and time. Worth reading, but I suspect one could find better scholars of Luther. That said, despite its shortcomings, this book is very friendly to a new reader, introduces concepts simply, and assumes little prior knowledge.
Three stars.
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