Biography Of James Kittelson 's ' Luther The Reformer '

Luther the Reformer: The Story of the Man and His Career by James M. Kittelson is a biography of the famous German monk turned theologian and reformer, Martin Luther. This is one of the most influential men in history, and as a matter of fact, “In most big libraries, books by and about Martin Luther occupy more shelf room than those concerned with any other human being except Jesus of Nazareth” (Kittelson 9). This fame of Luther’s isn’t only postmortem, “This extraordinary interest in an extraordinary man reaches back almost half a millennium. Even in his own time Luther was a ‘media personality’ the first of such in three thousand years of human history” (Kittelson 9). Luther was a subject of great controversy in his own time, as well as in our, and it has only driven his name and message into the spotlight. No matter or what one aligns himself with, “People still find themselves taking sides on the question of Luther” (Kittelson 9). It is for this reason that James M. Kittelson wrote this survey. He tells us that “The primary purpose of this book is to tell the story of Martin Luther to readers who are not specialists in the field of Luther studies” (Kittelson 10). This book is a general overview of all aspects of Luther, not just a precise dissection of one aspect, which allows for “as faithful a picture as possible of the whole man” (Kittelson 11).

The beginning of the Protestant Reformation is often marked by one man’s appeal for change. Therefore, the life of Martin Luther is a thought-provoking subject not only for the scholar, but also for those curious about the history behind Lutheranism. Consequently, Roland H. Bainton has written Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. Selling over a million copies, it was first published by Abingdon-Cokesbury in 1950, which awarded it a prize of $7,500.00. Bainton, an ordained minister, was a member of the faculty at the Yale Divinity School for 42 years. He is recognized as an authority on the

Luther’s fundamental religious problem was, how was it possible for a despairing sinner (human) to be welcomed to a wholeheartedly just and almighty God (receiving salvation)? Proceeding to his departure with the Roman Catholic Church, Martin Luther was a Augustin monk, Catholic Priest, and instructor of theology. With this being said, his judgments were supported on the lectures of the Catholic Church; on this he was thought of as an specialist. By virtue of his strong beliefs in the religion, he chose the teachings without any doubt. Nevertheless, this all altered when Albrecht of Brandenburg obtained the archdiocese of Mainz on the foundation of a considerable loan that he planned to repay by the sale of self gratification (indulgence).

Luther Man between God and the Devil is wonderfully written book that was authored by Heiko A. Oberman. The author of the book focuses on Luther’s life history with the overall purpose of discovering the under explored aspects of his life lessons. Oberman hoped to link Martin’s life with eternity and not a continuous progress towards heaven inspired by the chaos in the last days of eternity (Oberman, 1989, 12). Heiko is conscious of the monumental time difference between Martin Luther’s death and the period he constructs the details which comprise this work. During the author’s time of researching the history, theology, and character of Luther. We could argue that one of the over riding focuses of this book is that Luther’s poignant point of view for his life was symbolic of a struggle against the devil, or at the very least our interpretation.

Martin Luther was the unwitting founder of the Protestant Reformation. He wrote many books, "95 Theses", "On Christian Liberty", "Large Catechism", "Table Talk", "Small Catechism", "On the Jews and Their Lies", "Luther Bible", "On the Bondage of the Will", "To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation", "On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church", "A Simple Way to Pray", and "Commentary on Galatians". His writings fractionalized the Catholic Church and sparked the Protestant Reformation. He was the catalyst of the Protestant Reforamtion, his writings and actions precipatated a movement that reformulated certain principles of Christianity. Which resulted in resulted in the division of Western Christendom between Roman Catholicism and the new

Martin Luther is an individual from the Protestant Reformation which I most admire. He was born on November 10th, 1483. When he was older, one day he had a religious experience which made him give up law school and become a monk in Germany. As he devoted his life to Jesus’ teachings when he was in the monastery, he began to question what the Roman Catholic church practiced and what the Bible said. He noticed that the Catholic had driven away from what was actually written in the bible. He used Gutenberg’s printing press to help him print the Bible from Hebrew and ancient Greek to which he translated to German. Because of this, it helped him spread his beliefs. The Bible was the first book printed using the printing press. Luther was the first to speak up and protest against the church even though there were some risks to going against the church. His bravery is one of the reasons why I admire

Martin Luther, born in 1483, grew up in a devout Roman Catholic household, where the church stood at the center of his world. However, he suffered at the hand of his parents’ harsh criticism. His father had emerged from the feudal system into the new middle class as a successful Coppersmith. His desire was for his son to also climb the social ladder. To assist with his son’s success, Luther’s father was a fierce judge of the character of his son, and often punished him severely for his failures. From these experiences, Luther developed a low self-esteem and fear of failure, which encroached on every aspect of his life, including his theology.

This paper will address the churches political and religious practices that Luther disagreed with, the theses he posted on the church board, what he did to show his disagreement and gather support from the community and how he was able to challenge the church at the

Dutch Historian and Theologian, Heiko A. Oberman, composes a book titled, Luther: Man between God and the Devil. This book regards the origins of German Reformation forerunner Martin Luther. Although it is considered an actual biography of Luther’s life, it is more of a review of many noteworthy topics normally found in a traditional Luther memoir. Whilst many individuals may have read or studied the story of Martin Luther previously, Oberman's account of Luther’s life takes special care to highlight the thoughts of young Luther which enables the reader to see what may have shaped his thinking as an adult. Oberman embarks on a well-defined and truthfully written account of the major episodes of Luther’s life which took place from his birth

There was an argument between two great scholars, Robert Kolb and Hans Kung on whether Martin Luther’s reform improved the lives of European Christians. Kolb agreed that martin Luther made a positive impact on European Christians and he concluded that Luther was a prophetic hero, teacher and that Luther brought change and hope to the people. Kung on the other hand believes that Luther was a great orchestrator of change in the Christian church but also an indirect instigator of the violence and oppression that erupted among the people. In other words Luther had some positive effects but left more negative consequences on the people. This essay’s main focus is to identify which argument appears to be more convincing and persuasive but for

Heiko Oberman’s book, Luther: Man between God and the Devil, explores Martin Luther’s life, theology and legacy. Oberman does not simply focus on Luther’s actions and behaviors as a Reformer, nor does he evaluate Luther from a purely Protestant or Catholic point of view. Instead, the book examines Luther’s continual battle with the Devil. In order to truly understand Luther, it is important “to grasp the man in his totality-with head and heart” (Oberman, 1989, xix). Luther is not merely a monk, professor, heretic or a reformer, but he was a man who 's spiritual struggle with the Devil deeply affected his life, as well as the Church.

Bainton’s Here I Stand is a chronologically arranged biography of Martin Luther’s life which seeks to show his philosophy and ideas for the reform of the Catholic Church without seeking to perform psychoanalysis of the Reformer.

This is because of Bainton’s passionate account of Luther’s life, character, and theology, which makes the book a delight to read for any audience. It can be enjoyed by both scholars and non-scholars due to its strong historical base and ease with which it can be read. The purpose of the book is both to provide another historical perspective on Martin Luther and increase interest in Luther and the basis of the Reformation, which transformed the Church, Europe, and the

The book Luther The Reformer, by James Kittelson focused on the life, death and work of Martian Luther. Luther came from humble beginnings, born the son of a peasant. From these humble beginnings, Luther unintentionally created a revolution within the world of the church and an empire of Protestantism. Luther was not the person to start this spark nor did he want to create a new religion, rather his idea was to reform the church , but it was his views that were carried forth and spread. He was simply in the right place at the right time. Luther created a ripple effect that has shaped religion into what it is today. Whether we realize it or not, these teaching and views of Luther affect every aspect of our daily lives. The freedoms

Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 - February 18, 1546) was a Christian theologian, Augustinian monk, professor, pastor, and church reformer whose teachings inspired the Lutheran Reformation and deeply influenced the doctrines of Protestant and other Christian traditions. Luther began the Protestant Reformation with the publication of his Ninety-Five Theses on October 31, 1517. In this publication, he attacked the Church's sale of indulgences. He advocated a theology that rested on God's gracious activity in Jesus Christ, rather than in human works. Nearly all Protestants trace their history back to Luther in one way or another. Luther's relationship to philosophy is complex and should not be judged only by his famous