jjares reviewed Martin Luther: A Life From Beginning to End (Biographies of Christians) on + 3262 more book reviews
It was the 1500s and Europe was awakening from their dark and dreary Middle Ages to a new light of Rennaisance and Reformation. And that Reformation would have a powerful effect on Europe's religious ideas, politics, and intellectual thought. Martin Luther, a humble monk, was at the forefront (he's called the 'Father of the Reformation') crystallized the past thoughts of John Wycliffe, Jan Hus, and others, calling for change.
There's a fascinating passage in this book that states that education, at this time, was not normal for most children. If they learned anything, it was Latin, so they might be eligible to attend university. I think that is the first time I've heard that. So university classes must have been taught in Latin. University, at that time, was all-male and they behaved as if they were in a monastery (regimented classes, prayers, meals).
Of course, Luther was famous for his '95 Theses,' problems he saw in the Catholic Church. The most famous of these was the selling of indulgences by clerics, instead of insisting on penance and prayer for transgressions against God's laws. One thing that comes clearly across in the words of this book is the modesty of Luther; he believed he was a sinner, no matter how many good works he did. After careful study, he determined that it wasn't good works that would save a person, but believing in Jesus Christ.
By 1518, the Catholic Church began legal proceedings against Luther. Because of the conflict between the papacy and the current emperor, Luther was somewhat shielded from the pope's ire. However, by 1521, Pope Leo X declared Luther a heretic. A surprise in this reading was the news that Luther had translated the New Testament into German. Since the Bible was in Latin or Greek, the people had to rely on the interpretation via the clerics. With a German text, common people could read and interpret it for themselves.
Until reading this, I was not aware Martin Luther married and had 6 children. His name has been given to the faith (Lutherans) he helped clarify with his writings and his many hymn compositions (some still used today). I thought his story was interesting and well-written.
There's a fascinating passage in this book that states that education, at this time, was not normal for most children. If they learned anything, it was Latin, so they might be eligible to attend university. I think that is the first time I've heard that. So university classes must have been taught in Latin. University, at that time, was all-male and they behaved as if they were in a monastery (regimented classes, prayers, meals).
Of course, Luther was famous for his '95 Theses,' problems he saw in the Catholic Church. The most famous of these was the selling of indulgences by clerics, instead of insisting on penance and prayer for transgressions against God's laws. One thing that comes clearly across in the words of this book is the modesty of Luther; he believed he was a sinner, no matter how many good works he did. After careful study, he determined that it wasn't good works that would save a person, but believing in Jesus Christ.
By 1518, the Catholic Church began legal proceedings against Luther. Because of the conflict between the papacy and the current emperor, Luther was somewhat shielded from the pope's ire. However, by 1521, Pope Leo X declared Luther a heretic. A surprise in this reading was the news that Luther had translated the New Testament into German. Since the Bible was in Latin or Greek, the people had to rely on the interpretation via the clerics. With a German text, common people could read and interpret it for themselves.
Until reading this, I was not aware Martin Luther married and had 6 children. His name has been given to the faith (Lutherans) he helped clarify with his writings and his many hymn compositions (some still used today). I thought his story was interesting and well-written.
