After five hundred years of examining the life of the "father of the Reformation," we must surely know all there is to know about Martin Luther. But is that true?
Did he really nail his Ninety-Five Theses to the church door?
Did he throw an inkpot at the devil?
Did he plant an apple tree?
Did his wife escape her convent in a herring barrel?
German radio and television journalist Andreas Malessa looks at the actual history of Luther and concludes that many of the tales we know best are nothing but nonsense.
Diving gleefully into the research, Malessa investigates many of the falsehoods and fallacies surrounding the reformer, rejecting them in favor of equally incredible facts. Full of humor and irony, this book educates and entertains while demonstrating a profound respect for Luther's life and mission.
If you're looking for the truth of the man behind the theses, come discover his faith and influence--with the myths stripped away.
My review:
Martin Luther is a very well know, well loved, and very controversial individual. I thought I knew a lot about him, but this book looked interesting, so I requested it.... and found out I didn't know as much about him as I thought.
The author does a great job of addressing what is true and what is false in what we know about Luther. Often humorous, he tackles several ideas we have about Luther and dispels the ones that are not true.
I found the book interesting, and learned a few things along the way. Recommended for church history buffs, and anyone interested in Martin Luther.
About the author:
Andreas Malessa is a theologian, author, and lyricist, most recently for the musical Amazing Grace. He and his wife live near Stuttgart and have two grown daughters.
The Unreformed Martin Luther is available from Kregel Publishing. Thanks to Kregel for the review copy.
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