Martin Luther

Martin Luther
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Martin Luther: A Penguin Life (Penguin Lives)

Description of Martin Luther:

Martin Marty—professor, author, pastor, historian, and journalist—is, in Bill Moyers’s words, "the most influential interpreter of American religion." In Martin Luther this man of unswerving faith, rooted in his own Lutheran tradition yet deeply committed to helping enrich a pluralist society, brings to powerful life the devout Reformation figure whose despair for a perilous world, felt anew in our own times, drove him to a ceaseless search for assurance of God’s love. It was one that led him steadily to a fresh interpretation of human interaction with God—as born solely from God’s grace and not the Church’s mediation—and to the famous theses he posted at Wittenberg in 1517.Luther’s persistence in this belief, and in his long battle with Church leaders—embellished by rich historical background—make Marty’s biography riveting reading. Luther’s obdurate yet receptive stance, so different from the travestied image of "fundamentalism" we currently face, restored the balance between religion and the individual. Martin Luther is at once a fascinating history, a story of immense spiritual passion and amazing grace, and a superb intellectual biography.

Information on Martin Luther from the publisher:

As the last millennium drew to a close and lists of the most influential people of that time were drawn up, Martin Luther always appeared near the top. Who was this famous rebel? Martin Luther explores the records left by Luther of his inner struggles and his conflicts with the papacy, the Holy Roman Empire, leaders of the emergent Protestant movements, and, in the greatest stains on his reputation, peasants in their uprising and Jews. This is also a portrait of a man of conscience and courage who risked death to witness to his beliefs and whose arguments drew fellow believers who together created changes that altered the destiny of Christendom, the shape of Christianity, and the rise of new freedoms in church and state.Martin Marty -- professor, author, pastor, historian, journalist -- is, in Bill Moyers's words, "the most influential interpreter of American religion." In Martin Luther, Marty sees Luther as someone who was engaged in a lifelong search not only for the grace of God but also for assurance that it was directed toward him. He sought this certainty partly so that he might lead others to explore their consciences, see their faith nurtured, and be ready to take public stands. People of any faith or of no faith can discover in his struggles and affirmations templates for their own paths, and will find him an engrossing subject, a person capable of living with apparent contradictions along with firm convictions.

About Martin E. Marty:

Martin Marty, one of today’s most respected theologians, is professor emeritus at the University of Chicago, where the Martin Marty Center has been founded to promote public religion endeavors. His more than fifty books include Modern American Religion. He is a winner of the National Book Award and was the first religion scholar to receive the National Humanities Medal.

Description of Martin E. Marty, author of Martin Luther:

Rebel, reformer, theologian, pastor, family man---Luther stood at a chaotic crossroad of history and preached God's grace to a divided church. This deft account by a renowned church historian chronicles Luther's life and immense spiritual passion in all its complexity. Here is riveting reading for any shepherd called to lead in troubled times. 199 pages, hardcover from Viking.